Looking for cruelty-free, vegan, eco-friendly, ethical beauty products can be daunting. These are some great brands that tick at least a couple of those boxes. I’ve also found some great products for the home and to help with the journey into low or zero waste. For more Christmas gift ideas see my where to buy ethical fashion and jewellery post. I also have a sustainable gift guide from last year which might give you some more inspiration!
Some products have been gifted for the purpose of this post, paragraphs with gifted items have been labeled. All opinions are my own.
Ethical Beauty Gifts
[AD-gifted products] Green People are a brand that I’ve used a few different products from and I’ve loved all of them. Their products are vegan, cruelty-free, organic, natural and FairTrade. And they work. The Cosy Hands cream has been nourishing my dry winter skin wonderfully. It absorbs nice and quickly too which is always a huge bonus for hand creams! I’ve also been using the new Fruitful Nights night cream and Beauty Boost for a couple of weeks and my skin is feeling super smooth and soft. These would make great stocking fillers and are ideal for introducing people to green skincare.
If you saw my Christmas gift guide from last year then you’ll know that I mentioned Zao then too. When &Keep (an absolutely fab online shop for sustainable shopping) said they’d like to collaborate with me I jumped at the chance to try out some Zao products. If you’re quick you can use the code GREEN15 to get 15% off sitewide until Monday!
[AD-gifted product] Who doesn’t like a new nail varnish? I’ve only tried this out a couple of times but I’m really impressed with it. The brush is shorter than a lot of other nail varnishes which makes it easier to control. The colour goes on smoothly and one coat is almost enough. It also dried pretty quickly and, most importantly, they’re made without many of the toxic ingredients normally found in nail polish. [AD-gifted product] The other product I’ve tried out is the eyebrow powder. It has the cutest magnetic bamboo packaging that of course is refillable. The colour brown is just right for me and I’m really pleased with how well it applies and lasts. I’m definitely adding some more Zao makeup to my Christmas list!
Zero Waste Essentials
[AD-gifted product] The lovely team over at Net Zero Co sent me some items that would definitely help with leading a zero-waste lifestyle. Perfect for on the go and taking to work. Can we just take a minute for how gorgeous this water bottle is? I’ve already had several compliments on it. The stainless steel lunchbox is ideal for storing snacks or lunch (just remember not to put it in the microwave!) and this folding spork makes the perfect accompaniment. Then for the coffee lover (or those partial to a hot chocolate on a cold day) there’s the collapsible coffee mug. It’s so easy to keep in a handbag so that you’re never caught without a reusable cup when out and about.
Homeware
If you’re looking for some lovely home decor items for that interiors lover in your life then you need to have a look at these independent brands. They’re mostly local to me in South Wales but also have online shops so everyone can get their hands on beautiful items!
Annie and Lolo have the most beautiful shop. If you’re ever in Barry then you must visit. It’s a haven for finding independent and unique items. I have a lovely plant pot from there and it took a lot of self-control not to spend all my money on everything else in there.
Peastyle and Lisa Valentine have quite a similar style and I adore both. If you’re looking for unique items that are beautiful, useful and make wonderful gifts then these are the shops you need. These are the items that my housemates and I have: Hanging metal decoration, Porcelain vase, Christmas bunting, Coffee scoop and clip.
I’m sure there are many more places to buy ethical beauty products and homeware that I haven’t yet discovered so if you know of more then please do let me know! Happy shopping!