Monday, October 12, 2015

How to live an animal cruelty free life in the world of cosmetics




       Hello everyone!


Today I wanted to write about being animal cruelty free.

You may be asking yourself what I mean by this, which is a very good question. A lot of others are not aware of what happens with your cosmetics before packaging and distribution. 

With a lot of drugstore cosmetics, for instance: L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, etc, test their products on animals before sale. And no, they no not apply their mascara to their lashes to see if it makes them more beautiful. 

The reality is quite awful and disturbing, and I believe that it is very important for the world of animal testing to be exposed. I apologize in advance if you find this material disturbing or it makes you uncomfortable, although it should, there is not much other alternatives as to how this could be faced. 

In the world of animal testing, makeup and body cleaning companies will go through an animal testing procedure. They will use ingredients, or possibly the product itself, take cute and fluffy animals, such as rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, dogs, cats, etc, and they will take those chemicals and products and drip them into the animals eyes, throat, nose, ears, and other openings of the animals body. They will also soak the animals in some of these chemicals or products, which may cause severe burning, rashes, irritation, hair loss, and sadly, much more. Each animal is usually used until their death, which is usually a result of poisoning. 

The next few images may appear graphic or disturbing to some viewers, so I am just putting in a fair warning! 


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Addhttp://theirturn.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Rabbit_test.jpg caption


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These images shows only a few of the harsh realities that many little creatures face. It is very depressing and very real. 

Some people may find themselves thinking something along the lines of human's safety, and that is normal. Although, what others fail to realize and understand is that due to the difference in genetic makeup and chemicals within animals, the results of the testing are impossible to be accurate at all. See the following link for 33 reason why animals testing is pointless -> http://www.peta2.com/boards/topic/33-reasons-why-animal-testing-is-pointless/

I have been cruelty free for roughly two months now, and really, my life hasn't changed hardly at all in the world of cosmetics. Honestly, due to the switch, I have been able to discover makeup that is much better for my skin in general, and the results on my skin have been much more impressive and I am much more satisfied with the look and feel. 



Here is list of ample companies who do not participate in animal testing. 


http://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cruelty-free-brands.png

My daily makeup products consist of NARS foundation, Too faced bronzer, NYX eyeliner and mascara, elf eye shadow (for brows), too faced eye shadow or Urban Decay eye shadow. 
Within my next post I will demonstrate the use of my daily makeup routine and products. 
I appreciate those who took the time to look at this post because being cruelty free is very important to me and my lifestyle.

Monday, October 5, 2015

7 Months Later....

7 months later...

Hello everybody! So I've been gone a a while, and a whole lot has changed in my life within those seven months...

March 29,, 2015, my dog died, my best friend, she meant everything to me, and I am still trying to get over it. I know, I'm pathetic, but I don't really care. She made me so happy. She  was literally the perfect dog, and I don't think I'll ever have another like her. 


I also have gotten two new dogs, Louie, who is a little 8 month old party Yorkie, and we adopted a 1-2 year old rottweiler mix, who is technically my dog. She is amazing, and has been a wonderful little therapist for me. I have always wanted to adopt a dog rather than purchase one from a breeder, and she has given me that awesome opportunity. 

I am now a senior in high school and I hate every minute of it. I have little to no friends, and the friends I DO have aren't even in my classes (minus one). I am not getting any sleep, and I am struggling a lot in math this year, which will probably lead to me dropping at semester, and just taking another music class.

I got accepted into the University of Missouri Columbia, AKA Mizzou! I hope to go there and eventually get into the vet medicine school and save animals, which I am very excited about! 




I have also started a cruelty free life in the makeup, hair, and
body area. All of my cosmetics are animal testing free, and it is truly an amazing feeling. I try and eat as little meat and dairy as I can, and I use substitutes when possible, for example, instead of cow's milk, I use almond milk or coconut milk! It's healthier and it saves animals at the same time! 

My next post will definitely be more about being animal cruelty free, and I will talk about all the amazing products available, ranging from common drug store makeups and washes, to more expensive ones! 

Again, I apologize for the HUGE delay, and hopefully will continue daily to every other day on here to keep everyone updated and in the loop! 

Thank you for being patient with me, and I love you all!
xoxo, Liv

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Me.


Hi everybody

Today I'm going to be talking about myself. I know it seems self centered, stupid, or just weird, but to me, I think writing about ourselves is one of the most important thing a person can do. I truly believe that it can boost your self esteem and self confidence! You learn about yourself and sometimes discover something that you never really paid attention to you that could be life changing! So sit back, relax, probably get bored and fall asleep...while I talk about myself.



I am 16 years old. I have brown hair and an unusual green color in my eyes. I am involved in numerous activities including work, horseback riding, playing the piano, softball, and drumline. I am a girl who stresses over her grades, the lack of sleep I get at night, and how people walk too slow in the stupid hallways.. like any other teenager would.

My clothes are ordinary, which is something new for me. I was never the kid to fit in anywhere, really, but that was then, and this is now. None of the past matters now.

I love horses, and I've loved horses ever since I would start walking. I have been riding for 7 years now, and hope to continue for the rest of my life. The horse I ride is named Rebel. He is about 18 years old and better than ever. Here's a picture of him!

I also ride with my best friend, Hannah Arnold. She had been my best friend since 4th grade, so that make it 7 years now! She's been through all the strange phases of mt life with me, but again, that's in the past, and this is the present. 

Hannah is just about the only person I can share absolutely everything with. I'm not a very open person, but more of a sensitive, -keep-to-myself kind of person. I can sit in a crowded classroom with no friends and just be quite and keep to myself. I can sit in a car with literally anybody and not say a word for the entire ride. I'm quite, and I like it that way, and Hannah gets it. 



We both love animals with our whole hearts and more, and want nothing more than to save their lives. Hannah and I vacation together to the lake of the Ozarks, we go to the mall and spend just about all of our money every time, and we also just hang around in her basement. I can easily imagine us sitting on our separate couches, pizza in one hand and an Xbox controller in the other. My laptop would sit right next to me, and her would be at her side. We would be laughing, just about at anything either of us said and just be having the time of our life. We have a very simple relationship, and to me, that's the best kind of relationship to have with a friend. She's my sister and I love her. 

I have been having a harder time this year in high school, but knowing that I have my best friend to talk to or text makes it bearable. No, we do not have a single class together this year-- actually we haven't had a single class together since 5th grade. Lunch has never been the same either. 

Speaking of high school, I hate it. At a minimum, I get 4 hours of sleep a night. I am always tired and overloaded with work that I barely get finished. I am in one AP course class, and two other college credit classes. I have hours of homework every single night, and usually don't finish or even attempt to try. I am pulling my hair out about getting a better score on the ACT, and don't even get my started on how worried I am about getting into vet school at Mizzou. I am always hungry, and this school is freezing. I never used to hate high school until this year. This is my first year without my senior friends from last year. This is my first year feeling completely alone. This my first year I struggled finding a lunch table to sit at. This is my first year without my boyfriend here with me.

This is a homecoming pic from last year, and being silly at the camera!


Yes, I do have someone other than Hannah that is extremely special to me and his name is Nicholas Bockhorst. He has striking blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He is six feet tall and would catch just about anybody's eyes. He is very good with his school and is studying to get a biological engineering degree to become an anesthesiologist's assistant, which is something I am very excited about for him! We have been together ever since my freshman year and his junior year, which makes that 2 years and 3 months (and to be honest, I am very proud of us, because if you saw my school, there aren't many couples that even last a few months). And you haven't even heard the best part. We both hate ketchup! I finally met somebody else who absolutely hates ketchup! That's amazing!  We even made an agreement that if we are together and get a house in however many years in the future that would be, ketchup would be banned! No excuses! There is so much to say about his boy, but I'll just continue to keep it short and simple. I love him, too. 

Honestly, I don't know if you've ever written about yourself like this before, but coming up with new topics and transitions are hard and I don't like it... so, this is my transition phrase! 

I have 3 pets in my house who mean the whole word to me. I have a 9, almost 10 year old, purebred Yorkshire Terrier named Tina, T-T, Tina-Bird, Teeny, Baby, Tina-Bird, BB, Turd, basically anything starting with a T, excluding a few others, she'll perk her little ears up and look right at you. Sometimes she comes, sometimes she'll give you a little smirk and lay back down, or sometimes she'll look at you and run in the complete opposite direction, but I love her just the same. She is literally the smartest dog I have ever met before in my life. She knows over 200 different words and around 10 different tricks. She can understand phrases such as: "Wanna treat?! Wanna go bye-bye? Do you need to go potty? Where's Mama? [Insert name here]'s home! Go get [insert name here]! She knows it all. 
I also have a little rose petal beta fish named Aragorn (obviously named after the king of gondor in the amazing Lord of the Rings....). He is a beautiful metallic blue with lush blue fins. Every time I walk up to his tank that sits on my desk, he swims right up to me, looking happier than ever, and waits for his food ever-so-patiently. He is definitely the coolest fish I have ever had. 
Lastly, I have a little 7 month old hedgehog named Arwen (and no, not after the janitor in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody....but after Aragorn's beautiful elf princess from the amazing Lord of the Ring's trilogy).  And let me tell you. She has the biggest little personality I have ever seen! (Excluding Tina, of course.) She is a little cream colored hedgie who loves to eat meal worms and sleep all day... (literally! She is nocturnal!)

[enter awkward transition skip here]

Okay, so today I experienced a life changing thing. You ever hear the saying "all grey clouds have a silver lining?" Well, this year has led me to believe other wise, more of a silver lining that holds a grey cloud. A very big, choking, and foggy grey cloud. 
Today I found out that my best friend Hannah is moving to Florida. My best friend. Who I was literally talking about, me being happy as ever, just a few paragraphs above. So innocent and joyful. Ironic, isn't it? You know something is coming your way when things seem too good, and it's true. There will always be something to knock you down, and I have to admit, whoever it is that is trying to tear me apart is winning. 
Hannah was the best friend any person would ever want to have. We would talk about anything, and we would never fight. If we haven't been together in months, and randomly decided to hang out, we would instantly pick up where we left off. Whether it be some stupid game we used to play in elementary school, or stupid inside jokes, we were always the same best friends from 4th grade. 
And now I feel completely lost. 
She was my only real friend. My boyfriend is in college and I see him about once every month, or every other month... but Hannah and I were together more than that-- and how she will be living halfway across the country from me. 
The point of this autobiography I am writing is to show the person that I've "so proudly" grown to be. And until this day-- I believed I was doing pretty okay. I had my whole life planned out, and of course Hannah living close by sure was planned in my future. I would easily fly through high school (which hasn't gone accordingly) and I would have the time of my life in college, sharing a major with my best friend (which is out of question now.) 
I am a believer of long distance relationships or friendships. But when you're stuck with both, it sure is hard to cope with just about anything. Now I have nobody here for me. I feel like that weird kid in the halls again, like in middle school. I feel like an outcast, imagining graduation without my best friend. 
And what I have learned from this autobiography, let alone this day itself, is that never take a friendship for granted, because you never truly know what you had until it's gone, and I will never have another school lunch with my best friend ever again.

much love, joy, happiness, and everything else i am feeling now,
liv...



Saturday, February 14, 2015

I bought a Hedgehog!

Hi everybody! I have exciting news! I bought a little friend last Sunday! 
I named her Arwen from the Lord of the Rings! 
She is only 6 months old, and has a lot of learning to do! She has had 3 different owners (including me) and she is very confused and scared of things now. They are very reliant on scent, therefor she has had a lot of mixed feelings about me being her 3rd owner, although she has opened up to me a whole lot!

Hedgehogs aren't really as cuddly or friendly as they seem in all the cute instagram photos they are in! She likes to "ball up" and poke her little quills out when she is scared or feels threatened, and we're working on that! She sure has come a long way! So, do me a favor and please do not purchase a hedgehog if you are not willing to take on the big commitment! I have spent about $50 on her within the first few days, and there are still more things I would lover for her to have, to be honest. I switched out her food (cat food) to actual hedgehog food that I purchased online, which is a lot healthier for her and meets her needs better than ordinary cat food. I bought her soft canned cat food as well (all natural) as a nice treat for her when I get her out of her cage! I also bought her a nice fluffy ferret bed that she likes to take naps in while I put her in her playpen! 

It is also very important to hold and bond with your hedgehog DAILY. You want them to recognize your scent as best as possible and have them trust you. It is also good for them to interact with strangers to loosen up their friendliness to more than just their owners (considering they may need a babysitter one day if you're on vacation...etc.) It is also important to associate yourself with food to your hedgie, then they will be much more willing to get out of their cage and have a snack! (ex. canned cat food/meal worms/etc)



I have also switched out her water bottle to an actual water dish, because due to hours upon hours of research I have conducted, I have concluded that bottles are too much of a safety hazard compared to regular dishes with water in them. Bottles have the potential to poke some hedgie's little eyes and cause blindness or infections which lead to the removal of the eye, and i just don't want to risk that for my little girl. I also use Aspen bedding for her (wood-chips) and have asked around other hedgehog mommy's, and came to the conclusion that I want to switch to a form of cloth pad. Much more comfortable and eliminated the chances of wood chips splintering her toes and eyes! (as well as my room becoming a mess!)

I foot bathe her daily to remove any form of feces between her toes (it's more important than you think!) and I bathe her completely about once a week (only because her previous owners have never bathed her once in her life) and after a few weeks, I'm breaking it down to once a month (considering their whole body isn't nearly as dirty as their paws!) 

Clipping your hedgehog's nails is a MUST as well! When i received my hedgehog, her nails were at a dangerously long state, and could easily get caught on something and break off. I have developed a sort of method to clipping her nails, but I would love to do it differently hopefully in the future if she will allow me to. I wait for her to dive into her little canned food meal when i get her out of her cage and reach gently and quietly for her hind paws and use some nail scissors to clip the the nails! (Yesterday though, bless her heart) I accidentally nicked the quick (vein) of the nail and it started to bleed pretty bad. She handled the whole situation like a tough trooper, and continued running about her playpen. I had to stop her considering she was getting my carpet bloody! But with a little bit of pressure and a few hour long nap, me along the side of her, and now it's doing a little better. The bleeding has stopped, and has clotted up pretty well. I felt so bad, and thank goodness she forgave me!) Anyways, I'm going to try and get her other hind paw sometime tonight (HEDGEHOGS ARE NOCTURNAL! ..psa... hehe! Some people do not want them because of this! Keep this in mind as well!) and hopefully do it 100% successfully! Wish me luck! 

I will be updating weekly on how Arwen is holding up, so keep checking in once in a while! 
My next post, which is coming up right after this one is going to be a school project of mine! A part of an autobiography about a phase of my life (actually, where I am now, really!) so bare with me. Feel free to skip over/ignore it, but if you would like to get to know me a little better, read away!

Thank you guys so much, and I hope you learned a thing or two on the cute little hedgies! If you have any questions AT ALL about it, don't hesitate to ask me! You can reach me through here, email (livchambliss@yahoo.com) or mention me on twitter! (Ms_CHAMPliss)

I love you guys, and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! <3
xoxo, Liv