Please Note: This post does NOT contain upsetting images.
If you’ve picked up any paper, read any online news sources or clicked on the tv, you’ve probably heard about the Yulin dog meat festival in China this month, and the uproar it is causing around the world. I want to keep this post short and concise, particularly as this topic upsets me hugely and I don’t want to spend too long thinking about it.
The Yulin festival causes me great upset. As a dog owner and lover, I can’t even begin to comprehend engaging in this tradition. BUT.
Yes, my friends, I have a but…
I have never sought to belittle, disrespect or upset anybody by posting about cruelty-free cosmetics or by stating my complete aversion to animal tested products. If what I am about to say upsets you, I do apologise and feel free to unfollow me.
When you buy animal-tested products, you contribute to the torture of animals.
The fact of the matter is, when you buy Revlon, Rimmel, L’Oreal, Garnier…to name but a few, you are directly funding the further testing and thus, harm of animals. I never have, nor will include photos of such testing on my page because it truly is horrifying, but believe me, it would shake you to your core. Sadly, even brands like NYX, Urban Decay and The Body Shop have now been taken over by larger, animal-testing companies, meaning that in my eyes, the support for them is the support for testing.
I know it can be really tough to see the wood from the trees. So many of these companies will say they state that they do not test their products on animals, but when reading the smaller print you can blatantly see that they are lying. They will hire people to do the testing, or will continue to sell their products in China, thus supporting a market that obligates animal-testing for all products sold there. I know it can be frustrating and seem impossible to find products that are 100% cruelty free, and I sincerely hope that my blog and the others out there like it can help to point you in the right direction for cruelty-free shopping.
If you are ever in doubt, even just Google the brand and “animal testing” and results will pop up instantly. If you want to look at a comprehensive list, you can quickly here. (Please note: This link does not contain upsetting images)
It goes without saying that the Yulin festival is barbaric…but is the way the world shops for cosmetics any better? Is your appearance really worth the torture and killing of an innocent animal?
MTL x
~ mirrorthelove@gmail.com
Mirror The Love 
Hi there… this truly is a great post and I’m so glad someone’s writing about it. The Yulin festival is nothing but barbaric and it sends shivers down my spine just thinking that someone could hurt such beautiful innocent creatures…
you’re so right when you talk of animal testing and compare it to acts of animal abuse….because to be honest it is just that.
It’s sad how we humans have no heart for animals and chose to not think before putting them through torture for own our benefit- be that for medicine, Beauty, Fashion or entertainment… it really is shameful to say the least 😦
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Thank you so much for this comment. I am so glad that you agree. I was a bit worried that I’d offend people with this post. I know that in general, there is a long way to go with removing animal testing from all areas, such as medicine…but where cosmetics are concerned there ARE already so many options that we can choose instead of supporting the abuse. I saw a quote that how we spend our money determines the world we want to live in and that couldn’t be truer in this case. The more these companies make, the more we are saying that animal torture is ok and that lying about it is fine. Thank you so much again ❤ xx
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There’s no question of offending anyone with what you’ve written…it is NOT and never will be ‘ok’ to hurt an animal that cannot speak for itself…which is all the more reason that WE ‘MUST’ speak for them and do everything that is in our power to protect them.
I hope with all my heart that this post reaches as many people as possible and that it educates them and encourages them to make better choices and decisions.
I’m an animal lover at heart and if there’s one thing that i will always stand by, it is to protect one. 🙂
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I wish I could like this comment a thousand times. You are so right in every way. Animal abuse is something that makes me feel physically sick to my stomach and it is imperative that people speak / SHOUT about it occurring at this business-level. Please feel free to re-blog this post if you’d like to share it with your readers! xx
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Hi Avril… I reblogged your post 🙂
Sincerely hope each person who reads this joins hands and puts a stop to this barbarism.
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Reblogged this on Beauty and The Being and commented:
I’m so glad more and more of us are talking & writing about going ‘cruelty-free’…about stopping animal abuse in every possible way and that’s why I felt the need to encourage posts such as this – Avril you’ve done a great job at bringing up this issue and I hope that people al across the world understand that it is NOT and never will be ‘ok’ to hurt an animal that cannot speak for itself…which is all the more reason that WE ‘MUST’ speak for them and do everything that is in our power to protect them.
I hope with all my heart that this post reaches as many people as possible and that it educates them and encourages them to make better choices and decisions.
Cheers!
Ankita
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Some real food for thought. Excellent post.
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Thank you very much! x
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Yes, I agree, to an extent. I’m glad you did point out how people will immediately jump on and protest something that is blatant animal abuse, then continue to buy products that have been tested on animals. It’s a double standard a lot of people will overlook out of laziness!
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