
The Fall 2018 Makeup Trends Taking Over Victoria

Holistic Hair Salon Victoria BC
By design house
By design house
Going green is no longer a fad or trend, it’s a lifestyle that’s here to stay. At designHouse, we’re 100% committed to the green way and urge others to jump on the environmentally-friendly train, which means being conscious of the products you buy and the choices you make in your everyday life. So before you pick up your favourite cosmetics or cleaning supplies, check out our top five reasons for making the switch.
It Tastes Good
When it comes to veggies, opt for organic, local and seasonal rather than produce that’s clearly not in season anymore. Organic tends to taste better and fresher, uses less energy, and supports local farmers. It’s an easy way to help the environment while boosting the local economy.
Less Chemical Exposure
Want to breathe cleaner air? Go all-natural. Eco-friendly products use fewer chemicals and are generally less toxic than traditional products, ensuring you won’t be spraying chemicals into the air every time you clean your kitchen.
And here’s another way to limit daily chemical exposure. “The average woman absorbs more than 4 pounds of cosmetics during her lifetime” so by changing up your beauty routine, you reduce the chemicals you put on your skin, improving your overall health.
Reduce Waste
Creating anything requires a lot of energy and everything from your coffee beans to your car impacts the environment. The same goes for water. By making a green switch, you reduce packaging waste and energy and water consumption. “It can take 2,700 liters to produce the cotton needed to make a single t-shirt” and “about 37 gallons of water to grow the coffee beans and process them to make one cup of coffee“, so think about that the next time you’re buying a coffee.
Cut Down On Clothes Shopping
If you weren’t already aware, “the apparel and textile industry is the second-most damaging industry on the planet“. Every time you buy from fast-fashion retailers, you’re contributing to an industry that pollutes more than any other except oil. We know buying from local designers or green brands can be more expensive but think of it as an investment. Buying quality pieces will not only last longer but you’re likely to take better care of it. And every time you put it on, you’ll feel good about your purchase.
An alternative to buying new is to search for vintage and second-hand stores. Vintage never goes out of style and with more consignment stores popping up, you’re sure to find unique, quality pieces. And as you add to your closet, consider donating old clothes to second-hand stores or charities. Non-profit organizations like Dress For Success or Wear 2 Start Society in Victoria, BC take your donated clothes and give them to women in need. If you’ve got unique pieces in great shape, look for a consignment store near you and make a bit of extra cash.
You’ll Feel Better About Yourself
Speaking of feeling good, doing any good for the environment is a sure-fire way to improve your mood. By making greener choices, you know you’re making a small impact on the world and people around you. Why wouldn’t that make you happy?!
So how does our salon make a green impact? All the products we use, sell and promote are sustainable, as is our approach to hair and beauty. Even our building, The Hudson, uses sustainable approaches like geothermal heating and a full recycling program. Looking for eco hair and beauty products to get you started? Check out our online shop, Well Fed Beauty, or come in and talk to us, we’ll point you in the right direction.
By design house
Makeup marketed as “vegan,” and “cruelty free,” has been popping up across the country from a variety of well-known makeup brands. What few people know is that just because a product is vegan doesn’t always mean it is also cruelty free and vice versa. “It’s important, however, to note that cruelty free items aren’t truly animal friendly. They often contain ingredients that require the death of an animal to produce – a process that’s hardly cruelty free, (source).” First let’s breakdown these two definitions:
Vegan: A true vegan product “does not contain any animal ingredients or animal derived ingredients. This includes, but is not limited to, honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, albumen, carmine, cholesterol, gelatin, and many others, (source).” This term is largely unregulated resulting in the definition being simply a way to show a product doesn’t contain animal ingredients. Items that are tested on animals can still claim to be “vegan”.
Cruelty Free: For a product to be labeled cruelty free there has to be truly no animal testing from start to finish. “It’s common for companies to not test the final product on animals, but to test it along the way or to use ingredients that have been tested on animals by a third-party. “Required by law” animal testing is also common, (source).” This means that the final product is tested on animals by a third-party to comply with various regional laws around the world. A good example of this is in China where by law products must be tested in order to be sold. “It might be shocking to learn that animal testing is required by law in China for all foreign cosmetics companies. This means that all the big American and European cosmetics brands that are currently sold in China, must undergo animal testing, (source).”
Now that we’ve defined what you’re looking for we want to provide an easy way to find the best cruelty free and also vegan products. In an unregulated industry such as cosmetics looking for some easy clues will help wean out a lot of big brands. The leaping bunny logo is a great place to start. “Joining the Leaping Bunny Program is free for companies (the only cost associated with the program comes with the optional licensing of the Leaping Bunny Logo), but is also optional, (source).” The actual brands are responsible for reaching out to Leaping Bunny to start the process to gain their certification. “Internationally, over 600 companies are proud to be Leaping Bunny Certified. Many display the Leaping Bunny logo on their products, allowing shoppers to identify and choose products that are not animal tested, (source).” Another great way that is not quite as simple is to actually contact the brands you’re interested in wearing or ask through questions about where you’re buying them. Our in house line Elate is entirely vegan and cruelty free along with being made here in Victoria. Smaller non-toxic beauty brands are usually able to give you the straight answer on what standards they abide by and be transparent on what products they produce. If you have more questions about Elate or want to try some of their beautiful line, stop by designHouse at 4-1701 Douglas Street.
By design house
Elate is our premier local natural makeup line of our holistic beauty movement and we are really excited about the New Spring Launch of products.
There are 20 New Products/Shades released for spring !!