Have you ever given thought to how lipstick and lip gloss is made? I know I haven’t. Did you know that the vast majority of these products contain beeswax and carmine? And do you know how these products are collected? Beeswax, obviously, is harvested from bees. And anytime you are using an animal by-product in large quantities, the likelihood that the creatures who are providing these products are being treated kindly lessens.

And as for carmine…do you know what it is? It’s crushed beetle scales. Totally serious. And it is in LOTS of makeup. Woah.

Today I’m highlighting a company called Monave. their products are micro-formulated in Baltimore, and the company is woman-owned and operated. You won’t find any carmine in these products, but you will find a large selection of vegan makeup as well as gluten-free makeup (you’d be surprised by all the places you’ll find wheat products when you start looking!).

I had the opportunity to try out the Lip Glaze and found it to be quite beautiful. It was smooth, and not sticky. While it didn’t last very long, I’ve never encountered a lip glaze that does, and it certainly didn’t wear off any faster than other products I have used in the past. The color was sheer, but still noticeable. I quite liked it!

If you are becoming more and more concerned about the chemicals that you are putting on your face or the welfare of the creatures whose by-products might be used for your makeup, then Monave is a company worth checking out. Most of their products are vegan, most of them can be gluten-free upon request, and all of their products are free of irritants, dyes and preservatives.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win 2 lip glazes from Monave! Woo hoo! The contest will run until May 9th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me your two favorite lip glaze colors, and choose wisely, as the winner will get what she puts down for this entry!

My answer: Divine and Ruby Slippers!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Monave Minerals on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.