Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Review: Alba Botanica Natural Acnedote Invisible Treatment Gel

Hello everyone! Please stay dry because it's raining hard again and it's quite easy to get the flu.

Anyways, you might have noticed that I haven't been posting a lot of facial products these last few months and I wanted to tell you why. My skin is definitely rebelling right now because I have been breaking out for more than 2 months now. I can't seem to find out the culprit and I am trying to remove the products I use one by one to check if that's causing all these problems. I have also not been applying makeup except for undereye concealer and lipstick because I don't want to aggregate the condition of my skin. The only constant thing I apply on my skin are my basic skincare which are my cleanser, toner and treatment gel.

I have bought the Alba Botanica Natural Acnedote Invisible Treatment Gel at Healthy Options more than 2 months ago to try and test if it will work better than the oil control lotion I tried before from this line. I have read reviews that this is the main treatment from the line and that it works great so I went ahead and got it since it's really affordable at Php300+ only. And I'm really in need of a treatment fix for my skin. I have been using this 2x a day for 2 months now and here's my thoughts on this product.

 *photo credit from the Alba Botanica website*

HIGHLIGHTS:
100% Vegetarian. 
No: Animal Testing, Artificial Colors, Artificial Fragrances, Parabens, Phthalates, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Myreth Sulfate

INGREDIENTS:

Active Ingredient: Salicylic Acid 2.0 % 

Other Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, SD Alcohol 40-B, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (1), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Fruit Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract (1), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (1), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (1), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (1), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract (1), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Rhizome/Root, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil (2), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil (2), Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil (2), Citral, Limonene, Linalool (1) Certified Organic Ingredient; (2) Natural Fragrance


MY REVIEW

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE PRODUCT:

- This is an all natural product and Salicylic Acid usually works for my skin.

- It did not cause any allergic reaction to my sensitive skin.

- Very affordable. Just around P300 and it will definitely last you months because you will only need a small amount at a time.

- It comes in a squeeze tube with a pointed tip so controlling the amount of product that will be dispensed is easy.

- No strong scent.

- Spreads easily and dries up fast and clear so it can be used just prior to makeup application.

- Cruelty free, vegan product.

- Available locally in all Healthy Options store.


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

- Makes my skin dry up and therefore makes it oilier. Although this is a common effect of acne treatment so it's not a big deal for me. I just wanted to share it as a headsup.

- Doesn't do anything. My skin's condition looks and feels the same with or without this in my skin care routine.

- This will definitely not work for active acne because even my pimples can't be treated by this.


OVER-ALL RATING: 1/5


I think this is just a waste of money. It doesn't do anything because it did not treat my existing pimples and it doesn't prevent new ones from appearing.I'm giving up on this. I have been using this 2x a day for 2 months now because I want to give it time to work on me but I guess I need to look for another acne treatment soon before my skin gets worse. I am now starting to have cystic acne again so that's a bad sign.


Can you guys suggest anything? I am eyeing MyChelle products right now because I have been reading a lot of good stuff about them. But they are so expensive here in the Philippines and I am worried that they won't work for me again. If you have trusted acne products do share them with me. Thank you!


Hugs,

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Review: Aroma Resort Body Milk in Happy Sweet Peach

I've been on the roll today haha this is already my 3rd post. I will be doing a review on a body lotion that I received as a gift last year from a Japanese friend. I have been using it for a long time and I can now give my final verdict.

Aroma Resort Body Milk in Happy Sweet Peach

It comes in a big squeezable tube which stands. I liked this packaging because it's easy to dispense the product and I can definitely finish up all the contents.

NET WT: 220g
 It has a flip cap lid that is perfect in dispensing the body lotion. It has the perfect size of hole because it doesn't squirt even if I accidentally squeezed too hard on the tube.

As you can see, except for the brand and the scent, everything is in Japanese so I can't show you guys the ingredients list.


WHAT I LIKE:

- I love the formulation! non-sticky, lightweight and very fluid.

- Absorbs fast on the skin. I just need to wait for a minute or two for it to get absorbed which is awesome because I can put on my clothes fast after shower.

- I love the scent of in this one because it doesn't give me any headache and it lingers. Plus, it's not too sweet like other artificial peach scents so that's definitely a thumbs up for me.

- Packaging is sanitary and easy to use. And since it stands on the cap, you don't need to work hard for the product to be dispensed.


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

- Not travel friendly. Aside from being too big, I'm worried that it will burst on my bag.

- Can't be bought locally. There are no local online sellers that sells this too.

- I can't find any info if it is cruelty free or not.


OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5
I really love this body lotion! It is perfect for our humid weather here in the Philippines. The scent also lingers for a while especially if I use a body wash with the same peach scent. I really can't think anything bad about this product. Totally worth it trying :)


Thanks for dropping by!

Kpop Update: F(x) "Rum Pum Pum Pum"

F(x) is back after their 1 year hiatus. Yay!!  I really don't get why SM Entertainment don't showcase them more often. Anyway, they are back with a brand new single called "Rum Pum Pum Pum". Their MV came out late last night and I was really excited about it because I love all the songs of F(x).

Watch the video first before reading my reaction :)


First off, I love the MV! It's kinda like a mixture of Pinnochio and Electric Shock which makes it look cool. I didn't even care that it's the usual SM boxed videos because the girls really looked great in this one. I'm even thinking of recreating their makeup look. Krystal and Luna shined in this video the most and I really liked their hair colors. Victoria is still as gorgeous as ever while Sulli still looks cute. Amber looks pretty but I just wish they put her in pretty clothes. Why does she have the worst outfit always? She can still look pretty while maintaining her boyish image, SM just needs to find good stylist.


Also, I just wish they distributed the exposure equally among the members because there's too much of Krystal here. I know she's beautiful and probably the most popular member and that it's for promotions BUT this is a group MV so they shouldn't focus on her if it's not her turn. Be fair SM! The other members should shine too!  

Now, on the song, it definitely doesn't have the "Love at first hear" effect. It is the type of song that will grow on you and will like after listening to it a couple of times. I believe I needed to hear it for at least 6x before I started liking it which made me a little sad. All their previous songs are way way better than this and I have liked all of them since the first time I heard them until now. Rum Pum Pum Pum is kinda lacking something to make me say "wow!" but I will still download it because I'm an F(x) fan and I will still support them. I just hope their next song would be better :)

RATING: 3/5 - 
The song is just okay for me. You need to listen to it a couple of times before you start liking it because it is a type of song that needs getting used to.



Thanks for dropping by!

Drama Versions: Itazura Na Kiss

Hello everyone! I have decided to start a mini series for my drama reviews. For the last couple of years, a lot of manga/anime have been turned into a live-action drama by many Asian countries and they have been so popular to fans all over the world. There are also famous dramas recreated/adapted by other SEA countries. 

There are actually 3 major South East Asian countries that creates the most popular versions: Japan, Taiwan and South Korea..Asian Drama fans were always on the look out for the next drama to be out every season from these 3 because majority of the time they are really good! 

I am gonna start this series with the manga Itazura Na Kiss by Kaoru Tada because it was the last drama I have reviewed. This is definitely one of the most famous manga ever because aside from having an anime version, it have also been created into a drama 4x already since 1996! I guess the story of an ordinary girl falling in love with a rich handsome bad boy and getting loved in return really attracts a huge audience :)



DISCLAIMER: 
Now, I haven't watched the first live action created by Japan in 1996 so I didn't include that in this comparison review. I have also not read the manga because I'm not fond of the drawing style. BUT I have watched the anime multiple times and since that is very true to the manga, I will base my opinions on the anime rather than the manga.

MY THOUGHTS:

I have first watched the Taiwanese versions IT STARTED WITH A KISS (ISWAK) and its second season THEY KISS AGAIN (TKA) consecutively in 2007. I have watched this because of curiosity...Whenever I search for "best drama" online, the search results always include ISWAK in the top 10. After watching ISWAK, I fell in love with the love story of Zhi Shu and Qiang Xin right after the 2nd episode because Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin are superb actors and they really portrayed their role very well. I got lucky that after I have finished watching ISWAK, TKA begun airing a couple of months after. 


I really believe that this is still the best version out of the 3 I have watched. Since it is made in Taiwan, the romantic scenes were not toned down. You can see the development in the characters from being high schoolers to becoming adults. Even the intensity of the scenes developed from being innocent to more serious and mature. No one would believe that a 20-something year old couple will still kiss like they were still teens right? haha well, I wouldn't even consider a simple meeting of lips a kiss which is so common in Korean dramas.  So yeah, if you are looking for some real love story, this is definitely the version to watch. 

I especially love the fact that the Taiwanese versions consisted of 50 episodes in total (ISWAK 30 + TKA 20) so they were able to showcase a lot of the scenes and the story felt complete and not rushed after the 2 seasons ended. The first one focused on their high school life until their marriage, while Season 2 tackled about their married life. I really think that having 2 lead actors with great on/off screen chemistry is the driving force behind the success of this drama. Fans can really fantasize about these two because they are really close friends and as a fan of the drama you can't help but ship them.


The only gripe I have with this version is the ending of Season 2 wherein Qiang Xin got a terminal eye disease which created a big ? to the viewers on how their story will end. That is so not in the story line because in the anime version, the lead female Kotoko only had pregnancy hypertension and it got resolved too. Also, the manga is actually not finished because the author died so the anime was given the ending that the author wanted so that's why the anime have an ending. I just hope TKA didn't made it more dramatic than necessary.

OVER ALL RATING: 4.5/5 - This is still one of the classics. Everyone should watch this version because all the other versions are so not there yet when it comes to the acting department.



The second version I have watched was the Korean version titled PLAYFUL KISS/MISCHIEVOUS KISS (PK) that aired in 2010. I have reviewed this version here so if you want to read my thoughts on it after I have finished the series 3 years ago, click here.

This Korean version only have 16 episodes and 7 Youtube specials. The drama focused more on their student life and have ended with the early period of their married life. The company then created 7 specials that were released through Youtube to show some events in their married life like the mistaken pregnancy and the difficulties of Oh Hani as a nursing student. Although this drama did not get a high rating in Korea, it did have a lot of international fans and so the company decided to just focused on their international viewers thus the creation of the Youtube channel. I don't have a problem with that and I'm glad for those special episodes. I also loved the Baek Seung Jo Diary part because it showed the emotions and thoughts of Seung Jo throughout the drama. That special touch is what made this version so special.

On the acting, I liked Oh Hani compared to Qiang Xin because she is not too dumb in this version. Jung So Min were able to portray the role of idiot-innocent Oh Hani without becoming irritating which sometimes happens to ISWAK.
My problem lies with Kim Hyun Joong, actually. I love him but his acting here is kinda lacking. He can't really portray the role properly, in my opinion, because I did not feel any of the emotion needed on his dialogues and expressions. Example, the rain kiss is supposed to be the highlight of the whole drama and the timing was so off during the dialogue delivery. Just watch Episode 13 and you'll know what I mean. BUT its is not too bad that it was unbearable and I was still able to enjoy the drama and I can still watch it over and over just because Jung So Min were able to carry him with her great acting.

Saying all that, I still want to give credit to Hyun Joong and Jung So Min because theirs was still a real kiss and it made the whole love story believable. Their rain kiss and the honeymoon scenes were so sweet that you will still feel giddy after watching it.

OVER ALL RATING: 4/5 - This drama gave a more subdued and innocent kind of feel to the story. This is best watched by teens because event he kisses here are mild and sweet. I guess they are really aiming to show the innocence of a first love. The added Baek Seung Jo Diary for all the episodes is what really made this whole drama a must see for Itazura Na Kiss fans :)

And lastly and the most latest version of Itazura Na Kiss is the 2013 Japanese version Misschievous Kiss: Love In Tokyo. I have just reviewed this so if you want to read my detailed review of this drama, just click here.

My main comment to this one is that Love In Tokyo is definitely the most true to the anime among all 3 versions I have watched. The whole thing is really like watching a live action of the anime because even the emotions portrayed are the same and that's not counting the similarities in dialogue. If you have watched the anime, you will definitely agree with me.

I also liked the fact that they were able to make this drama really concise and smooth flowing without making it feel incomplete. Even though they did not include all the conflicts in the story, the director was still able to create a good live action with just 16 episodes. And by ending this with the wedding ceremony, it gave a good opening for a second season or an OVA to show their married life in the future (which I hope they do have a plan haha).

I also think Furukawa was able to portray Naoki's character perfectly and that Kotoko here is the best among the 3 versions. Their rain kiss is perfect and I really really love the towel scene right after. I hope I can find a clip for that scene to show you. It was so romantic.
 

The only disadvantage I guess is that in real life Furukawa and Miki have a 10 year difference in age so fans can't really ship the two that much. And since Miki is only 16 y/o, they can't really have a heavier kiss or dialogue. Maybe that's the reason why they haven't done the marriage life yet because she is still underage hehe.

OVERALL RATING: 5/5 - I so love this version! True adaptation from the anime and I really hope they will create a season 2 and end it the same way.


And for all the fans of the 3 drama, I really recommend you all watch ITAZURA NA KISS anime version if you haven't already. You will know the real story from the moment they met to the time where they already have a child. No need to imagine what their life would be like anymore because they really wrapped the story up very nicely by following what the author has planned before she died.
Once you've watched this, you will see that Love in Tokyo is the nearest live action version :)  


GALE AWARDS this based on my opinion and preference

STAYING TRUE TO THE STORY
Love In Tokyo

MOST MEMORABLE VERSION
It Started With A Kiss/ They Kiss Again

MOST ROMANTIC VERSION
It Started With A Kiss/ They Kiss Again

BEST IN ACTING 
Naoki: Joe Cheng (It Started With A Kiss/They Kiss Again)
Kotoko: Ariel Lin  (It Started With A Kiss/They Kiss Again)

BEST IN ON-SCREEN CHEMISTRY
Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin 

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE of Characters that I think matched the drawing
Naoki: Yuki Furukawa (Love In Tokyo)
Kotoko: Jung So Min (Playful Kiss)




That's it! Watch out for more Drama Versions post in the future. 


Thank you for dropping by my blog :)



 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

JDrama Review: Itazura Na Kiss Love In Tokyo

The Japanese drama Itazura Na Kiss: Love In Tokyo ended its run this Friday and I have already watched the English subbed video last night. I'm so thankful to Drama Fever for the fast subbing and for Good Drama for uploading it.

I'm not sure if you know this but I really love the story of Itazura Na Kiss. Although I haven't read the manga yet because I'm not fond of the drawing style, I did watch the anime and have loved it. I have also watched the different live action versions: the Taiwanese, It Started with a Kiss/They Kiss Again, and the Korean, Playful Kiss. Japan have made the first live action version in 1996 but I didn't watch it so this remake is my first Japanese version. I will definitely make a comparison review next week to compare all 3 versions to the anime so watch out for that :)



TITLE: Itazura Na Kiss
EPISODES: 16
GENRE: Romantic Comedy
BROADCAST NETWORK: Fuji TV

AIRING PERIOD: March 29 - July 19, 2013

AIRING TIME: every Friday
PLOT:
During the high school entrance ceremony, Aihara Kotoko from Class F had experienced love at first sight with the handsome boy from Class A named Irie Naoki. Kotoko loved him from a far for some time but when she got enough courage to express her feelings to Naoki, he rejected her.publicly.
One day after that event, Kotoko's house got destroyed because a meteorite hit it. This event resulted to them living with her father's best friend's house which in turn is where Naoki lives.

CAST:
Honoka Miki as Aihara Kototko
Yuki Furukawa as Irie Naoki
Yuki Yamada as Ikezawa Kinnuske


MY REVIEW:

This is definitely one of the best version that I've watched because it really followed the original storyline. I really liked how they showed the innocence of first love that the story is asking for. I also commend the director of Love In Tokyo for the scenes he chose to include in the drama. This story have a lot of highlights and events and for the director to be able to include only a few but still be able to make the story feel complete is really an achievement. 
 
I liked the way Aihara Kotoko is portrayed in this version the best because they did not exaggerate her stupidity like with the others. She is still stupid but it's just the right amount of stupidity that is actually believable and is not irritating to see. Although the acting of Honoka Miki is just okay for me, nothing extraordinary to make her memorable.

Going to the lead male, Yuki Furukawa, now that's a definite hit for me. He was able to portray the cold hearted Irie Naoki very well without sounding monotonous. I really liked his way of acting and it fits perfectly with the anime Naoki very well. I especially love how he can show his emotions for Kotoko with just his expression.

Another good casting is Yuki Yamada because his version of Kinnuske is perfect. No exaggerated actions and words needed because his expression can say it all. His portrayal is my favorite among the 3 versions I've watched.

I love how concise the story is and they were able to fit everything into 16 episodes. They just chose to include scenes that have a direct impact on the story itself and removed "fillers" like the scenes about other people liking the main characters and making them jealous. I think the way they ended this drama is perfect because it is just right if they ever will create a season 2 which I hope they would do. I personally think that the married life of Naoki and Kotoko is much more exciting than their student days just because we can actually see the change in Naoki and their relationship.


OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

I really love this version! It still made me fall for them even though I already know the whole premise of the story. My favorite part is the finale. I just love the rain-kiss and the confirmation of feelings scene the best. If you are a fan of Itazura Na Kiss, I really urge you to watch this version because you will definitely appreciate the purity of the story. 


Watch out for my comparison review for all 3 versions plus the anime too.

To watch the ENGLISH SUBBED VIDEOS, just click the link :)


Thank you for dropping by!

Friday, July 19, 2013

MY VERY OWN CRUELTY FREE LIST

2/7/16 WARNING: This list might not be updated as you are reading this. I have been in hiatus for 2 yrs & have not conducted a new survey yet to check if these brands are still cruelty-free or not. I will start on researching again for local brands that are cruelty free.  

As promised, I have inquired to a lot of companies that are locally available either through stores, mall kiosks or online (website or resellers) about their animal testing policy. I know that there's already a list of cruelty free brands online BUT not all of the brands I am interested in are there especially if those brands are from small companies or not from USA and EU, so I have decided to inquire on my own. More and more brands are coming here in the Philippines and having no bunny logo doesn't mean they are not cruelty free. PLUS Philippines doesn't have our very own special NGO to inquire, check and collate all the brands produced locally that don't conduct animal testing so we really don't have any list and a bunny logo to base on. 

Thank you so much for dropping by and I hope this can help a lot of you. Let's all spread the word and support cruelty free brands. Animals don't need to be harmed for cosmetics purposes especially if there are already a lot of ingredients that are already proven to be effective and no further testing is required.  Also, there are already a lot of in-vitro testing available for use to check compatibility and safety and I bet those are more reliable than using mice or bunny skin since in-vitro can mimic human DNA better.

You can also help by inquiring to the brands that you like (you can use the set of questions I did) and share their answers to me through the comment section below so that I can update my list :)

Thanks!





======================

MY QUESTIONS for the companies:
1. Do you (or a third party on your behalf) test your products on animals?
2. Does any of your materials/ingredients ever been tested on animals?
3. Do you sell in countries that require animal testing (like China and Brazil)?
4. Is your company prepared to make a commitment against any new animal testing from this day forward?

*Special thanks to Ms. Kim Paschen of Leaping Bunny for giving me advice on how to word my inquiry and make it better. Thank you so much for the assistance :)

DISCLAIMER:
1.) This list is purely based on TRUST. I have sent these companies an inquiry through email and I based my list on their answers. I did not conduct any other checking aside from the email. This list is not in any form complete because only a few of the brands replied to my inquiry.

2.) I have only included the brands that I see locally either through local online resellers or physical stores. If you can't find the brand you are looking for, there's a chance that I am not familiar with the brand or they have not answered my inquiry.

3.) I have also based my list on the brand's stand on animal testing through their website. I have also included brands from the BUAV, PETA and Leaping Bunny lists and by other well known cruelty free blogs like My Beauty Bunny, Logical Harmony and Veggie Beauty.

4.) This list may not be updated. I will promise though that I will try my best to update it as often as I can.


BRANDS THAT DO NOT TESTS ON ANIMALS
I have included below the responses I received from the companies that I inquired to. Please feel free to read them if you want more info why I decided they can be included in my list.


LEGEND:
* they are cruelty free but with a mother company that tests so I will leave the decision up to you
# Not sure because of ambiguity in answer/haven't yet replied to my clarification inquiry (read the reasons why I placed # for those brands below after the list)


* updated July 19, 2013*

PHILIPPINE BRANDS

Bare Naturals Mineral Cosmetics
Carmen Claire
#Ever Bilena (please check below why I'm not sure that they are 100% cruelty free)
Human Heart Nature
Krave Cosmeceuticals
Leyende
Milcu
Virginia Olsen
VMV Hypo-allergenics



INTERNATIONAL BRANDS 
100% Pure
Alba Botanica
Artdeco Cosmetics
Avalon Organics
Bath and Body Works
Beauty Treats
*Burts Bees
#BYS Cosmetics (please check below why I'm not sure that they are 100% cruelty free)
Carmex
Cinema Secrets
Coastal Scents
Collection Cosmetics
Crabtree and Evelyn
Derma-e
Dessert Essence
Dickinson Brand
Dr. Jart+
DuWop Cosmetics
E.L.F. Cosmetics
Essence
#Face of Australia (please check below why I'm not sure that they are 100% cruelty free)
Gosh Cosmetics
Jane Iredale
LA Colors/Girl/Minerals
Lime Crime
Look Beauty
LUSH Cosmetics
Mark and Spencer
Markwins International
#MeMeMe (please check below why I'm not sure that they are 100% cruelty free)
Milani
Murad
My Konjac Sponge
*NARS
Nature's Gate
NYX Cosmetics
OCC
Prestige Cosmetics
Queen Helene
Stila Cosmetics
Sugarpill Cosmetics
Tarte
*The Body Shop
Too Faced Cosmetics
*Urban Decay
Wet and Wild
YoungBlood Mineral Cosmetics


================================
For all those brands with #, I will also share the responses I received in my inquiry or the statements from the companies that made me feel not sure if they are 100%  cruelty free.

EVER BILENA
*the answer in Q#2 is what made me unsure. I have sent a follow up inquiry to clarify that part but I haven't received any response as of today 7/18/2013



1.    Do you (or a third party on your behalf) test your products on animals?

               -No. We don’t involve animals in our testing. During the course of product development, we have some volunteers in our company that try our products. We do it responsibly and with the full knowledge of the users. We also have a third party testing laboratory owned and managed by a respectable dermatologist. She uses volunteer as panels to do the special testing that our in house laboratory is not capable of.



2.       Does any of your materials/ingredients ever been tested on animals?

               -Our suppliers use ingredients that are approved by FDA Philippines . If in case they are restricted, we comply with their minimum limits. As far as Ever Bilena is concerned, we do our testing on humans.  



3.       Do you sell in countries that require animal testing (like China and Brazil )?

              -We don’t sell our products to the countries mentioned above. Right now, we are catering the whole Philippines . However, we do have future plans to export our products. Please note that Ever Bilena complies with Asean Cosmetics Directive-a set of rules followed by the regulatory bodies from the member-states of ASEAN (ex: Malaysia , Thailand , Singapore , Indonesia ..etc), which permits us to sell our items to these countries without problems since we follow the same set of regulations.



4. Is your company prepared to make a commitment against any new animal testing from this day forward?

       -Yes we are. Here at Ever Bilena, we care for our consumers as well as the environment.



We hoped that we have addressed your questions. Here at Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc., we can proudly say that we care for the Animals and we support the advocacy to stop the use of Animals for testing. 


MEMEME COSMETICS


“I'm pleased to say that none of our products are tested on animals.”


*I have sent a follow up inquiry to clarify if they can guarantee that all of their suppliers of materials do not conduct animal testing. I haven't received any response as of today 7/19/2013


BYS COSMETICS
"BYS Cosmetics are not tested on animals."


*I have sent the inquiry but I haven't received any feedback from the company as of today 7/19/2013. This statement is based on their website.


FACE OF AUSTRALIA
“We are proud to say that we are Australian made and owned and 100% against animal testing.”

*I have sent the inquiry but I haven't received any feedback from the company as of today 7/19/2013. This statement is based on their website.


==========================================
HERE ARE THE STATEMENTS I HAVE RECEIVED FROM MY INQUIRIES:


BARE NATURALS MINERAL COSMETICS
All the ingredients we use in our natural products are plant-based. Our answer is no to questions 1-3 and YES for the 4th one.



VIRGINIA OLSEN MINERALS
“We do not test on animals. All our makeup are made from 100% pure mineral ingredients, thus guaranteed to be safe and effective even on people with sensitive skin. There are no harmful chemicals and ingredients included. We are also proud of our brushes because they are 100% eco-friendly, vegan and cruelty-free.”

COASTAL SCENTS
“Thank you for your interest in our cosmetic line. We do not test any products on animals and we only support suppliers that do the same. All of our products are produced cruelty free and no animals are harmed. A corresponding affirmation can be found on our website under our About Us section. We trust this will be helpful and if you have any further questions, please advise.”
 
LEYENDE
1. We manufacture all our products from scratch. Even packaging and labelling are done at our workshop. The only thing outsourced is the product microbiological testing to make sure our products are hygienic and up to quality standards. The lab we outsource to is Qualibet, and they do not perform animal testing on any of our products;
2. Because we are gunning for Ecocert and Halal certification, we use only plant-based or plant-derived ingredients. The ingredients we choose are Ecocert-certified as well, so it's documented as not tested on animals. Even our preservative is approved by Ecocert for natural and organic cosmetics. We used to use organic Meyenberg goat's milk for our soaps, but we are seriously considering dropping this ingredient;
3.) We have held off selling in China and other Chinese territories because they require mandatory animal testing by their own labs for all cosmetics that pass through their borders. We also do not export to Brazil;
4.) Since we want a Halal certification for our products, we are committed against animal testing, and will not use any animal products, GMOs or human by-products (blood, placenta, stem cells) in our production process and finished products;


====================================
STATEMENTS FROM THEIR WEBSITE:

ARTDECO COSMETICS
"ARTDECO does not conduct any tests on animals for its cosmetic products nor does it have any animal testing performed on its behalf.
In order to minimize incompatibilities, ARTDECO conducts internal application tests or patch tests (epicutaneous tests) used to determine the local compatibility of a product." 

ESSENCE COSMETICS

“We do not test any of our cosmetics on animals or ask anyone else to test for us. This applies to the final products as well as any of the ingredients in them. Because Essence is strictly against any kind of animal testing whatsoever.  We think it is absolutely awful to torture animals for the sake of beauty products. “

LOOK BEAUTY
“Our products are not tested on animals and are 100% cruelty free. We are not part of any approved organization as in doing so would increase over heads dramatically and we would have to increase the price of our products.
Our products are not Vegan or Vegetarian suited as some of the ingredients are derived from sources not accepted by Vegans or Vegetarians. If you would like more info on the ingredients, please see our ingredients page on the website.”


NARS
http://www.narscosmetics.com/customer-care#Does-NARS-test-on-animals_3F00_
"NARS does not test on animals, nor do we have any other parties, such as suppliers, conduct any animal testing on our behalf. NARS uses only the highest quality ingredients which have a proven safety record and are widely used in the cosmetics industry."


VMV HYPOALLERGENICS
“In vitro means testing done in a laboratory. Many of our tests are in vitro, but we're proud to say that we also do an extensive amount of in vivo testing. In vivo means testing done with human volunteers in actual-use conditions.
No animal testing. Our standards are so high that we have no shortage of volunteers (the human kind) who are eager to try new products. Plus, we do extensive laboratory (microbial, stability, etc.) testing to ensure both efficacy and safety.