Hey!
I’m so glad you’re here! Welcome to my cruelty free and vegan Beauty Blog.
I’m Nichola, a UK based vegan and cruelty free beauty blogger, who started her career as a makeup artist. I have had such a colourful career in the makeup business and looking back, I’ve had so much fun!
Besides blusher and hairspray, I am a 42 year old mum of 2 who loves a good true crime documentary, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc (always a Marlborough) and the darkest chocolate available. I live in a cottage in the Essex countryside that we are currently renovating, with my husband, kids and 2 kitties, Tommy & Rory (named after golfers – my husband is golf mad!). Life is pretty good.
My Career
I’ve not always been a vegan and cruelty free beauty blogger. I actually started out wanting to be an actress. However after 3 years of studying I realised I HATED auditioning, which is kind of key to getting any actual acting jobs π. So, I took a year out, left Essex and set off to Cyprus to sing and dance in hotel shows (which was a blast!). When I returned I spent some time researching a career that wasn’t too far from arts world I loved. This is when I stumbled on a Makeup Artists course at the Delamar Academy. Oh my goodness, I cannot tell you how much I feel in love with it. Everyday was super exciting for me. I would create cuts, monsters, bald heads, period characters, wigs and beards, aging makeups, glamour makeups. You name it, I did it and I did it with pure joy!
My First Job
I was super lucky to get a job straight out of makeup school and worked for a few years in TV and film, mainly creating special effects makeups (I love a crime or horror movie so I was in my element), before landing my first West End theatre job, on the show Marguerite. I do not exaggerate when I tell you I skipped to that job every single day. Theatre is a huge passion of mine, and working in the wings of a major London theatre every day was a dream come true. I’ve had an absolute blast working on West End shows Dirty Dancing, Chicago, The Young Frankenstein, Strictly Ballroom, 9to5, Waitress and many more.
I spent many years in and out of different theatre productions before landing my first wedding job. At this point, I had no intention of working in the bridal industry. But I promised to help out a friend when their makeup artist had let them down. That first wedding job was a complete eye opener. How had I not done this before?! What a special thing a wedding morning is! And I am so grateful that I got to be a part of so many. There’s nothing quite like that feeling.
Why Blogging?
I have always had a blog running alongside my makeup business, but it was never at the forefront. Then, back in 2020 I got diagnosed with Breast Cancer, smack in the middle of Covid. So I couldn’t work, even if the Covid rules allowed, but I so missed being creative. I started vlogging about my experience and got such great feedback and support from my community that I knew I’d found my next venture. My blog grew until it became my main focus and now I love nothing more than sitting down, in my little she-shed, testing out products and sharing my findings with you guys. And I kicked cancer in the butt, by the way π
Why Cruelty Free & Vegan?
I don’t see the need to use animals, for testing or as an ingredient, in any beauty product. I am obsessed with makeup and skincare, but not at the expense of another living creature. There are SO many amazing beauty products out there that are cruelty free and vegan, many that are ‘accidentally’ vegan, so it can absolutely be done. Some of the big brands are catching on but there is still a long way to go. So by making the switch myself, and showing you lot what amazing CF & vegan products are available, I’m doing my bit to getting us all a little closer to a cruelty free world. One lipstick at a time!
N x
