Lush Lovin'
I'm back again, this time with something thats really going to hit you hard, but hear me out.
Don't get me wrong, the further I've got into my makeup artistry journey, the better it has got. Although, the more experience you gain, the more you become aware of the surrounding ethical issues, and as horrendous as some of them may be, you kinda have to open your eyes to it. It would be selfish not to, right? You need to have knowledge of all that goes on, in order to establish yourself further. I am currently in my second year of university, and have only just realised how bad things can be in, not just the makeup industry, but the fashion industry also. I have become so much more aware of the products I use and the clothes I wear.
Not too long ago I sat down at Uni to discover what really does go on behind the scenes..I watched a Reggie Yates documentary, which I will link below, because I really feel like people need to start getting the bigger picture, we NEED to know what’s really happening...it's not okay. I went home with my head banging and just sat there absolutely disgusted, I can't believe I have given into this industry not knowing the horrors that happen day in and day out. It got me thinking...and researching. I came across the Lush campaign that took place in London on the 24th October 2012. This campaign was to bring animal testing to the public eye in the most dramatic way it possibly could. A young woman volunteered herself to be dragged through the streets of London and experimented on in the shop window of their Regent Street store, in front of everyday shoppers. She had drops put into her eyes, was injected, force fed with her mouth held open by separators and had some of her hair shaved off. This was all to provide a visual representation of what laboratory animals go through every day, the experiment went on for a solid 10 hours, the woman was then dumped on the side of the road in the middle of a busy street, lifeless, just like lab animals would. Lush staff stood outside the store and encouraged people to sign a petition to ban the sale of all animal tested products in the EU. On the 11th of July 2013, the eradication of cosmetic testing and marketing of all animal tested cosmetics in the EU was finally made law. However, this isn't the end of our fight for our little fury babies. Worldwide, animals are still being abused in inhumane and unnecessary tests. In fact, in China it is mandatory that all cosmetics products are tested on animals before they are allowed to go on sale. This is such a disgusting issue that is still to this day going on..what makes me even angrier is the fact that there are easier and more humane ways of testing our cosmetic products! Labs can now grow their own skin cells and use this to test on, but the fact that all their research is based on animal testing, it would mean starting the research from scratch. This unfortunately is not something that many companies want to take part in. It seriously disgusts me, and I find it extremely difficult to talk about.
The issue revolving around animal rights is also massive in the fashion industry. The use of leather, fur and skin are used daily and is a multi-million pound platform. Think of any designer brand...9/10 they have used real fur, real leather, real everything. As I previously mentioned I sat down not too long ago and watched Reggie Yates' 'Billionaires Wardrobe'. I'm not sugar coating it when I say I left mortified and distraught. It was on my mind for DAYS and it still very much is. I was so shocked and upset that these kinds of things go on, it makes me sick just thinking about it. How can we, as the human race, be capable of such horrific actions? The people featured in the documentary didn't think twice about what they were putting these poor animals through; they saw it as a moneymaker, a luxury, a sign of wealth. I think everyone needs to watch this programme, no excuses. I know so many people that will turn a blind eye to it; they just don't want to know. I used to be exactly like this, and we are the reason this industry is still alive. This is REAL people!!!! Innocent animals, everyday, are being captured, kept in unimaginable conditions, and killed in the most horrific ways. Take snakes for example, these magnificent creatures are being skinned..alive. Guess why? It keeps the leather tighter. Can we get anymore selfish and disgusting?
However, hold up, some designers are now creating their leathers from pineapple skins, and apparently they are even more sustainable! Why can't we all do this? The genius that came up with this is Carmen Hijosa. Hijosa left her work in the traditional leather industry and spent the next seven years at the Royal College of Art in London, developing the material into a patented product while she earned a PhD. Now running a start-up, at age 63, she's ramping up manufacturing of her pineapple-based leather, called Piñatex. While the leather doesn't harm animals, it also has clear advantages for the environment! This is compared both to real leather and synthetic leathers. I love this woman already...lol.
So anyway, sorry to depress you all, but its the sad truth, and we all need to know it. Next time you’re thinking of buying that handbag...get a Pinatex one ha. There are also loads of AMAZING cosmetic alternatives opposed to the ones that test on our little fur babies. XOXO
PS. Here’s the links…
PPS. Get some tissues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AnaniH7PQ0
