My love for animals was instilled at a young age. My mother doesn't know it, but she is the catalyst for everything I do and everything I've built. Growing up, if an animal somehow arrived on our property, my mother would adopt her and take her in as our own. If it was a baby she would be up at all hours of the night hand-rearing and nurturing her, just as her mother would have, until being strong enough to join the other animals.
From dogs, cats and birds to goats, chickens and our beloved donkey Sally, who we had for over 20 years, Iâve lived alongside animals my whole life and every one of them was treated as part of the family and never seen as separate from us.
As I grew up, I still had an immense love for animals but I was very naive as to how they were being treated and it saddened me to learn that they weren't receiving the unconditional love and treatment I witnessed my mother giving them. From animal testing for cosmetics to the abuse in factory farms, my whole nervous system went into shock as I learnt of their fate.Â
My life was at odds with my values and my love of animals. That's when I knew I had to make the switch to living Cruelty Free and more recently, becoming Vegan. I couldnât fathom a world where animals were exploited and treated separately or differently from us, after all they are living, breathing creatures just as we are.
Somehow we as humans have evolved into thinking we are at the top of the hierarchy - we arenât. There is no hierarchy. We are all nature.
I want to be the voice for creatures who don't have one - a voice that says, "It's ok to look beautiful and be beautiful at the same time." Through my content creation and social platforms, I educate and inspire others to make the switch to Cruelty Free products and help put an end to animal testing.
The relationship I have with cosmetics is rather like one you would have with a best friend. She empowers you, understands you, and elevates you. This new concept is more than a brand, itâs a movement. It encapsulates a level of emotion, connection, and inspiration that goes beyond the product.
I love the butterfly effect that beautiful beauty can have. When I hear I've impacted another creator or consumer to make a change, I know my work here is done yet also beautifully unfinished.
I don't intend to start a revolution, but I do intend to start a revelation within each woman. A notion that says she is empowered to make decisions that feel good holistically.
Love Marisa x
