Easy Veganuary Habits and Hacks: Lifestyle

I hope you are all having a wonderful Veganuary and perhaps you’ve tried some new foods, learnt some new things and feel revitalised and invigorated by the world of veganism that is out there. Whether you are vegan, non-vegan, flexitarian or just a little bit interested, you cannot deny that veganism is becoming a lot more mainstream, with restaurant chains offering vegan menus, supermarkets stocking brand new vegan lines and the wide range of beauty, lifestyle and clothing options available.

After having spoken about Veganuary, Dairy (part I and part II) and Eggs, I thought it about time to touch on the vegan lifestyle that surpasses the food on our plates.

Many luxury clothing brands and designers have ditched the fur and even banned leather from their catwalks and creative lines – for example Gucci joins Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, and Stella McCartney as fur-free fashion houses. Zayn Malik also collaborated with Versace, using eco-leather in his ZAYN X Versus Capsule Collection made entirely with polyurethane. You can read more here.

You can find more information on the PETA website.

There are also dozens of vegan and eco-friendly clothing brands, who I have come to know and love. My first ethical jumper was from Conscious Tee and after sparking up a conversation with the owner at a health festival some years ago, I fell I love with their quirky slogans. I have the grey “Ripe Avocados Are Life” sweatshirt, as well as the fun “Chia & Chill” t-shirt and have also gifted to friends a few of their other lines, too.

A newer brand, only launching in September 2018 is Pargaard which I immediately loved thanks to their subtle vegan slogans and messages. I have their Elly and Emmi t-shirts which read “Vegan” and “I Eat Grass” – they are certified sustainable and vegan and are made out of 100% organic cotton. The illustrations are hand-made and not only do they look great but they are statement pieces:

“When you eat a lot of green stuff, people often make jokes about it and this T-shirt is an ironic way to own your statement.”

You can see me in my Elly T-shirt with their tote bag and reusable straws below – find out more here.

Other vegan and ethical clothing companies that I know and enjoy are Veegear, Brightzine, In The Soulshine and Viva La Vegan – PETA have a great round-up!

I will touch briefly on vegan beauty, although I am not an expert and it is a lifestyle area that I continue to learn about every day. I am so frequently happily surprised that make up brands I have always used have vegan lines and my favourite products are indeed vegan. Some may be surprised to hear that a lot of the Barry M range is vegan, as well as the new Boutique collection in Sainsburys. The likes of Urban Decay have a vegan-friendly range, while Kat Von D is 100% vegan! It is worth checking the labels and doing a bit of research as you may be very pleasantly surprised. This isn’t always the case though, as lots of nail varnishes contain animal products e.g. the element that makes varnish shine, and face creams often contain honey or milk products. Some even contain snail trail particles which is gross when you think about it!

As well as the world of vegan make up, there are also some amazing brands out there who are championing vegan skincare. The likes of UpCirlcle use repurposed core ingredients, for example leftover ground coffee beans in their delicious scrubs to help fight waste. I am also a big fan of their Facial Serum – find out more here*. I also love Sukin who promise to offer sustainable vegan skincare that doesn’t cost the earth – I love their face oils, washes and scrubs.

You’ll also notice that Original Source handwash, shampoos and conditioners are all vegan friendly – and have been for several years. I remember thinking “why does shower gel need to be vegan? You don’t eat it?!” oh how young and naïve I was, but I wasn’t to know any better.

There is, however, another issue involved when we talk about vegan lifestyle and this is also one of sustainability. I love the wide range of plant-based skincare and make up brands available to me, but I don’t love the plastic packaging that a lot of them come in. that’s why I try to opt for the recyclable packaging, glass containers and re-fillable options. There are some amazing brands who also encourage you to repurpose your leftover jars and turn them into candle holders, soap dispensers and other household items.

“Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are.”

Theodore Roosevelt.

We need to start talking more about the vegan lifestyle the spread the message that living and thriving off plants needn’t be difficult or expensive. I hope I’ve shown you just a few ways you can easily make your everyday life a little more vegan. These are only a handful of tips and brand names that I use and it’s a topic I hope to discuss with you again soon – I’m on a learning journey, too!

I would love to hear from you, please leave a comment below and/or tag me in your vegan lifestyle posts on Instagram, I’m @nourishing.amy and use the hashtag #nourishingamy.

*I earn a small commission on any sales made via this link.