All in Style and Beauty

Upcoming Ethical Fashion Designers To Watch

Ready to discover some of the ideas behind the next generation of ethical fashion designers? This week is Graduate Fashion Week and with sustainable fashion being a hot topic, it's no surprise that conscious fashion dominated the rails of many upcoming designers. Check out our latest post to find out which designers made the cut according to Georgina Wilson-Powell form Pebble Mag

Why Vegan Nail Polish Is A Better Choice

Vegan nail polishes offer a natural and safer alternative to conventional brands and give you a finish that is just as good, but without the harmful chemicals that other brands include and of course do not engage in animal testing. Whilst not necessarily considered mainstream, vegan nail polishes are not overly difficult to come by, with some big-name brands like Barry M (with their Barry M Coconut Infusion Nail Paint) providing vegan alternatives available in many high-street stores. Although vegan nail polishes tend to be slightly more expensive than other nail polish brands, consumers are recognising the huge impact that beauty products are having on our internal health and are willing to accept the slightly higher price tag.

So, what’s available on the market that you can get your hands on? Check out our post for some of our recommended vegan nail polishes!

The Beauty Industry vs Sustainability

Beauty is a huge industry and was estimated to be worth approximately $532 billion dollars in 2017 and is showing no signs of slowing down, as it is estimated by a market research firm (Zion Market Research) to be valued at up to $863 billion dollars by 2024. Whilst, sustainability seems to be successfully penetrating the fashion industry, the beauty industry has been slightly less scrutinised in the sustainability spotlight. One of the things that makes conscious beauty hard, is that when it comes to skincare or best products we have such specific needs and preferences. When you take skin concerns into consideration along side with finding a product that is suitable for your skin type or shade, sustainability can slowly slide down the list of priorities.

Our Christmas Kind Guide

Christmas is just around the corner (it really sneaks up on you!) and if you are anything like us you have left your Christmas shopping a little bit late. That’s why we’re helping you out by providing you with some of our favourite stocking fillers and gifts all from brands that we love! You may remember we did a Kind Guide for Mother’s day which you can see here, so we hope that you enjoy our Christmas selection just as much! Don’t forget to tag us in the comments or on instagram so we can get a sneak peek at your last minute, but still very thoughtful Christmas gifts!

Is Green Friday The New Black Friday

In the lead up to Black Friday today many brands have announced that they are not taking part in Black Friday sales and instead are putting a twist on the day and embracing what is now known as Green Friday. This is a new movement that has emerged that encourages us to move away form the overconsumption that Black Friday brings and instead appreciate what we currently own.

Book Recommendations On Fast Fashion

Last week on the blog we posted the sad news that MADE UK, a fashion accessories brand that crafted handcrafted goods with artisans in Kenya, announced that they are closing after 13 years. We asked you guys on Instagram what you think we can do to stop more companies like this from closing and you guys gave some great responses! From embracing cultural and mind set changes regarding our relationship with fashion to educating people on the basics behind green fashion and the fast fashion industry. Based on that we have put together a list of our top recommended reads on the fast fashion industry in case you wanted a book to snuggle up to over the autumn!

What Is Your Biggest Barrier To Adopting A Sustainable Lifestyle?

After being invited to listen in a sustainable fashion event held by Po-Zu, we explore the biggest barriers that we face towards adopting a sustainable lifestyle. We build these communities on Instagram, Facebook and on Twitter where we all share our sustainability ideals and the ways in which we have integrated at least some aspects of sustainability into our lifestyle. Yet, sustainable lifestyles are still considered niche. Those of us who really do  try to make conscious efforts to change still find ourselves in fast fashion or fast consumer traps, leading us to question what is it about sustainability that prevents us from being as ‘green’ as we aspire to be.

Treat Your Mum This Mother's Day Using Our Kind Guide!

It's Mother's Day on Sunday and with International Women's Day just behind us, there is no better reason to give Mum a double treat this weekend. 

Below, I've complied a list of perfect for Mum all from companies pursuing sustainability initiatives whether socially or environmentally. In some way, your purchase contributes to a good cause and has the added benefit of making Mum happy - a win-win for everybody!

Why Is It So Hard To Shop Sustainably?

Happy Halloween ! We all want shop sustainable but what stops us from doing so? For many of us the main hurdle may be price so this blog post takes a look at how we can shop sustainably without putting too much pressure on your purse strings and almost whether or not sustainable fashion will ever really become affordable. Click the link to read more! 

Do It Better... Real Fur vs Faux Fur

For people in fashion fur has always represented the epitome of luxury. Fur used to be a constant feature on the runways of our favourite designers or casually draped across the shoulders of favourite celebrity. So, it’s only natural that we covet fur like crazy. But with all dark side of the fashion industry increasingly coming to light, let's look at faux fur alternatives.

When You Can't Decide What to Buy... Be A Conscious Consumer

We’ve all been in that situation before where we’re out shopping and so many things catch our eye that before we know it our shopping basket is full, and we’re met with a bill that has a figure so high, we start to seriously consider whether it is possible to live off only baked beans for the next month in order to afford it all. One thing that I have recently tried to consider when making purchasing decisions, when I'm stuck for choice, is the sustainability angle of the company. 

Check Me Out On Delikate Rayne!

Read about my exciting new venture as a regular contributor to Delikate Rayne (DR), a sustainable fashion brand that produces vegan based clothing. Delikate Rayne recently reached out to me about becoming a writer for their online based blog about all things sustainable but with a cool fashion twist! Although I am now also a regular contributor to DR I will still be posting like crazy on somadina.co.uk so be sure to subscribe!