I first started using makeup in junior year of high school. Armed with a single brush, pencil eyeliner from my mom, and big dreams, I suffered through the chubby-liner-no-eyebrows phase for years until I finally got my shit together. I remember going to Ulta on the weekends and staring longingly at the selection of brightly colored palettes and expensive as hell highlighters (looking at you Ofra). In the past year or so, I found myself becoming increasingly aware of animal testing and unsustainable practices, especially within the makeup community. Things came to head when last year, makeup giant Nars announced that they started testing their products on animals after moving operations to China. In a world ruled with corporations generating millions of tons of pollutants, and harming the environment and its inhabitants, it can become scarily "apparent" that an individual's actions are seemingly useless, but I still believe in the power of a smart consumer and the social change that can occur with a large and vocal group.

Makeup is an art form, a fun way to express yourself, and an ever growing community. If you're someone who's been living an environmentally conscious lifestyle for years, or someone who's just starting like me, cruelty-free and/or vegan makeup is a great way to incorporate better choices in day-to-day life.