Holiday gift guide: Buy for a cause

I found myself in a dilemma: on the one hand, December is obviously a month where people tend to spend more on gifts and presents, but on the other hand, I feel like we are bombarded by ads, promos and products (at least my mailbox is 😉 and I was unsure if you wanted me to prepare a gift guide. Until I found a compromise: showcasing a little assortment of brands which donate a part of their proceeds.

Lip products always and forever <3

1. Vapour Beauty Elixir lip plump “Honor”
Vapour Beauty is green cosmetic royalty. Among the pioneers of green makeup, they never cease to come with innovative products. The range is stunning range and the formula is impeccable. Occasionally Vapour Beauty releases a special color in order to raise awareness for a charity/noble cause. I remembered that the Elixir Plumping Lip Gloss in the shade “Honor” was the one where a part of its proceeds would be donated to research and awareness efforts for those affected by breast cancer during October. However, there’s still the pink ribbon on the website, so I’m hoping it means that they’re still donating for each purchase. Honor is available on vapour beauty.

2. Inside & Out Cosmetics (reviewed here)
One of the very first brands I reviewed on my blog. Inside & Out holds a special place, and the lip products I tried from them were seriously incredible. The quality is superb: creamy, pigmented, long-wearing, the lipsticks do not disappoint. I had the shade “Ruth” which is a gorgeous fuchsia. Inside & Out products makeup products are certified organic and not tested on animals. They work with several charities, but since the beginning, they have been working with Women of the World, which aims at empowering refugee women, in order for them to achieve self-suffiency. They donate 10% of all revenue to charities that support women. Available on their webshop.

3. Axiology lipsticks (reviewed here and here)
Ericka the founder of this stunning palm oil free, vegan lipstick range is showing that vegan lipsticks rivalling conventional lipsticks. The range of color is stunning and the packaging is straight out of a James Bond movie. Axiology is donating 6% of their 2015 profits to the Orangutan Foundation International, an organization dedicated to rainforest and orangutan conservation.
Available on Reina Organics and The Green Jungle Beauty Shop.

4. Amazingy! (mentioned here)
Not a brand this time but a whole store haha! Amazingy is a fantastic eco online shop with a drool-worthy selection of products. Always on trend and even ahead of it, I’m regularly browsing their newest launches section and they never fail to impress me. Amazingy makes the shopping experience extra special as they are involved in several charities: at the moment it’s the LiveBuild project – raising money for clean drinking water and toilets for a school in Mbah, Cameroon. Also they have partnered since the beginning with Trees for the Future, pledging to plant a tree for every order.

Skin and body care

5. Plant Brooklyn
Based in brookly, PLANT specializes in apothecary and gourmet goods with a witty and eco-conscious twist. I’m currently using their face oil, so watch this space for a review. I promise you will love their products, made with the finest ingredients. Non-pretentious and super effective. Face masks, shower gels, masks, scrubs, etc. they have a lovely selection products both for men and women. The highlight of PLANT? Their products are made with the help of adults with
physical and mental disabilities, at the nonprofit BKLYN UNLTD
workshop. The mission of BKLYN UNLTD is to give
disabled adults access to work training and paid work opportunities. Available on A Beautiful World (Europe) and on PLANT‘s webshop.

6. Green People’s limited edition facial collection (freshly reviewed here)
Green People recently launched 4 organic limited edition kits (face care/body care/hand care/men’s gift) Each set has a beautiful animal illustration on it and is beautifully packaged. I reviewed the face kit and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Specifically tailored for winter, the products are rich and hydrating. The four of them will make great gifts. A part of the proceeds goes directly to support UK woodland and the animals, via The Woodland Trust, which I think is a fantastic initiative. Available on their webshop (here)

7. Apple & Bears Bergamot & Green Tea body wash and body silk duo (reviewed here)
There are a lot of body care sets launched durign Christmas, and if I can recommend one, it’s the Apple & Bears duo which is simply delightful. Apple & Bears is a familiy-owned British company with ECOCERT ingredients. There are 4 scent combinations available, and the one I tried was the green tea and Bergamot set, which is enriched
with green tea and essential oils of bergamot, lime, orange, mandarin,
basil and nutmeg.  Apple & Bears
support various charities and 5% of the proceeds goes to Breast Cancer
Care, hence the pink ribbon logo on the bottles.
Available on LoveLula (worldwide shipping)

8. Stop the Water While Using Me Kit (reviewed here)
Stop the Water is one of my favorite body care lines because it makes no compromise. Their
brand name is a constant reminder of how precious water is, and their products are free of artificial ingredients, preservatives, non bio-degradable elements, sillicon and other mineral-oil-based substances. At the moment they currently offer two kits: one for the hands, and one for the hair. I’m currently using the vegan hand set which contains a liquid hand soap and balm. Both are lime-cucumber scented, so it’s basically a fresh cocktail for your hands ;). Supremely gentle, it leaves my hand soft and clean. Boxed in a crisp, white packaging, their sets would make perfect eco gifts. A part of their revenue goes to water charity projects, for those who are unable to have access to clean water.
Available on their webshop (here) and on Ecco verde.

9. Love + Roses Mist by Olivine
Olivine knows how to create joyous and wondrous scents. I have the salt hair and body spray which is utterly divine, but Olivine also has a beautiful rose water mist, and a lovely range of perfumes. The Love + Roses beauty mist is more than a simple rose toner: with infused rose quartz, Andean Orchid flower essence, it also contains hyaluronic acid thanks to Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide. You’re just a few spritzes away from a glowy and refreshed skin. Oh and how can one resist this beautiful glass packaging? 5% of the net sales from all Olivine Atelier products will be donated to Every Mother Counts, a charity aiming to end preventable deaths caused by pregnance and childbirth around the world. Available on Olivine’s webshop and A Beautiful World (Europe)

10. Sheaterra Organics
SheaTerra Organics is a brand I have yet to try, but I’ve read numerous glowing reviews about their products. As its name implied, the star ingredient is therapeutic African shea butter. I’m particularly eyeing their hair serums. Sheaterra works with women’s cooperatives across Africa help improve the lives of the women. Available on Sheaterra’s webshop.

There are obviously other brands which are donating to charities, so feel free to let me know which ones you know! Have you tried any of these?

Take care,

Liz