Showing posts with label Sustainability. Show all posts

Project Pan: Helping the Environment & My Wallet


Without realizing I started a little project pan when it comes to my beauty stash. I have way too many things and I feel super excited to get new ones to try. Around summertime, I made the decision to only buy a product when another one of the same categories was over. For example, I would only buy a new concealer or foundation when I ran out of the one I was currently using. 

This all started the moment I decided I wanted to share my empty products with my audience, in order to give them a more complete review of the products that were part of my stash and also to update you on the things I share both here and on Instagram. I decided to start collecting all the products I was using up in a bag and once I had 10 different products I would do a series of little reviews on Insta Stories. 
The response was absolutely amazing. I got DM's talking about how helpful and interesting this series was, how cool it was to see my opinion after using a full bottle of a product and how it made me much more reliable when it came to my reviews, you could see that I really did use things up and that I wasn't just buying them for the sake of showing them on the blog (something that I have been guilty of doing in the past).

Project Pan became a full-on mission. I wanted to empty as many products as I possibly could so that I had some cool stuff to share with you. I started wearing the same makeup products on a daily bases (lipstick included, shooking, I know), the same skincare and hair care products. I stopped buying beauty stuff because of a sale and I started being really conscious about the things I allowed into my life.


For example, I've been wanting to get a new concealer for a while, either the Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer (one I've used in the past and truly love) or the Too Faced Born This Way Super Coverage Concealer (one that has been on my wishlist of the longest time), however, during the H&M beauty sale I got their Concealer Stick and now I am refusing to buy one I truly want until I finish the H&M one, (even though  I am really enjoying this one as well). I know I saved myself some great money while doing this because I don't buy makeup impulsively as often anymore. I still enjoy to get a few new things to try out once in a while, but I don't go crazy. I make a wishlist, if I have some extra cash I don't waste it in another lipstick that is a variation of a nude (like all the other ones I own) or in another eyeshadow pallet with which I will create a look and never use it again. 

Consequently, I became more and more aware of how wasteful the beauty industry actually is. I mean, look at your shower, if you have the most simple routine using only shampoo and shower gel you have two plastic bottles that you buy at least every two months. I personally, don't know anyone who uses only two products on their daily routines. I use shampoo, conditioner, a hair mask, shower gel, shaving cream, razors, toothbrush, toothpaste, body moisturizer, body scrub, face wash, face scrub, etc. If all those products come in a plastic container and I am buying some of them every two months, if not more often, the amount of plastic that it is going to waste is immense.


I am not saying I should reduce the number of steps I do, my routine is a form of self-care, it makes me feel relaxed and good about myself and I don't want to simplify it to the point it doesn't feel that way anymore. However, tracking my beauty trash in my empties really allowed me to see what products I go trough faster, which ones I buy the most and which ones I could find more sustainable alternatives too. I currently use a bar of soap instead of shower gel, a bar of shampoo instead of a bottle of shampoo and a bamboo toothbrush. These were the first changes I made, but there are a lot of things I still want to improve when it comes to my beauty waste, I want to have a routine that feels sustainable, that includes getting rid of plastic, buying less, making smarter choices, investing in bigger bottles of products, and so on. 


I am happy with the way I am dealing with my beauty waste, how I am decluttering my collection, how I am consuming less and using things up, even if are things that have been around the house untouched for months. It helped me shop my stash and falling in love with beauty again. Also, it made beauty shopping something way more enjoyable because now, I don't do it as often and on the occasions that I do I invest in things that I love with all my heart, things I have been meaning to get for months and that bring joy to me every time I wear them. 

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Why Consumerism Makes Fast Fashion Dangerous

I recently bought to pairs of Levis and with that came a revision of my shopping habits. I stopped buying beauty on impulse a long time ago and it sure helped to improve my makeup collection. I only buy things after doing research, things I know I will like and I stopped snooping around for Drugstore Makeup all the damn time. However, with a shopping centre a 10 minutes drive away from my house it becomes hard to resist the urge of shopping fast fashion all the damn time.

 I like to be on-trend, like most people my age. I follow many influencers and I want to own the same clothes that they do because I love their style. Most times, and because I can't afford to buy from expensive brands, I turn to fast fashion like most of us do. Even though we all know the industry is terrible and that we all probably own too many clothes we feel the urge to buy, it's cheap and it's accessible. I am not writing this post to go on a quest against fast fashion, this post is about consumerism, the way we shop and my thoughts on where to invest.


I do buy from Primark, Zara, H&M and many other brands I am not baning them from my life, but I am, more than ever, being conscious about what I am buying. I only buy pieces that I know will suit my wardrobe. Pieces I know that fit my style and that fit into each other, that allows me to create different looks. This way I am not buying things for the sake of buying. It requires thought and ponderation. Most of the time if I like a piece I see on a store I go home and reflect about it, I ask myself Would it fit with what I already own? Does it suit my style? Does it suit me? If the answer to these questions is YES I go back to the store and I get it, if the answer is no, most often than not I forget about it. This way I am controlling the urge to shop and I am saving money.


I also never buy clothes without trying them on. Sometimes we like a piece on Instagram, or on someone else but I feel the need to trying things on myself to see if they look good, if the pieces are comfortable and if I feel good while wearing them. This is something I find crucial, most times when things are bought without being tried on first they end up in a rack at the end of the closet with the tags on, or they end up being returned. I don't like wasting my money or my time and for that reason, I never buy without trying an item on.


But, let's circle back into the Levis I got. I had made the decision quite a while ago that I wanted to start being more conscious about what I was buying. I have fast-fashion pieces that I've owned for 5 years or more and are still in perfect shape (maybe due to the way I treat them), but that was never the case with jeans. Jeans have always been a hard piece of clothing to buy. I am 1,78m (5'10 I guess), so automatically all the skinny jeans are short on me. Then I have an hourglass figure (even though I hate to label body types), but, in fact, my waist is quite small, especially when compared to my butt, which made the idea of not wearing a belt almost impossible.
And then I do realize how poorly made fast fashion jeans are. They rip easily, they stretch where you don't want them too and they lose colour with washing. For those reasons I almost stopped wearing jeans, at least I stopped buying them.


However we are talking about a piece that you can easily create looks around, a wardrobe essential. That was the reason why I decided to invest in two pairs that weren't from a Fast Fashion brand, pairs that I know will last me a lifetime if I take good care of them. Jeans that fit me perfectly everywhere, that won't show too much of my ankles or need a belt, jeans that just fit.
I did get them in an outlet, with outlet pricing, but we are talking about a piece that is meant to last you a lifetime, who cares if it's last seasons collection or not? Anyways, this might have been the first step I took into having a more conscious friendly closet, but every step counts. I truly believe that if you want to start a journey similar to mine you need to access what pieces do you own, the ones you wear the most and then pick pieces that make sens investing in. For me it was jeans, but it could be a leather jacket, a plain white tee or a pair of shoes. If you can't afford to buy for anything that isn't Fast Fashion just be more aware of what you are buying, and always aim for timeless pieces instead of trendy ones.


Location: Loulé, Algarve, Portugal
Photography: João Machado

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An Honest Chat About Sustainability


Sustainability is the hot topic of the moment, and I'm glad it is. After all, we only have one planet, the fact that leading an eco-friendly lifestyle became trendy is a good thing. It means that more people are willing to try and make changes to the way they are living, yet it can also mean that the subject will stop being a topic once it stops being trendy. 
I, like most of us, am guilty of falling into the trend, and consequently start becoming more aware of what I buy, what I use and what am I consuming in general.

Today I thought I could share with you my thoughts and opinions on this topic. I realize that my opinion may be a little bit controversial, but I think it's time I share my thoughts in here. 
A Portuguese Zero Waste Instagrammer that I follow, named Catarina Barreiros, shared a quote the other day that ran along the lines of "We don't need a hand full of people doing zero waste perfectly, we need millions doing it imperfectly." and if I had to use a quote to summarize my point of view on the matter this would be it. I don't do as much as I could and I am aware of it. I use a lot of plastic, I buy fast fashion and I eat meat, all things that can be condemned by more extremist environmental activists (something I am not). However, I am conscious of these decisions and I have been trying to make little changes in my life so that I can lead a life that is more environmentally friendly, I must assure you that all the little steps I've done are easy and can be done by anyone who's willing to make a change. 
The real difference is made when a lot of people make little changes instead of trying to change everything about the way they live only to finding it too hard and simply giving up. 


As I said I do eat meat, but after watching Cowspiracy I've learned a lot about the dark side of the meat industry. Did you know that to produce 1 Kilo of beef it takes up to 15 000 Liters of water, to produce 1 Kilo of pork up to 6 000 Liters? Not to talk about the fact that the biggest cause of the hole in the ozone layer is the CO2 generated by cow farts (it's all on the documentary if you don't believe me). 
After having this knowledge I simply couldn't keep eating meat more than 10 times a week. I then and there made the conscious decision of eating one vegetarian meal every day, leaving animal protein to be eaten for the other. I truly believe that if everyone did this, the mass production of meat would be an easy fix problem. I do love vegetables which is a big help, but I've had to try new things in the kitchen and try my best to keep this habit going. I didn't feel much of a difference in my routine but at the end of the day, I know I am making a difference. 
Another thing I truly believe in. Is that the fast fashion industry (which includes basically everything I've ever got) is a needed industry. It allows a lot of people to be able to dress because most of us can't afford to buy only from sustainable brands. I would love to be able to do that, but at these point in time, I absolutely can't. So I do the next best thing. I buy only pieces that I know I will have a lot of wear out of. For example, the top I am wearing cost 3€ for Lefties 2 Summers ago and it's still going strong. I've had the denim shorts from Pull and Bear for over 5 Years and they are still my favourite piece of denim shorts. I have certain pieces that I've had for years and years and that I always find myself going back too. I try to repair the pieces when they need repairing and when I am done with them they are normally to worn out to go anywhere but the trash can. If not, I always had the habit to pass it on, either to my mum, some friends or to some charity that collects clothes. This way I know I am doing my part making the fast fashion industry a little bit slower. 


Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room. A little friend we have named PLASTIC. Recently plastic has almost become a forbidden word, a word that carries a lot of baggage within itself. If we talk plastic, we talk about ocean pollution, fish genocide, the end of drinkable water. However, and even though most of us are aware of its dangers, plastic has become an indispensable part of our routine. It's in our food, in our shower, in our makeup bag, in our closet, it's basically anywhere if we care to look.  
I've been making an effort to reduce my usage of plastic by making little unnoticeable changes. So far I've replaced my toothbrush for a bamboo one, I've stopped using shower gel and started using soap bars instead, I always carry a metal straw in my bag so that I am not using the disposable ones. 
When it comes to the supermarket I try to carry a tote bag with me in which I can carry my groceries, I never use the little plastic bags they have available for fruits and vegetables. 
Another thing I  try to do is to buy locally. I get most of my fruits and vegetables from a local grocery store I know the owner and he knows me, it's less expensive, I know the products are great and it feels really nice to support a local small business.

These are a few of the changes that I've made so far. I know they seem small, but a lot of small actions make a big difference. I hope to keep educating myself on this matter, and I hope to keep doing what I can to preserve our beautiful planet, so that places like the one this post was shoot at don't become a memory, but a reality, places I will be able to take my kids to one day and that they will take their kids too as well. 


Photography: Alexandre Serôdio 
Location: Loulé, Algarve, Portugal 
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