#4 ~ Skin Types and Tips

In order to create your perfect skincare routine, you need to identify your skin type. If you already know yours, skip this part. Otherwise, here is a quick test to help you find out.



When you wake up in the morning (or afternoon), before doing anything to your face, grab a piece of paper (avoid using a tissue if possible as it will be absorbent/not show results very well) and wipe it over the t-zone: the chin, nose and forehead.

• Normal skin won't show any traces of oil or flakes of dead skin, will feel smooth and bouncy as well as having an even tone and medium-sized pores. With it being not too oily and not too dry, it is the least problematic skin type and doesn't break out much (it should not react to any products, either and doesn't change depending on the season or time of day) - think of yourself as one lucky ducky if your skin is like this.
• Dry skin will show dead skin flakes and feel tight; it has small pores and might occasionally be irritated/itchy or sometimes have patches of redness. Fine lines and wrinkles usually develop more quickly and become visible faster than usual  - face masks and moisturiser are key!
• Oily skin will show grease and look shiny on all or most parts of your face due to large pores overproducing oil. It is also prone to acne, but less prone to aging and wrinkling - selecting gels or special oils over creams will help keep it clean.
• Combination skin is like normal skin, but will show only a little oil or dead skin usually from the t-zone and changes depending on the season or weather. It can be prone to spots in the t-zone and is normal/dry on the cheeks. It is best to use products designed for each type of skin in the corresponding areas.
• Sensitive skin usually feels irritated or itchy, dry (before or after using products on your face), has small pores and is prone to flushing. A little dead skin might show, too. As the most problematic skin type, it usually requires special products made just for sensitive skin; they are usually alcohol and fragrance-free.

In order to maintain healthy, young and fresh-looking skin, it is important to really look after it. Make sure to drink lots of water, at least eight glasses a day and get enough sleep (at least seven hours, although eight is best...are you picking up a theme here too? O_o), eat healthily (juice and mix your greens to make them tastier - experimentation is fun; recipes coming soon) and after taking a bath or shower, pat your skin dry with a soft towel, but make sure you leave your face a little damp before starting your skin routine. This will help lock the moisture in. Also, try not to wear make-up to bed; it ages your face by drying it out.



How cute are these Hello Kitty soaps!? Unfortunately I will probably never try them...you'll find out why in my post about cleanser!

Anyway, there you have it! A quick and easy way to identify your skin type as well as a few tips! I hope some of you found this useful. Until next time!

Love, Miss Emma-Lily xx

#3 ~ Animal Testing on Cosmetics Revealed

As mentioned in my previous post, when I first found out that some cosmetics and/or their ingredients were tested on animals, I was so upset. It really made me think of my rabbit I had when I was little (his name was Spandol...children have amazing imaginations) and my two guinea pigs (they were called Bubble and Squeak, named after one of my grandmother's regular dishes to use leftovers - one looked cute like a bubble, the other was a constant squeaker). Why do humans do such cruel things just for our beauty? This led me to delve in and try clearing it up.



After hours of research, I came to the following conclusions:

Testing cosmetics and their ingredients has already been banned inside the E.U. and now so is bringing them into the E.U. after testing outside of the E.U. (bit of a complicated sentence O_o). However, a company may use an ingredient that has been tested on animals in the past from results of research, but are not allowed to test new ingredients themselves or get another company to do it regardless of whether either of them are in the E.U. or not.

Phew...I hope that wasn't too complicated for you...anyway, let's move on.



When shopping to re-stock your supplies, it is actually quite complicated to find products/companies that don't support testing on animals. Whilst PETA have a good, frequently updated guide to most cosmetics companies and whether or not they test (or get another company to do it for them), I tend to find the more expensive brands left that are pricey because they are organic or all natural, plus I have to actually remember a huge list. Don't get me wrong, that is totally not a bad thing, but for someone like me on a lower budget (and a bad memory), I cannot really afford them. So what is a girl like me supposed to do?

Well, of course, I trusted those that write 'this product is not tested on animals' or 'this product is cruelty-free'. Now, if you are naive like me, too, you wouldn't think for a second to research the parent company behind the brand name. After I did that to a few of my favourite brands, I discovered the disappointing truth. They are actually sneaky with how they word this. They simply tell you the product itself has not been tested on animals but do not mention the word 'ingredients'. Unless they sell their cosmetics in places like China, where the cosmetics industry is worth £16 billion and animal testing is mandatory (although they are thinking of 'easing' their laws in June), when companies make that claim on their product, most of the time it is true, however, for those selling in China, they would have been tested in or outside of China, but not in the E.U., meaning it has effectively been tested on animals. No idea how they get away with this. Large sums of money and secret deals pop into my head, though...



See? I told you rats are cute, too!

Even though a brand may say their product has not been tested on animals, they most likely have used ingredients that were tested in the past, just not tested by them. They would have done their research to find reports about ingredients that have already been tested so they can happily sell their cosmetics legally, still supporting animal testing and wording it so that consumers like us think their product is entirely cruelty-free. I feel like such a fool for believing them, but somehow the marketing worked on me.

So, my personal conclusion is that I have no choice but to believe the brands that tell me their products have not been tested on animals and avoid any that don't, because in reality most parent companies have used ingredients that were tested in the past. All I can do is trust that they do not test themselves and use research to know what is safe and pledge to never ever test themselves, not even if they find a new ingredient that is some kind of miracle. After all of this research, I firmly believe that cosmetics testing on animals is going to stop soon.

I hope this has cleared things up a little for anyone who was feeling confused about it (like me) and aided towards your own personal decision on what cosmetics you will and won't buy from now on.

Love, Miss Emma-Lily xx

#2 ~ Let's Make Over the World!

Years ago, when I first found out that cosmetics were tested on animals, I literally could not believe it. Animals...are tested on for the sake of our beauty? That always has been and always will be unethical; coincidentally, the R.S.P.C.A. have launched a campaign to stop animal testing worldwide, so this is the perfect way to start my blog.



Thousands (over 27,000) of cute little rabbits, mice, guinea pigs and rats (yes, I think rats are cute too) are used all of the time to test new ingredients for cosmetics and the finished products, causing them much distress and even pain; once done with, they are simply disposed of. I used to own a rabbit and two guinea pigs...the thought of something like this happening to them is just unbearable. All of these animals should be treated like living things, not just a tools for experimentation.

As it has already been banned in the E.U. (as well as bringing in ingredients and the finished products if they were tested on animals) and in America they are running a petition to ask Representatives to become Co-Sponsors of the Humane Cosmetics Act as well as asking people to e-mail legislators, I think it is time for the rest of the world to do the same.



In China it is actually required that cosmetics are tested on animals before being sold (although they are apparently thinking of 'easing' their laws in June) and quite a few of the larger cosmetics companies allow their products to be tested just to sell them there (the Chinese cosmetics industry is worth £16 billion). I wonder how the people in charge of these companies would feel if they were the test subjects and not defenseless animals...as a passionate animal lover, I feel very strongly about what the R.S.P.C.A. are doing and want to really encourage everyone to take part.

The best part is, it is so easy and quick to do! You can send an e-mail to the biggest cosmetics companies (the R.S.P.C.A. have even written one for you, or you can write your own) from the campaign page and then dedicate your makeover to the make over the world campaign on twitter! I really, really encourage you to do this as it can even be your daily makeover (as long as you send that e-mail, too - otherwise it makes less of an impact). All you have to do is take a photo and upload it to twitter, using the hashtag #makeovertheworld so that the world can see it! You can also be super creative, like maybe giving yourself cat-like eyeliner, or go all-out by adding a nose and whiskers!



Ta-da! This is the result of my makeover (and the first time I have ever done cat make-up on myself). It was really fun! I plaited my hair the night before after having a shower and let it dry naturally overnight because unfortunately, I wasn't born with lovely waves like this. I have also posted this on twitter to be a part of the make over the world campaign. Now it's your turn! If you don't...



So go on and dedicate your makeover to help make over the world! Let's stop animal testing together!

Love, Miss Emma-Lily xx

#1 ~ Starting with the Basics!

Hello! Konnichiwa~ ;D

My name is Emma. As my middle name is Lily, I decided to call my blog 'Miss Emma-Lily'. It has a cute sound, reminding me of a cross between Emily and Tigerlily. I am currently twenty-three and reside in the United Kingdom, where we are very how-do-you-do and wear top hats - haha, who am I kidding!? Sadly, those days are long gone.

Generally, I do not like 'modern' fashion, especially heavy-patterned clothes; they remind me of my mother, or grandmother - and that is not a good look. Vintage, on the other hand is a whole different look and can be soft, romantic and very feminine. Instead of following trends, I create my own personal style using cute, colourful, anime/Asian-style clothing. This goes for make-up, too. I often wear bright colours on my nails and eyes.



To start off with, my first two blog posts will be about stopping animal cruelty in the form of cosmetics testing. I feel this is a very important subject as a passionate animal lover and I would like to share my of hours of research; it really is quite shocking. Coincidentally, the R.S.P.C.A. have launched a campaign on this topic, which you can find more information about in my next post.

Now, if you are somewhat like me and are working your fluffy socks off just to pay the rent, bills and at least attempt to eat healthily, exercise...somewhat regularly, then you will most likely know what it feels like to walk down the high street and look longingly into a shop window at a new pair of jeans or cute heels and have to fight against your instincts to carry on walking instead of going inside to try them on, or finding something super pretty online and forcing yourself to bookmark it until that day when you become rich and win the lottery so you are not tempted to treat yourself for another second.



This is where my blog comes in useful! After writing about animal cruelty in the cosmetics industry, I plan on writing about the basics of skincare and make-up; as I need to re-stock my supplies, it gives me the perfect opportunity to search for cheap alternatives to the high street of products most of us will use on a daily basis and review them, so you can still look gorgeous whilst keeping to your budget, too.

It will not only be make-up and tools I am going to post about - it could even be clothing, shoes or even my own recipes and tutorials! You might have guessed this already, but I am also a big fan of Japanese culture and as such, I will post my interesting and cute finds, too!

So, a huge thank you for reading and I hope you are looking forwards to my future blog posts!

Love, Miss Emma-Lily xx