Cruelty Free Beauty With Jade Madden

Jade Madden is an Australian Beauty Vlogger who specializes in using ONLY cruelty free products. Jade is passionate about creating beautiful make-up, hair and incredibly creepy SFX makeup looks while using products that do no harm our beautiful animals. She wants to educate people so they know they don't need to use popular brands like Mac (who test on animals) to create amazing looks. Jade believes that cruelty free is where it's at and it never effects the quality of a finished look. Throughout it all Jade is always smiling and is here to encourage and inspire.

Jade thank-you so much for doing an interview with me. I know readers will love the opportunity to learn about cruelty free beauty. I have been watching your YouTube videos for a little over a year now and I am very inspired. You have an amazing YouTube channel. How did it all begin?

Thank you very much! I guess it all started when I was hairdressing and needed to "look the part". I really didn’t know anything about makeup so I turned to YouTube and watched my first ever makeup tutorial. I was instantly hooked & knew that I wanted to create content of my own. The cruelty free journey happened a year or so after I started YouTube. I was working with Maybelline as a beauty blogger at the time. I watched a documentary called "Earthlings" (I highly recommend it by the way- make sure you have lots of tissues handy) and it changed my life! From that point on I could no longer justify supporting companies that harm animals. I quit my Maybelline blogger job that day and never looked back.

You are very passionate about living a cruelty-free lifestyle, what does that look like to you?

I sure am! I just make conscious choices. I always think before I purchase. It can be hard sometimes as where I live is remote and cruelty free options are difficult to get, but I always find a way. I make sure that all my beauty products, hair, skincare, household & clothing choices are always free from cruelty!

Why is it so important to buy cruelty-free products?

Because you are not contributing to animal suffering and pain. People can be misguided into thinking that animals are stupid, or they do no feel as we do, or that their lives mean less. But it's so not the case! All animals can feel pain and suffering and fear etc. Animals are 100% at our mercy and what we are doing to them in appalling. Choosing the cruelty free option shows that there is a demand for these products. If we all purchase cruelty free products & boycott products that torture animals there will be a spike in the market and more companies will then decide to make their products cruelty free.

If someone wanted to start changing over to a more cruelty-free lifestyle, what steps could they take?

Firstly I recommend researching. If you understand more the "why" (why you want to go cruelty free, what really happens to the animals) then the "how" (how to make the transition) becomes a lot easier. You really understand the importance of it and it's harder to be swayed back into your old ways. Watch as many documentaries and read as many blogs as you can. As I mentioned above "Earthlings" is great and Logical Harmony & Cruelty Free Kitty are fantastic sites. Look into the long list of brands that do and don’t test on animals so next time your out shopping you have a good idea of brands to steer clear from. ALSO be very careful of makeup counters and asking the staff if their products are cruelty free. 99% off the staff that work at makeup counters do not know about the "China" law (all products sold in china legally have to be tested on animals and therefore are NOT cruelty free) and will tell you their products are cruelty free when they are not. Lastly if you make a mistake or you accidentally purchase something that isn't cruelty free, don’t beat yourself up, it's all a learning curve.

I often hear you speak about positive body image. How can woman learn to love themselves more?

That is a hard one for so many people but I think it's important to look at self love like a muscle......weird I know, but it's true. Self love takes time, just like building a muscle. It's not going to happen over night, but it will happen! I'm a big believer in giving yourself a new compliment every single day. At first you may feel silly and you may not believe your compliment but over time you start believing it, you start feeling it & you start living it. Every single person on this planet is beautiful and unique (unique being the key word.) We are all one of a kind and we are all amazing!

What does good health mean to you?

To me it means balance. We can get caught up in our physical health so much (as it's what we see) but we can forget about our mental health. I find trying to get a good balance between work, play, fun & physical exercise it the best thing. It can be difficult but once you get into a rhythm it becomes like second nature. I love working out as I find it's not only good for my fitness but good for my mind too. It’s a great way to de-stress after a long day and its one of the best and strongest antidepressants out there. It's also important to listen to your body. If I'm not in a gym mood, then I have a day off and recuperate. It's important not to be too hard on yourself if you need a break.

You have created a very successful YouTube channel. What advice could you give to someone who is looking to start their own channel?

Thank you. I would say persistence, passion & personality is key. At first everyone's content is a little basic but over time the quality of your content will improve when you work out the kinks and find what works for you. The thing that will set you a part is your personality. Let it shine! Always be yourself and if others don't like it, that’s their problem not yours. If you love creating the content, that will show though your videos. When it comes to persistence, never give up! Some channels grow faster than other but don’t get discouraged. Keep it up if its your passion!

It must be frustrating when big companies still test products on animals. How do you stay happy and positive through it all?

It can be very frustrating, especially when I see friends or family still using products that are tested on animals. It comes back to research, so many people just don’t want to or cant be bothered finding out more about their products...ignorance is bliss as they say. But yes it can be hard. I always think of this quote by Ghandi in these instances "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, and then you win." I know at the end of the day what I'm doing is right. Not only for the animals, but for the planet and for my peace of mind too. In the end the world will be cruelty free one day, we just have to battle through it till we make it!

What is your favourite product right now?

I would have to say the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. Which I know has been around for a long time and I know its crazy expensive. I recently tried it for the first time and instantly fell In love. It's like airbrushing magic in a powder form. It's amazing!

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Only that one person can change the world. You might think that one person can't make much difference.....not the case! We are powerful! One person going cruelty free can lead to more education, more knowledge and eventually more people making the switch. It creates a domino effect.You are powerful & you can make a meaningful difference in this world!

Did you like this interview? What was your biggest takeaway? Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time, Shalee xx