Vegan Beauty Review: Sevi: skincare, makeup, perfume... a little bit of everything!

A lil' about me...

My name is Sunny Subramanian and I've been vegan since 2000. I owe it all to my furry felines at home: Towane, Spirulina, Kaduki and Conan. The reason I'm vegan is because I love animals and would never want to contribute to the pain and suffering of any living being. I'm a member of the LA based animal rights group The Vegan Vixens.
I'm trying to help break the stereotype that all vegans are stinky, hairy earth babies. I want the world to know that you can be vegan and still be uber girlie and relish new and exciting beauty products that are vegan, cruelty-free and free of nasty chemicals and preservatives.
If you would like to have your vegan product reviewed on www.veganbeautyreview.com, please e-mail me at sunbundelicious@yahoo.com

A few good reasons to go vegan:

• You'll save lives
• You'll live a lot longer
• You'll have more energy
• You'll reduce your risk of cancer
• You'll reduce your risk of heart disease
• You'll have lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• You'll get better nutrition
• You'll lower your chances of getting food poisoning
• You won't be ingesting growth hormones and antibiotics
• You'll get sick less often
• You'll fit into your old jeans
• You'll give your body a spring cleaning
• You'll have healthier skin
• You'll make a strong political statement
• You'll reduce waste and air pollution
• You'll earn good karma points
• You'll save money
• You'll help save the planet

Famous Animal Friendly Quotes

"Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends."

~George Bernard Shaw

"You put a baby in a crib with an apple and a rabbit. If it eats the rabbit and plays with the apple, I'll buy you a new car."

~Harvey Diamond

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."

~Immanuel Kant

"I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being."

~Abraham Lincoln

"To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana."

~Buddha

"To consider yourself an environmentalist and still eat meat is like saying you're a philanthropist who doesn't give to charity"

~Howard Lyman

Recipe for Vegan Lip Balm

Lip balm is surprisingly easy to make using the easiest/quickest/laziest way possible that involves all common household tools.

What you'll need:

-lip balm base or waxes+oils+extras

-essential or flavor oil(s)

-pipettes (one for each flavor)

-microwave or double-boiler

-glass measuring cup with pouring spout

-spoons or spatulas

-lip balm tube holder

-lip balm tubes, jars, pots, lids, bottle caps, etc.---any container that you would like to use for your lip balm

-shrink bands for sealing containers

-newspaper or craft paper to cover your counters

-towels for cleaning up

The Fastest Way

Step 1: Preparation

(a) Buy your supplies.

(b) Set up all the supplies you'll need on a counter top covered in newsprint or craft paper. You'll be glad you did this because lip balm can be hard to clean up if you make a mess. It's recommended to work in the kitchen as close to the microwave as possible, since you'll be using it a lot, if you're following this method. Be sure you have all your supplies ready, including the containers you'll be pouring into. Once the mixture is melted, you'll need to work quickly, but steadily, so the mixture doesn't harden before it has been poured.

(c) Put on your favorite apron/lab coat, if you feel so inclined.

Step 2: Scooping

Scoop out your base into a glass measuring cup that has a spout.

Step 3: Melting

Melt the base in the microwave. Take out every 30-45 seconds and stir, so that the base is heated evenly.

Step 4: Flavoring

After the base has melted completely and has cooled very slightly, use a pipette to drop in the appropriate amount of flavor or essential oils. Use a different pipette for each flavor/scent that you use, so as not to cross-contaminate. 2-4% is a good rule-of-thumb for flavor. Essential oils need less, about 0.3-1.5%. The oils you choose may recommend different proportions, so check before you get started. Stir just until mixed.

It is important that you add your flavor/essential oil after you melt the base. If you add the flavor before you melt the base, it will lose its potentcy in the heating process.

Step 5: Pouring

Using the very same measuring cup that you melted the base in, pour your mixed and melted concoction into your tubes or jars or what have you. That's why the spout is so handy. If you're using tubes, fill only to the top of the inside screw. Once the mixture has cooled, finish filling the tube. Pour almost all the way to the top, for that professional and rounded look. This process avoids the risk of cracking that can occur when filling the tube in one go. If you're using jars or lids, just pour all the way to the top in one pour.

Don't be discouraged if you make a mess when you first start pouring. After a few tries, you'll be a pro. It's all in the wrist.

Step 6: Labeling

Make some sweet labels.

Below are some examples of recycled containers for lip balm.

Step 7: Sell your lovely lip balm or give it to all your friends!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Sevi: skincare, makeup, perfume... a little bit of everything!

After visiting Sevi's website I came to discover that Sevi means "love" in Turkish. It also happens to be the name of the founder of Sevi Cosmentics, a 100% vegan company which takes the concept of love to another level. Quite frequently cookies and pies are made with love (at least the ones I like to devour) and I think it's a brilliant idea that cosmetics should be made with love as well. The things we put in and on our bodies should be nourishing, organic, cruelty-free... you know the dealio.

Sevi offers facial cleansers, toners, masks, perfumes, makeup, and check this out - vegan makeup brushes! I know being an avid makeup fan, I often jump at the opprtunity to get my hands on some amazing vegan brushes. Believe it or not, they are kind of hard to find. Sevi stands behind the quality of their brushes.

A few products I have tried and recommend:

Lip Nectar Mineral Lip Gloss ($13.50) - these are named after healing fruits and berries such as Passion Fruit, Pom, Agave, Mango, Aronia and Noni, to name a few. They are completely natural, packed with minerals, creamy and provide that perfect hint of color.

Eye Spice Mineral Eye Shadows ($7.50) - Very natural looking colors, all named after yummy spices like Blue Sage, Cinnamon, Saffron, Double Ginger, Pink Peppercorn, again, to name a few. They are light, loose powders, perfect for mixing and matching. Some of them are shimmery and sparkly, others are semi-matte.

Chamomile Cream Cleanser ($18) - I've kind of been on a cream cleanser kick lately and this one is very impressive. I was really blown away by how chamomiley it smells. It smells amazing... very calming and soothing. It's extremely moisturizing and helps remove makeup.

Sevi offers top quality products that are all handcrafted and natural. I really appreciate what the company stands for and I look forward to trying more of their goodies. I'm especially curious about their perfumes. That's definitely next on my list. Vegan perfumes are hard to come by. Come to think of it, I can't think of any. As a vegan, I'm so used to using essential oils to smell pretty. So, I consider this a special Sevi feature. I will definitely keep everyone posted once I get my hands on some . They offer two scents: Anatolia Natual Parfum (floral and bright citrus notes with a hint of dark chocolate) and Acacia Eau de Parfum (floral and sweet with a dash of spice), both of which sound very sensual. You can order sample sizes from their website.

For more info: Sevi

A lil' about me...