Best Vegan Beauty Bets of the Year

Some of the best products purchased this year.

I love reading Essence Magazine, especially the natural hair care section and the beauty products guide catered to sisters of color. However, it's hard to fully commend products that are not cruelty free, contain parabens, mineral oil, and other kinds of vegan gal no nos.
I have compiled a list of my favorite treats for face, skin, and hair. I wish every great thing I have is good for everyone, but each of us has different reactions due to skin and hair type. Perhaps maybe certain company joys such as Shea Moisture and Sukin have a specific line for you.

Face:

Hurraw has a way with the lips.

Facial Soap: Shea Moisture's African Black Soap left my skin clearer. Using it with their Facial Scrub is a plus.
Toner: evanhealy's Rose Petal Facial Tonic HydroSoul replenishes and keeps the skin breathably hydrated. The smell is lovely, making one feel as though they're spraying spring bloom on their face. It's such a rewarding experience tucked in a bottle, like a spa treatment. Plus on its eloquent glass is the quote, "may all beings everywhere be happy and free." Yes. I agree.
Moisturizer: Sukin's Facial Moisturiser performs its job above satisfactory. It makes my face so plaint and smooth that I find it hard not to touch my softened, youthful cheeks. I don't think my face has ever been this moist. Chocolate cake should be jealous.
Makeup Remover: Organic Coconut Oil wipes eye makeup right off and prepares skin for gentle cleansing with a very soft finish. Alba Botanical's 3-in-1 Clean Hawaiian Clean Towelettes also provide a quick solution when too tired to run water.
lips: Everyone knows I have a huge vegan balm obsession. It's a huge tie between Hurraw's pretty red tinted black cherry balm and sweet smelling chai tea lip balm and Le Couvent Des Minimes Lip Balm in Orange Blossom. All three keep my full lipped pout in moist glory and light glossiness. Le Couvent Des Minimes is both a moisturizer and lip treatment that smells enticing. However, it's Hurraw's chai tea that tells a story of the best winter beverage next to hot chocolate.  
homemade tip: A tiny bit of coconut oil or olive oil rubbed between the hands and applied to the face in a circular motion provides dewiness. Remember a little. Too much will make skin greasier than a potato chip coated in cheap Vaseline.

Body:

Well moisturized skin is especially important for winter dryness.

Body Wash: Shea Moisture's Olive & Green Tea Body Wash W/ Avocado gives a gentle, ultimate cleansing experience. Two kinds of honeysuckle, shea butter, and other pleasing ingredients help to keep skin soft and beautiful.
Moisturizer: Shea Moisture's Coconut & Hibiscus Line. I use the Bath, Body, & Massage Oil w/ Gluten Free Vitamin E, the Dry Oil Mist w/ Songyi Mushroom Extract, and Body Butter w/ Gluten-Free Vitamin E. Talk about a sun kissed, glowing delight for the body. My skin feels loved and cherished by products that apply and blend as though natural essentials were just meant to sink right in.
homemade tip: 1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoon raw sugar + 1 teaspoon lemon juice is a great exfoliating treat. Get rid of those pesky dry skin cells and polish your body to a whole new radiance. Best used on dry skin before showering.

Hair:

Taliah Waajid's Curly Cream has been a rewarding find.

Shampoo: Kinky Curly's Come Clean removes scalp buildup and leaves behind a lovely fragrance.
Conditioner: Shea Moisture's Raw Shea Butter Conditioner has been a godsend, keeping hair easily manageable, soft, and a pleasure to afro pick out. I use it both for conditioning and in a little squirt bottle mixed with water as a daily leave in conditioner.
Cream: Taliah Waajid's Curly Curl Cream gives the best twists ever. After washing and conditioning, I add in the cream, twist two strands together, and put on a satin nightcap. In the morning, perfect sheen and well defined spirals.
Oils: Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, and Africare's 100% Glycerin keep hair in tip top shape. Each give my thick hair a certain kind of lustrous sheen- an important beneficial trait to carry in the arena of keeping high maintenance natural hair strong and healthy.
homemade tip: for an ultra deep conditioning treatment, soak the hair in a huge amount of coconut oil (like to an almost dripping consistency), cover overnight with a conditioning cap, and wash it out in the morning before shampoo and conditioner.