14 Sustainable Vegan Shoe Brands for Cruelty-Free Fashion

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The Best Vegan Shoes That Are Also Sustainable

They’re the last thing we put on before heading out the door and yet they can make or break an outfit. Shoes are something that we put a lot of thought into before buying, and choosing the right brand to shop with is the first step in the process.

We’re all trying to be more conscious about what we wear, and for some people, opting for vegan shoes instead of animal-based ones is the compassionate and environmentally friendly way of doing that. In this post we’ll take a look at what vegan shoes are made of, why they may be the more sustainable choice, and which brands are the ones to check out when you’re next shoe shopping!

Why should you shop vegan shoes?

The main reasons why people opt for vegan footwear are ethical and environmental. Animal welfare is a big issue in the fashion industry and choosing vegan alternatives is the best way to ensure you’re not contributing towards unnecessary cruelty towards animals. Cows, pigs, goats and sheep are commonly used to make leather shoes, and most of the leather produced today comes from countries with less or no animal welfare protections.

The environmental impacts of using leather for fashion is also a key driver for people who are switching to animal-free alternatives. From the toxic chemicals used in tanning leather, to the high amounts of water and land use required to raise the animals, the damage caused to the planet by leather is no longer deniable.

What types of materials are used for vegan shoes?

The main material used for footwear is leather, and so the vegan alternative to this would be any synthetic or natural-based leather that doesn’t include any animal ingredients. There are more vegan leathers coming into the fashion industry all the time, such as fruit waste leathers and bio-based materials, as well as some more traditional materials like cork, natural rubber and cotton. Even the glue used in footwear is sometimes made with animals, so vegan shoes will always use an alternative adhesive.

our top picks for sustainable vegan shoe brands

1. Nae Vegan Shoes

Materials: Piñatex, AppleSkin, Cork

Price: $39 - 248

Portuguese vegan footwear brand Nae Vegan Shoes (standing for No Animal Exploitation) was founded in 2008 and is well known for their beautiful animal-free footwear. Their sandals, sneakers, boots and heels, all with European-inspired designs, are made with Piñatex, AppleSkin, cork, rPET, and On Steam Bioeco, the first ecological microfiber obtained partially from corn and recycled polyester.

Shop Nae Vegan Shoes

2. Thousand Fell

Materials: Natural Rubber, Coconut Husk, Aloe Vera

Price: $125 - 135

Find your next pair of vegan sneakers with Thousand Fell. Created in different styles such as lace-up, slip-on, & court for both women and men, these shoes are known for their comfort as each sole is made from recycled yoga mats. Thousand Fell only sources materials that can either be biodegraded, recycled to make new shoes, or upcycled into materials for new projects.

Shop Thousand Fell Vegan Shoes

3. Matt & Nat

Materials: Recycled PU, AppleSkin, Canvas

Price: $18 - 250

Canadian-based vegan brand Matt & Nat has specialized in footwear, bags and accessories since it was founded in 1995. You can find every style of shoe here, from sandals and heels to sneakers and boots. Most of their styles are in black, cream or neutral tones, making it easy to pair them with nearly everything in your wardrobe.

Shop Matt & Nat Vegan Shoes

4. Native

Materials: Bloom, Sugarlite

Price: $39 - 132

Native creates lightweight shoes and sandals in simple styles perfect for summer and boots that will keep you going through winter. Native uses innovative materials such as Bloom, made with algae and Sugarlite, a bio-based EVA made from sugarcane. You can even recycle your Native shoes and they’ll be turned into playground flooring!

Shop Native Vegan Shoes

5. Vivo Barefoot *

Materials: Bloom, rPET

Price: $120 - 230

Vivo make barefoot style shoes for both performance and lifestyle, including sneakers, hiking boots and even amphibian shoes - made for adventures along the shore! Vivo use animal-free materials in their vegan collection including Bloom (made from algae) and Vamp (made from rPET).

*Vivo Barefoot has a vegan collection but is not wholly vegan

Shop Vivo Barefoot Vegan Shoes

6. Stella McCartney

Materials: Alter Mat, VEGEA

Price: $550 - 1,895

Famously known for pioneering vegan fashion developments, British designer Stella McCartney has a huge range of vegan shoes if you’re looking for a touch of glamour. Check out their flats, sneakers, boots, wedges and heels in bold designs made with Alter Mat, a biobased vegan alternative to leather, and VEGEA, made from grape waste.

Shop Stella McCartney Vegan Shoes

7. Bhava

Materials: Italian Vegan Leather

Price: $95 - 289

Committed to protecting the victims of the fashion industry (the animals, the planet and the people), Bhava only uses animal-free leather for their boots, clogs, heels, sandals and flats. Their shoes are handmade in Portugal and each pair is tested for durability on the streets of New York.

Shop Bhava Vegan Shoes

8. Rothy’s

Materials: Natural Rubber, Algae-Based Foam

Price: $119 - 189

Rothy’s creates shoes for women, men and children using various vegan materials, including natural rubber, algae-based foams, rPET, and TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane). Discover their flats, sandals, loafers, sneakers and mules in bright, colorful prints and versatile neutral tones.

Shop Rothy's Vegan Shoes

9. Will’s Vegan Store

Materials: Bio-based vegan leather

Price: $58 - 124

The online vegan department store that makes shopping vegan shoes as easy as anything! Find classic brogues and sleek loafers, perfect for office wear or special occasions. Will’s Vegan Store uses a vegan leather made from bio oil sourced from organic cereal crops grown in Northern Europe in a carbon-neutral process.

Shop Will's Vegan Store Shoes

10. Veerah

Materials: Apple Peel, Bamboo, rPET

Price: $100 - 498

Veerah uses sustainable vegan materials to create its shoes, including alternatives using apple peel, bamboo, and recycled plastic bottles. Shop their sandals, pumps, flats, mules, and boots in gorgeous prints, bright colors and unique styles. We adore the bridal collection they’ve put together to help you find the perfect pair for your special day!

Shop Veerah Vegan Shoes

11. Oka-B

Materials: Bio-based Material

Price: $38 - 78

For the cutest sandals and ballet flats, look no further than Oka-B. Originally made as a spa shoe, they feature arch support and massage beads to keep your feet pampered 24/7. All Oka-B shoes are made with a bio-based material that contains 45% soy by weight and is BPA, latex, rubber, and phthalate-free. Oka-B shoes are made in the USA & when you return your well-loved & worn shoes, they recycle them & send a 15% off coupon toward your next purchase.

Shop Oka-B Vegan Shoes

12. Etiko

Materials: Natural Rubber, Organic Cotton

Price: $20 - 95

Australian brand Etiko specializes in organic, vegan, feel-good fashion and has a range of footwear, including sneakers, flip-flops and flats. Using natural rubber and 100% organic cotton, they create Fairtrade footwear that you can feel good knowing your footprints are that much lighter on the planet!

Shop Etiko Vegan Shoes

13. Okabashi

Materials: Bio-based Material

Price: $24.99 - 35.99

Okabashi makes vegan flip-flops, sandals, and ballet flats designed with circularity principles so they can be recycled at the end of their life. The shoes are made in the USA and are molded from a proprietary, recyclable material that is 40% US-grown soy by weight. Comfort is key to Okabashi, and each shoe is designed to last a lifetime - unlike your usual flip-flop.

Shop Okabashi Vegan Shoes

14. Thesus

Materials: rPET, cork

Price: $138 - 209

Thesus is a socially and environmentally progressive brand of outdoor footwear and accessories. Find weekend and rain boots, and stylish clogs in earth tones and bright yellows, greens and reds. Based in Canada, Thesus is BIPOC woman-owned and women-led, and they manufacture their footwear in Portugal, ensuring the workers are paid a living wage.

Shop Thesus Vegan Shoes

About the Author

Sarah King is a freelance writer with a focus on vegan fashion, sustainability and ethically made clothes. She campaigns for change in the fashion industry through her blog and on her Instagram page.

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Our Brand Directory is home to hundreds of sustainable brands, from makeup to cleaning supplies, from underwear to shoes. We have broken everything down by category for easy shopping, along with discount codes unique to Sustainably Chic viewers.

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the best meditation apps

Meditation has been proven to reduce stress, improve sleep and encourage a healthier sense of self overall. Despite these benefits, however, meditation remains challenging for most people. Our busy lives lead to busy minds, and it can be hard to quiet our thoughts and sit still to reap the benefits that mindfulness and meditation have to offer.

Fortunately, there are many apps designed to help guide you through a meditative moment. Whether you’re brand new to meditation or you’re looking for something different, the wide range of options available means there’s something for everyone. In this list, you’ll learn about 15 popular meditation apps for sleep and anxiety — including what types of meditations they have, how much they cost, and how their offerings stack up against the rest. Simply choose the app for you, press play, and prepare for all your stressors to fall away.

our top picks for Meditation Apps:

1. Insight Timer

Best for: All-in-one app for sleep, meditation, and education

Price: Free for basic access, $9.99/month for Member Plus

Insight Timer is one of the most popular meditation apps, meaning it also has one of the largest content libraries.

In addition to daily meditations and relaxation, this app offers a wealth of sleep-specific meditations, bedtime stories, and soundscapes that can help you sleep better and wake up feeling more relaxed. If you’re looking for more insight around the art of mindfulness, this app has an insightful talks and courses section with topics ranging from beginner spirituality building sustainable happiness habits, some of which require a Member Plus membership.

Download Insight Timer Meditation App

2. Balance

Best for: A tailored meditation experience

Price: First year free, second year starting at $11.99/month

Balance is a meditation app with a unique premise: it adapts to your preferences and growth over time. Every time you log in, you’ll be prompted to answer questions about how you feel, what your goals are, and more.

That information is used to tailor your experience over time, so that you’re given specific meditations selected from their vast library of content. Balance also offers fresh experiences, such as vibration-based immersive meditations, and detailed tracking that shows how far you’ve come and which skills you’re strengthening.

Download Balance Meditation App

3. Waking Up

Best for: Grounding meditations, but also philosophical insights on the practice of meditation

Price: $19.99/month

Touted as “A new operating system for your mind,” Waking Up goes beyond the practice of meditation by offering tangible knowledge and thought-provoking conversations about what meditation is — and why it matters.

Created by neuroscientist and author Sam Harris, this app also has a daily mindfulness reminder that grounds and inspires you for the day ahead. By understanding the purpose of meditation, Waking Up helps you cut through the fluff to see real progress in the areas of mental health, sleep, gratitude, relationships and so much more.

Download Waking Up Meditation App

4. Calm

Best for: Sleep stories

Price: $14.99/month ($399.99 for life)

Calm is another popular meditation app with a huge library, and in recent years, they’ve expanded their offerings to include more sleep-specific content.

Aside from basic breath-focused meditations, their greatest differentiator is their sleep stories, in which beloved actors like Kate Winslet and Idris Elbra narrate stories that take you to fantastical, relaxing worlds as you drift asleep. They also have many soundscapes, such as rainforest noises or beach noises, that can calm your busy mind.

Download Calm Meditation App

5. Slumber

Best for: Sleep meditations

Price: Free

Slumber is a sleep-focused app that offers a few different content types for falling asleep. For one, their dream stories immerse you in specific experiences, such as going for a dive in the ocean, that help you stop worrying before falling asleep.

Their sleep meditations also have the same effect, yet with greater focus on breathing techniques and relaxation as you’re encouraged to let go of your previous day and focus on peacefully drifting off.

Download Slumber Sleep App

6. Headspace

Best for: Beginners

Price: $69.99/year or $12.99/month

Headspace is known for having a wide range of accessible, beginner-friendly meditations. Choose from goals like more focus, better sleep, and more gratitude, then decide on your length of commitment and narrator of choice.

Headspace makes it easy to start small, with short meditations that aren’t overwhelming and helpful reminders for when to meditate, what to try next, and how far you’ve come on your mindfulness journey.

Download Headspace Meditation App

7. Healthy Minds Program

Best for: Science-backed meditations and philosophy

Price: Free

Similar to Waking Up, the Healthy Minds program app emphasizes its scientific foundations and is based on four decades of neuroscience research.

It offers podcast-style lessons on what it means to be well in our modern world. Additionally, you can find seated and active meditations ranging from five to thirty minutes in length, making it great for busy people. Lastly their Healthy Minds Report gives you a quick overview of how far you’ve come and what skills you’re gaining.

Download Healthy Minds Program Meditation App

8. Smiling Mind

Best for: Programs to do with kids, short meditations

Price: Free

Smiling Mind is an Australian-created meditation app designed to offer easy, family-friendly meditations. This evidence-based app has programs for goals like stress, relationships, wellbeing, mindful eating, and much more, so there’s something for everyone.

They also have a section just for teens, which is an added bonus given the current youth mental health crisis. They suggest using their app for just ten minutes a day to see lasting change.

Download Smiling Mind Meditation App

9. iBreathe

Best for: Programs to do with kids, short meditations

Price: Free

iBreathe is a minimalist app focused specifically on helping you and your family reap the benefits of focused breathwork. This simple app has classic breathing exercises (like the 4-7-8- breath), but also allows flexibility to create your own breathing methods based on the foundational skills you learn.

It also has an option for adding alerts that remind you to take deep breaths throughout the day, which shows you just how much a small change can have a major impact.

Download iBreathe Meditation App

10. Sleepiest

Best for: A mix of sleep stories, sounds, and meditations

Price: $9.99/month

Sleep sounds, sleep stories, and relaxing meditations make up the bulk of content available on the Sleepiest app, which has a library of over 1130 programs.

This award-winning app is known for its creative, soothing bedtime stories for people of all ages. Their sleep sounds include everything from ocean waves to white noise, so you can use this app to try out different sleep experiences and find the best for you.

Download Sleepiest Sleep App

11. Ten Percent Happier

Best for: Bite-sized wisdom about mindfulness and life along with meditations

Price: $8.33/month, billed annually at $99.99

With Ten Percent Happier, you’ll find a wide library of meditations — and so much more. Started by Dan Harris, who decided to transform his relationship to stress after he had a panic attack on live TV, the content here is made to help you overcome life’s daily challenges.

This means you’ll find insightful courses and challenges designed to help the everyday person excel at meditation, no matter how new you are to the practice.

Download Ten Percent Happier Meditation App

12. BetterSleep

Best for: Sound-mixing and personalization

Price: $9.99/ month, $59.99/year, or $249.99/life

BetterSleep is one app that delivers on its name. Like other sleep-focused apps, you’ll find meditations and sounds designed to foster better rest. BetterSleep differs from other apps, however, with its personalization experiences.

For example, you can mix sounds to create the perfect soundscape — whether you’re adding binaural beats with river noises or cranking up the white noise crackle in the background. This sound-mixing element is a great way to find the perfect sounds to help you drift off in peace.

Download BetterSleep App

13. Simple Habit

Best for: Busy people who need a quick, effective reset

Price: $11.99/month, $89.99/year, $299.99/life

While most meditation apps have short meditations, Simple Habit is created with busy people in mind. They specialize in five-minute meditations that can be done in the morning or at night.

They also have daily motivations and inspirations that can encourage you to start your day with the right mindset. There are also quick, sweet meditations for kids. Featured on Shark Tank, Simple Habit has tens of thousands of ratings that show just how beneficial it can be.

Download Simple Habit Meditation App

14. FitMind

Best for: Science-backed mindfulness skill-building

Price: $19.99/month $99.99/year

Backed by neuroscientists, FitMind offers a 30-day meditation program that helps you strengthen your mindfulness abilities in just one month. Users can access mental fitness charts that score their progress, as well as scientific techniques that boost their understanding of mindfulness along the way.

FitMind takes mindfulness to the next level by seeing it as a skill that anyone can learn and strengthen with the right tools.

Download FitMind Mindfulness App

15. Breethe

Best for: Dealing with daily frustrations, hypnosis

Price: $12.99/ month

Breethe is a meditation app that targets the daily frustrations of normal people. For example, you can find meditations that muse on ideas about the difficulties of doing taxes or the frustrations of dealing with a rude boss.

Additionally, Breethe offers multiple mindfulness courses, including 7-day, 30-day and 90-day courses that hone your focus skills. At the same time, you can find a range of one-time meditations, sounds, bedtime stories, and even hypnotherapy courses.

Download Breethe Meditation App

About the Author

Michelle Polizzi is an independent writer and storyteller with 7 years of experience creating content online. Her writing has appeared in leading publications like Bitch, WELL+GOOD, Insider, and Healthline, and she covers topics like sustainable living, mental health, and intersectional feminism. Currently, she's pursuing an MFA in creative writing.

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The Best ORGANIC AND NATURAL MASCARAS

Whether we prefer a more natural look or full-face makeup, mascaras are a staple product many of us choose to have in our makeup bags. They add length and thickness, enhance the beauty of our lashes, and make our eyes pop.

Unfortunately, conventional mascaras are full of ingredients that can do more harm than good. Using those every day can dry out our eyelashes and irritate our eyes. Much worse, they can negatively impact our health in the long run.

But do not worry! In this article, you will find 12 brands selling organic and natural mascaras that will not only make your eyes even more beautiful but also nourish your lashes and improve their health.

We also made sure to include brands that make sustainability their priority, so both you and the planet can stay healthy.

WHY CHOOSE AN ORGANIC AND NATURAL MASCARA?

Most conventional mascaras are made with harmful chemicals that we should not put anywhere near our fragile eyes. Many contain parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, preservatives, additives, and other toxic substances.

Some are even made with PTFE, which is Teflon! Yes, that unhealthy non-stick ingredient you find in your cookware!

Many of those chemicals are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors we want to avoid. That is why we should only buy organic and natural mascaras made with clean, healthy ingredients.

Plus, the brands selling them are usually more sustainable and often offer eco-friendly packaging options, whether these are refillable mascaras or ones that come in aluminum, glass, or recycled plastic tubes.

WHAT INGREDIENTS SHOULD YOU SEARCH FOR?

Try to stay away from the toxic chemicals mentioned in the previous section. It is worth researching all the ingredients before buying any mascaras! If you cannot find the ingredient list, stay away from that brand.

Instead, buy mascaras made with certified organic and plant-derived ingredients. Usually, they will contain plant oils, natural clay and powders, food-grade pigments, and natural waxes and minerals.

For instance, you will find many organic and natural mascaras made with shea butter, beeswax, carnauba or candelilla wax, fruit pigments, aloe vera, and sunflower or castor seed oil.

Also, see if you can choose a brand that makes sure to use sustainably and ethically sourced ingredients.

OUR TOP PICKS FOR ORGANIC & NATURAL MASCARAS

1. ILIA

Water-Resistant / Certified Organic Ingredients

Price: $28

ILIA creates clean skincare and make-up products using natural and organic ingredients, active botanicals, and safe synthetics. Its two black mascaras are made in Italy and are both available in a full-size and a travel-size version.

The brand’s Limitless Lash mascara lengthens, lifts, and separates each lash and gives just the right amount of volume for a more natural look.

Very nourishing, it contains organic bee and carnauba waxes, organic shea butter, and fortifying arginine. This mascara won many awards in the past few years, including the Glamour Beauty Awards in 2019!

You can also buy ILIA’s Fullest Volumizing mascara, which adds volume, definition, and thickness to your lashes. This one is ideal if you want a full volume that will make a statement.

ILIA is a member of 1% For The Planet and Leaping Bunny certified. It even provides you with a prepaid shipping label that you can use to send your empty beauty products (including mascara tubes and wands!) to the Pact Collective so they can get recycled.

Shop Ilia Mascara

2. Elate Cosmetics

Vegan / Water-Resistant / B Corp Brand / Certified Organic Ingredients

Price: $22-30

Elate is a sustainable, cruelty-free make-up brand advocating for a low-waste beauty industry.

It offers two water-resistant mascaras that you can get in black or dark brown.

Both are created for sensitive eyes and made with gentle, vegan ingredients sourced from fair trade and ethical sources.

Formulated with organic white tea, they are packed with antioxidants so you can have healthier, stronger eyelashes. They are also pigmented with only naturally occurring minerals.

What sets Elate apart from other brands is its responsible packaging. Its Original mascara is packaged in a recyclable plastic tube and encased in bamboo. Even better, its Essential mascara is refillable and packaged in a recyclable glass tube with a bamboo wand. Plus, all the bamboo the brand uses is FSC-certified, water-processed, and never chemically treated!

Elate is also a certified B Corp, plants a tree for every order and donates 2% of its annual profits to different social and environmental initiatives. You can even mail back your empties to get them properly recycled.

Shop Elate Mascara

3. 100% PURE

Vegan / Water-Resistant

Price: $28

100% PURE develops organic and natural cosmetics and skincare with a commitment to never test on animals or use synthetic ingredients. It has two water-resistant, fruit-pigmented mascaras made with ethically sourced ingredients, including nourishing oils, ultra-conditioning proteins, and vitamins. Both are completely free of harsh chemicals, preservatives, dyes, additives, and colorants.

They will separate and lengthen your lashes without smudging, flaking, or clumping.

100% PURE’s mascaras come in a variety of gorgeous colors, from purple and blue to black and brown. The brand makes them using natural, antioxidant-rich pigments from black tea, cocoa, blueberries, and blackberries.

The brand’s Ultra Lengthening mascara was even a finalist at the 2018 CertClean Clean Beauty Awards!

What’s more, for every order, 100% PURE either donates a vegan meal to a shelter dog in China or donates the cost of a tree to Trees For The Future. You choose at checkout! The company also works on different projects with other charities and nonprofits.

Shop 100% Pure Mascara

4. Well People

Vegan / Fair Trade Certified Factory

Price: $20

Well People creates clean beauty products from premium, plant-powered ingredients. Designed to hydrate and condition your lashes, its three mascaras are packed with natural, ethically sourced ingredients like castor seed oil, vitamin E, jojoba oil, rice bran, and sunflower seed oil. They are available in black or brown and do not contain synthetic fillers, preservatives, sulfates, fragrances, or other unhealthy substances.

The Expressionist lengthening mascara will elongate, nourish, and define each of your lashes, making them look naturally long and healthy. On the other hand, the brand’s volumizing mascara, which won the Allure Best of Beauty Awards in 2020, will give you a more dramatic and feathery lash look and leave you with fluffy-looking lashes.

Well People’s products are Leaping Bunny certified and verified by the Environmental Working Group. The brand also works with a Fair Trade Certified factory, which is very unusual in the beauty industry!

Plus, its boxes are printed on FSC-certified paper, meaning that they are recyclable and compostable, and are made with materials sourced from responsibly managed forests.

Shop Well People Mascara

5. The Organic Skin Co

Vegan / Certified Organic Ingredients

Price: $29

The Organic Skin Co makes natural and organic skincare and make-up products using supercritical CO2 extraction technology. It means that the brand captures the plants’ full spectrum of nutrients, so the extracts are more concentrated, whole, and pure compared to conventional plant extracts. It has a black mascara designed for sensitive eyes and made with these revolutionary CO2 extracts. It will curl and lengthen your lashes while nurturing and protecting them.

Free of harmful synthetic toxins, the mascara is botanically infused with organic aloe vera, shea butter, castor oil, CO2 extracts of rosemary and honeysuckle, and organic carnauba wax.

We also love that CO2 extraction is a zero-waste extraction method with no run-offs, and is certified organic! The mascara also comes in a recyclable plastic container and is packaged in FSC-certified cardboard.

The Organic Skin Co uses cruelty-free, responsibly sourced ingredients, ships its products in compostable mailer bags, and plants a tree for every purchase.

Shop The Organic Skin Co. Mascara

6. Kjaer Weis

Refillable / Certified Organic Ingredients

Price: $24-26

Kjaer Weis has been a pioneer in sustainable beauty with its refillable make-up and skincare products. The brand sells three black mascaras, all of which are ethically crafted and free of harmful chemicals.

All three of them are certified organic and formulated with clean ingredients, such as rice flour, jojoba seed oil, carnauba wax, beeswax, marula oil, or raspberry fruit water.

However, each one gives your eyelashes a different look. Kjaer Weis’ lengthening mascara adds subtle definition and incredible length to lashes, while its volumizing mascara lifts, thickens, and conditions them with its nourishing oils and waxes.

And if you want a mascara that adds both length and volume, the brand has you covered with its Im-Possible mascara!

All three mascaras are refillable: they feature an outer packaging made of aluminum or an alloy of metals, which you can reuse with Kjaer Weis’ refills made of 50% post-consumer recycled plastic.

Finally, the brand’s mascaras are also cruelty-free (not vegan though).

Shop Kjaer Weis Mascara

7. Au Naturale

Vegan / Certified Organic Ingredients

Price: $27

Au Naturale is a vegan makeup brand offering an ultra-pigmented mascara, available in black and brown. Like its other cosmetics, its mascara is certified organic and made with ingredients that are ethically sourced, naturally derived, and non-toxic. It contains candelilla and carnauba waxes, which will condition your lashes, and it is formulated with xylityl cocoate, the only organic preservative on the market.

You can effortlessly remove it with water at the end of the day, without even needing to scrub. Perfect for those nights when you feel too tired to remove your make-up!

The mascara is also made without animal by-products, gluten, synthetic preservatives, parabens, or nanoparticles. The iron oxides the brand uses are non-nano and certified by Ecocert and COSMOS, and its micas are child-labor-free.

Au Naturale makes all its products by hand in its lab in Wisconsin, and it works in partnership with fair-trade farmers. As a Leaping Bunny-certified company, it also does not test its products on animals.

Shop Au Naturale Mascara

8. Juice Beauty

Vegan / Certified Organic Ingredients

Price: $24-25

Juice Beauty is a clean, cruelty-free skincare and makeup brand making beauty products using organic ingredients.

It offers two black mascaras colored with plant-derived phyto-pigments (instead of synthetic dyes), which are infused into a unique base of organic botanicals. They are formulated without carbon black, petroleum, or any other harmful ingredients.

Juice Beauty’s Sonoma Nights lash-defining mascara builds length and definition and supports lash health. It contains nourishing organic shea butter and aloe, as well as natural ingredients like rose powder, purple carrot, and argan powder.

The brand also has a volumizing, nutrient-rich natural mascara designed to minimize clumping, flaking, and smudging. It is made with tapioca, aloe juice, vitamin E, candelilla wax, and purple carrot, to name a few ingredients.

All the organic ingredients are USDA-certified, and the brand’s products are verified by the Environmental Working Group. Juice Beauty also sources the majority of its ingredients from local certified organic farms located on the West Coast.

Plus, it received many awards and was named InStyle’s Best Organic Brand in 2023!

Shop Juice Beauty Mascara

9. River Organics

Vegan / Zero-Waste / Certified Organic Ingredients

Price: $19

River Organics offers zero-waste cosmetics that nourish our skin thanks to their organic and natural ingredients.

The brand sells a chemical-free alternative to regular mascara, packaged in an eco-friendly paper box with a biodegradable sugarcane label.

It is a coconut oil and rhassoul clay-based mascara that holds onto lashes all day without clumping. Use the brand’s bamboo mascara brush, roll it into the product, and apply it to your eyelashes to add length and volume.

This black mascara contains other natural and certified organic ingredients, such as bentonite clay, shea butter, arrowroot powder, and castor oil (to condition your lashes). It is completely free of harsh chemicals, does not contain any nano-sized particles, and is soy and palm oil-free.

All the ingredients are 100% vegan and certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny. Also, everything is hand-poured in the brand’s studio in North Carolina.

Striving to be zero-waste, River Organics ships its products using plastic-free, recycled envelopes, and its packaging is fully compostable.

Shop River Organics Mascara

10. INIKA Organic

Vegan / Certified Organic Ingredients

Price: $35-36

INIKA Organic is an Australian beauty brand creating organic and natural products that are effective and completely free of harmful substances.

It offers five mascaras formulated with certified organic carnauba wax & conditioning botanical ingredients that will strengthen your lashes.

They all contain anti-inflammatory magnolia bark extract to condition and nourish, and castor seed oil, which is loaded with essential fatty acids, to support healthy lash growth. You will also find vitamin E-rich sunflower seed oil and other beneficial ingredients.

INIKA Organic’s mascaras will either add length, volume, or both. While all of them are available in black, the brand also has one for you if you prefer brown mascaras.

The company does not test on animals and ensures all its ingredients are ethically sourced. Plus, it received over 60 awards!

It is also plastic-neutral certified, meaning that for every kilo of plastic used, a kilo is collected and recycled. The plastic is repurposed and made into fence posts to help rebuild communities affected by natural disasters

Shop Inika Organic Mascara

11. RMS Beauty

Price: $28

RMS Beauty was founded to clean up the beauty industry with its products made with non-toxic, skin-loving ingredients. The brand has a black mascara that you can buy in a full-size or travel-size tube. It is formulated with propeptides to strengthen, thicken, and revitalize your lashes.

RMS Beauty also makes it with organic shea butter and candelilla wax, which is rich in vitamins and antioxidants. The white tea leaf extract will also help protect against free radicals.

This mascara delivers 12 hours of lift, length, and volume while nourishing your lashes, all without smudging, flaking, and clumping.

Its inner bottle is made of 50% post-consumer recycled plastic with an aluminum overshell (partly recycled as well). The outer carton is made from 80% recycled paper printed with vegetable ink and produced with wind power.

RMS Beauty does not test on animals and all its products are free of parabens, synthetic fragrances, sulfate, and phthalates.

Shop RMS Beauty Mascara

12. Green People

Certified Organic Ingredients

Price: $25

Green People is a British skincare brand specializing in the production of organic beauty products.

It sells two mascaras, one in black and the other in brown, designed to volumize, lengthen, and nourish your eyelashes.

Their unique precision brush offers outstanding lash definition and volume.

Green People’s mascaras are formulated with 98% natural ingredients, including beeswax, sunflower oil, and carnauba wax. They also contain mineral pigments, which provide intense color, and vitamin E as well as plant oils to improve the condition of your lashes.

Some of the ingredients are certified organic by the Soil Association, and all of them are cruelty-free, sustainably sourced, and fairly traded. Made for sensitive eyes, the mascaras do not contain any harsh chemicals.

We also love that Green People donates 10% of its net profits to different charities!

Shop Green People Mascara

About the Author

Eva Astoul is a French freelance writer, specializing in content related to sustainability, simple living, and a growth-focused healthy lifestyle.

She runs her own blog, Green With Less, to inspire people to live a more minimalist and sustainable life.

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A Spookingly-Green Halloween & A Guide to Sustainable Costumes

For many, Halloween is one of the best holidays of the year. It's the perfect opportunity to get creative, dress up and eat yummy treats with your friends. That being said, Halloween can be largely wasteful, primarily due to accumulating costumes and disposable decor. In this article, we'll cover how to create sustainable Halloween costumes and have a more green Halloween all around.

Why is Halloween Unsustainable?

Halloween is a relatively unsustainable holiday due to the amount of single-use items used in traditional celebrations. Most conventional Halloween decor is made from plastic materials and thrown out immediately after the holiday.

When it comes to costumes, the traditional norm has been to buy a new costume for each year. People typically buy brand new costumes from chain superstores that aren't made sustainably and that they usually never wear again.

For Trick or Treaters, most households put out candy unsustainably made by large corporations. These corporations produce large amounts of Halloween branded candy that just goes to waste after October 31st.

Thankfully, you don't need to forgo Halloween celebrations to be sustainable. There are numerous ways you can celebrate Halloween without having a negative environmental impact.

How to Have a "Green Halloween"

Reuse or DIY Decorations

One of the most unsustainable things about Halloween is disposable decorations. There are a few ways you can get festive while still being eco-friendly.

A great start is to reuse what you already own. If you already have a collection of Halloween decor, prioritize that and get crafty for any new additions.

You can easily make your own Halloween decorations, thanks to the endless ideas and tutorials available online today. Try to create decorations from sustainable materials or items you already have lying around.

This could like like using old stockings or yarn to make spiderwebs. You can paint and cut cardboard boxes to turn them into tombstones. Use old bedsheets or t-shirts to create flying ghosts. Make use of natural items like straw bales, branches, leaves, pumpkins, and gourds to spice up your Halloween decor sustainably. If you have leftover paper or plastic bags, cotton balls, plastic bottles, or black garbage bags, DIY Halloween decorations are a great way to put them to use.

If you do want or need to buy something new, like a seasonal Pumpkin Spice candle, look for second-hand items or support sustainable brands and makers on platforms like Etsy. Whatever you buy, try to choose items that are reusable and that you will keep for years to come.

Skip or Utilize the Whole Pumpkin

Pumpkin carving and displaying your spookiest pumpkin creations is a Halloween highlight for many. Pumpkin carving can be relatively wasteful, however, if the whole pumpkin isn't utilized.

If you want to carve pumpkins, first choose locally grown pumpkins, ideally from a local pumpkin patch. Then, try to use the pumpkin in its entirety. Save the filling and make a pumpkin pie or mash. Roast the pumpkin seeds for a savory snack.

Lastly, avoid painting your pumpkin so that you can successfully compost it when you're done with it.

Give Out Ethically Made Treats

It can be tempting, and often very affordable, to opt for the super-size bags of Halloween-themed candy from chain grocery stores. These items are not very sustainable, however.

Most major candy corporations don't produce ethically made or sourced candy - especially when it comes to chocolate. Corporations also overproduce Halloween-themed goodies, which go on discount and end up in the trash right after the holiday.

If possible, look for ethically made, organic, or sustainable goodies to give out to trick-or-treaters. You can find non-GMO, local candy options at your neighborhood health food store. You can even now find fair-trade chocolate and candy brands at places like Costco and Target, which won't break the bank.

If you're hosting a Halloween party, bake your own themed treats to save money while being sustainable.

Choose Compostable Cutlery for Halloween Parties

No one wants to do the dishes after hosting a party, but disposable plates and cutlery are anything but sustainable. Until now, that is. There are several eco-friendly disposable cutlery options that make it convenient and eco-friendly to host a Halloween party.

One of our favorite sustainable cutlery brands is WoodU Shop. They offer dish and silverware sets that are biodegradable, reusable, and fully compostable.

If you want to serve food, encourage guests to bring homemade items, potluck style, or choose a local caterer. For leftovers, check out these eco-friendly options to wrap up and store food.

Now, Our Top 10 Ways to Create Sustainable Halloween Costumes

Reuse an Old Costume

Number one on the list for sustainable Halloween costume ideas is reusing what you already own. Chances are, you have several Halloween costumes from the past in a box somewhere. Why not reuse them?

If you want to spice it up, perhaps there's a way to revamp one of the costumes or add accessories to make it feel new again.

Consult Your Wardrobe

If you don't have any Halloween costumes lying around, the first step in generating recycled costume ideas is to consult your own wardrobe. This is easiest if you already have a costume idea in mind.

For example, if you want to be a witch, start by looking at your black clothing. See what you can put together from what you already own.

Revamp Items You Don't Love or Use

If you're willing to get crafty, see what you can create from clothing items or accessories you don't love, never wear, or no longer fit. If you have kids, this is especially relevant, as you probably have a pile of things they've outgrown. Could something be altered to create a costume?

Maybe there's an old t-shirt that's falling apart that could be cut up, dyed, or redesigned to create a costume.

Have a Costume Exchange Party

If you don't own anything you can utilize for this year's Halloween costume, chances are one of your friends does. A fun way to be sustainable together is to host a costume exchange party.

Everyone can bring old costumes or accessories and take turns swapping. This is a great way to spend $0 on eco-friendly costumes.

Get Crafty With Accessories

Accessories like masks, headwear, and even jewelry, can often be made from home. You can find handy craft supplies like outlines, fabric glue, material, etc., at your local craft supply store.

If you simply need to dye or add embellishments to items you already own, this is an easy thing to do yourself instead of buying new items. Sometimes this works out even better if you're looking to replicate a very specific accessory.

Make Your Own Body Paint

Instead of purchasing a Halloween paint or makeup set to use for one night, why not make your own? There are numerous recipes available for making Halloween paint using items that are often found in the pantry.

Consult Youtube or Google for homemade Halloween body paint recipes and see what you can create at home. If you have to buy items to make the paint, try to look for recipes that require ingredients you know you'll find another use for.

Turn DIY Halloween Costumes into a Group Activity

If you're struggling to design your own costume, or you lack some crafty skills, why not make DIY Halloween Costumes a group activity? You can get your friends or family together and help each other create Halloween costumes.

This can help motivate and inspire one another to have a green Halloween. It's also a fun way to pool together supplies, cutting down on the number of new items you'll need to buy this year.

Opt for Second-Hand or Artisan-Made Items

If you need to buy a Halloween costume, try to opt for used items first. You can find second-hand costumes and accessories online or in thrift stores. Check out Poshmark, eBay, or any of these second-hand clothing apps. If you'd rather shop in-store, head to your local thrift, vintage or second-hand shop.

If you can't find what you're looking for used or make it yourself, you can usually find awesome Halloween options made by artisans on Etsy. You can also check out ethical marketplaces like these for accessories. If you are buying new, prioritize items that you can reuse or re-wear.

Rent Your Costume

If you're still struggling to put together a sustainable Halloween costume, try to rent one. If you or your kids just have to be a certain character this year, or you can't find or make what you want, renting a costume is the next best sustainable thing. This can also be a more budget-friendly option.

There are numerous choices for costume rentals both online and in-store. Most costume shops now offer rental options, which is awesome for parents whose kids will just outgrow their costumes by the following year.

You can also check out online costume stores and retailers, even Rent the Runway has options. This makes it easier than ever to find the Halloween costume of your dreams or participate in new costume trends sustainably.

Choose a Timeless Costume Idea

Overall, when it comes to creating an eco-friendly Halloween costume, what type of costume you choose can also have an impact. While it can be tempting to dress up as your new favorite superhero or TV Character from this year's latest release, these costume trends usually fade by the following season.

Try to think of "evergreen" costume ideas. This can look like costume ideas that stand the test of time and are relevant year after year (someone is always a witch or a vampire). It can also look like choosing a costume idea that can easily be made from timeless items you will reuse in your everyday life. This will benefit both the planet and your wallet in the long run.

If you're willing to get creative, you can create most Halloween costumes from items that can be reused and re-worn. Try to do so as much as possible and chances are, your Halloween costume will be sustainable.

About the Author

Alicia Briggs is a writer & editor specializing in slow travel & sustainable living. She has been a full-time traveler since 2018 and runs her own blog, Learning the Local Way, where she covers responsible travel tips and guides.

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How to Create Sustainable Fall Outfits With The Clothes You Have

Once again, Fall is here, the season of crunchy leaves, chilly winds, and cloudy skies. It has then come the time for countless of us to bring out the cozier, heavier clothes to enjoy the colder, rainier weather that in many parts of the world characterizes this transitional season.

Whether or not you are a fan of Fall, there is no denying that the change of season inspires people to explore their personal style, spruce up their wardrobe, and have fun creating new, fresh outfits.

If you feel like freshening up your style for the new season, but you can't or don't feel like buying new clothes and accessories, then you are in luck because we have created a handy guide just for that.

So keep reading to get some sustainable (and budget-friendly) Fall inspo, and find out how to create new Fall outfits using the clothes you already have!

First things first: do a closet inventory

A step included in any good plan is identifying the resources you have at hand. So when it's time to create new Fall outfits, knowing what you are working with is a solid first step and an easy one at that, as it's easy to review them when you take them out of storage.

This activity doubles as an occasion to see if there are any pieces you no longer feel like keeping with you and if some other neglected ones still make you happy and deserve a second chance.

Once you figure out how many and what pieces you have, you are ready to start planning (and have fun with) your outfits.

Don't put your summer clothes in a box just yet

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need new clothes to make new outfits, as you can make so many different outfits just by reusing the clothes you already own. That's right; you already have everything you need for your new Fall outfits!

A perhaps unexpected ingredient of these Fall outfits can be your favorite summer pieces. Even though they may make you think of iced drinks and white sandy beaches rather than hot beverages and falling leaves, summer clothes can be great building blocks for the outfits you'll sport during this transitional season.

The weather this time of the year can be highly fickle in many locations, and as we all know, it's much easier in changing weather to add layers that to take them off when it's needed, especially on the go. After all, that's why Fall is considered the perfect time of the year to experiment with layering.

To have a go at layering some of your transitional and summer pieces, you can try wearing your summer dresses as tops under your jeans, trousers, or long skirts. You can also pair them with turtlenecks to wear underneath or even t-shirts if the weather in your area stays on the warmer side. If instead, Fall gives you an early taste of the colder season, you can pair tights with these outfits to keep warm.

Adding tights or socks to your outfits can also make distressed denim, summer skirts, and shorts season-appropriate. Similarly, wearing taller boots can help you integrate summer clothes into your Fall outfits.

Use the magic of outerwear

As the weather gets colder, it's time to have some fun with outerwear: the main character of transitional and chillier weather outfits. For some, having to wear outerwear is a bummer; it can hide the rest of the fit and get a bit boring the longer you have to wear it.

In Fall, though, thanks to the milder temperatures, wearing outerwear can add a bit of spice to your outfit rather than solely helping you stay warm.

So if you own a well-fitting light jacket, trench coat, or blazer that you can layer on top of everything (even your PJs), you can use it to give your more lightweight, breezier looks some structure, some extra warmth, and some more Fall-Esque vibes.

To keep it fresh and non-boring, try tying a belt (or two) around your waist, add some pins or patches, and experimenting with different ways of wearing it depending on the rest of your outfit and mood: buttoned up, un-buttoned, or even just laid over the shoulder.

No worries if you don't have a transitional coat you love, you can wear a cardigan on top of your Fall outfits for the same purposes. Bonus points if on the cozier, chunkier side.

It's time to experiment with textures

Textures may not seem like a defining element of clothes when compared to color and cut, but they can make all the difference. Think of how visually beautiful decorations like glitter or lace and fabrics like crushed velvet or linen can be!

That's why including them can make even the simplest outfit feel special and bring freshness into your style. To incorporate them when creating a new Fall look, consider the outfit as a whole rather than its parts. Does the outfit have an overall texture or multiple ones? Or does it look plain?

Fall is the perfect time to play with them and mix them up, as you probably don't have to prioritize staying cool in balmy weather or staying warm while it's frosty outside. So you can more easily incorporate textures in one or more of the layers composing your outfit.

For example, you can wear a pleated skirt or corduroy trousers with a plain t-shirt, blouse or turtleneck or pair a ruffled blouse with your favorite pair of jeans.

Play with and mix up warm colors

Mustard, rust, terracotta, moss green: nothing says Fall like warm colors! Adding warm tones to your outfits can be a way to feel in tune with the season while creating your new Fall fits.

If you don't own many warm-colored pieces, try adding just one warm-tone piece per outfit, whether through clothes, accessories, or even shoes. If, instead, you already are a warm tones aficionado, try going for a warm colors head-to-toe look to go all out for channeling the Fall vibes.

Bonus tip! If you are used to mainly wearing neutrals and want to play with warm colors more this season but don't know how to style them, here is a simple trick: you can try pairing pieces that have the same color intensity level. It will make the outfit stand out more, look more cohesive, and eliminate some decision fatigue.

Create a Fall everyday uniform

Building an everyday fashion uniform that suits your lifestyle and taste can be a real game-changer. It can make your life easier, your morning routine shorter, and sometimes some comfort and familiarity are just what one needs to soothe the soul.

If you live in an area where you experience four different seasons, you might need to create four different ones. This necessity is your chance to not only select the Fall pieces that feel more "you" but also to give a second chance to a neglected piece you still love.

Find a classic, Fall-weather staple you love and wear it with everything.

A versatile, Fall-appropriate staple you love that goes well with anything is the perfect starting point to create new seasonal outfits. It may be a chunky sweater, a warm-colored skirt, or a pair of rain-proof boots: anything that works for you and makes you think of Fall!

You can make it fun and turn it into an activity. Take some time to get creative and plan out your outfits around that one piece you picked. You can make a list, a Pinterest board, or even draw the fits if that's what strikes your fancy.

It's an excellent opportunity to experiment and get out of your comfort zone, so don't be afraid to mix patterns, colors, and styles.

Add spice to an outfit using some simple accessories

One of the best things about accessories is their power to transform any fit completely: adding a scarf or necklace can change the aesthetic and feel of an outfit in one go. Not only that, but they can make even the plainest one feel newer and fresher.

Compared to the warm season, in Fall, you have even more choice of accessories as more cool-weather appropriate accessories like scarves, knitted hats, and gloves are back on the table thanks to the colder temperatures.

So seize your chance to have even more fun with accessories and layer a scarf over any outfit for an extra pop of color (the ways to wear one are endless), wear a double belt over your favorite Fall dress, and sport your most out-there bag.

Thanks to the changes in weather and routines that characterize it, Fall is a time of renewal and new beginnings for many people. Even though many of us have been taught to associate newness with only shiny, brand-new things, we can still find novelty and joy in the things we already own with a bit of time and creativity. After all, nothing is as beautiful as the things we cherish.

About the Author:

Roberta Fabbrocino is a journalist specialized in climate change and sustainability-related topics. Her articles have been published in several international eco-publications. Roberta also works as a content writer for sustainable companies.