The Cruelty-Free Dilemma

I got into K-beauty back in late summer, and it was new and fun and I was having such a good time with it that I forgot to consider the ethics of the companies whose products I was using. I'm not perfect, and to be honest, I don't have time to check EVERY SINGLE COMPANY and what their policy is on animal testing. But as soon as I started looking into it it became clear that the concept of cruelty-free isn't a popular one in Korea. So, what to do?

This list from KARA seems to be the definitive list online of which companies are cruelty-free. Their Facebook says certain popular companies weren't on the list because they wouldn't definitively say they don't test. My thinking is that if a company didn't test they would proudly announce it- so being coy about it means that they do test.

Sadly most of the companies on this list are unfamiliar to me, hard to find in the US, or frankly out of my budget. Thankfully Innisfree is on there, a company I really do like. I was a little surprised that Etude House was on there- I have not tried any of their products yet, as much of what they offer seems to be targeted to a younger audience, but after seeing them on this list I'm interested in trying their Dust Cut line.

It's not like I have a ton of money to spend on products anyway, so I'm not too worried at the moment- just expect to see mostly Innisfree products on here in the future :) Bonus: I got a super sweet tax return this year, and I've allowed myself a shopping spree on Innisfree's global site, and will be putting in a big order through iamlove-shop on eBay soon as well (since Innisfree limits you to $200 a day per order). And that will probably be it for me for a while for hauls...

REVIEW: Ugly Farm Rice Peel Off Pack

I'm not a good blogger, and I knew that going in! But I finally have a quiet morning to myself and can write this little review.

A couple months ago I was in Chinatown and walked by New Kam Man, a Chinese store on Canal Street that was supposed to have a selection of Korean skin care. Their entire second floor is skin care and cosmetics, but unsurprisingly it was almost all Chinese stuff. I did, however, come across this:

Ugly Farm?? How adorable is that! I couldn't pass it up, plus I do like peel off masks. I believe there was a potato version as well.

Unfortunately, I'll be tossing this one after only two uses. As soon as you squirt out some of the mask you smell the overwhelming scent of alcohol. The other night I sat down and translated the first few ingredients and two of the first three were alcohol- the first one being water. My skin is dry enough these days, I don't need this! Again, I'm no chemist, but even if alcohol in skin care products is safe and okay, the smell alone is off putting enough. Disappointing!