Six Luxury Vegan items for Every Woman

Note I didn’t title this post "Six Luxury items for Every Vegan Woman". This is because I’m on a mission to show that veganism can be comfortable, decadent, luxurious and is accessible to every woman -- not just those who identify as "vegan".

Veganism doesn’t have to be about sacrificing what you love! In fact, it’s about saving what you love (animals and the planet) while also enjoying all this wonderful life has to offer.

Let’s dive right in! Here are six vegan items I believe no modern woman will want to be without:

1. A high-end vegan handbag 
In another blog post, I have an in-depth discussion on the Stella McCartney brand, which is an excellent high-end cruelty-free brand that is recognized in the fashion industry alongside luxe labels like Chloe, Dior and Fendi. I won’t go into detail on that here, because I discuss some of the highlights of the McCartney fashion house in that blog post.

Today I’m highlighting the refreshing and young Matt & Nat brand. Many asssume the name stands for two people, Matt and Nat. In fact, the name is derived from the words "material" and "nature".

The brand is a PETA-approved fashion label with a focus towards simple on-trend designs and quality that is evident at first-glance. Outside of higher-end labels, Matt & Nat is arguably the leading contemporary vegan handbag designer today. As more vegan handbag designers emerge, Matt & Nat is bound to cement itself even more as one of the foundational brands in vegan luxury and designer goods, as they’ve been on the scene since essentially the inception of vegan luxury.

The reason I recommend this brand as a staple every woman needs is the simplicity of their design and the broad fit of their pieces. Very universally appealing, the designs go from day to night and from teens to 80’s -- matching with any age. They will be a timeless addition to your collection.

2. An excellent vegan concealer 
If you’ve been vegan for a while, you’re a woman, and you wear makeup, you know that you can get anything from mascara to foundation to lip-stain in a luxury, vegan, cruelty-free formula. I’m starting by recommending concealer because let’s face it, you can’t do anything else with your face until you’ve concealed blemishes and prepared your canvas.

My number one concealer brand is Tarte Shape Tape concealer, which has been around for years. I moisturize, prime, use this and set it with a translucent setting powder -- unless I’m concealing a scar or blemish, no other foundation is needed. And it comes in 30 shades!

Of course, tossing your old makeup all at once and replacing it isn’t doable for most. But as it comes time to replace each item in your makeup bag, consider abandoning any of your favorite brands that participate in cruelty oriented practices. You can read more about great makeup brands that are cruelty-free, and check your favorite brands at crueltyfreekitty.com

3. Premium vegan makeup brushes
I recommend Kat Von D makeup brushes because they last literally forever. I have bought one set and still have them many years later. Before Kat Von D, I had religiously been using the less-expensive but equally appealing Eco-tools brushes, after my mom gave me some in my Christmas stocking one year. They’re an all-time favorite and I still continue to use them with my Kat Von D brushes for a well-rounded collection.

4. Cruelty-free coffee
As a mom of a newborn and a 2.5-year-old, a wife and a full-time high tech executive, I’m saying, "..it’s on you today, coffee" more often than not! 

But you need a go-to coffee bean that is (hopefully organic) cruelty-free - and for coffee, that means not just the animals that might have been harmed in the production of the coffee, but the people. It needs to be fair-trade in order for it to be compassionate and vegan.

My favorite current brand, which I use in my Gaggia espresso machine (that I won at a charity raffle in 2018 and love, love love), is Cafe Don Pablo Subtle Earth Organic Gourmet Coffee.

My husband is less of a coffee snob than I am. He likes the flavored, sweet kinds of coffee - like the kind a teenager might like. Such a sweet man, even his coffee is sweet? Well maybe, but that's for another post. He likes this stuff, Bones Coffee Company Cookies and Dreams Coffee, which I usually keep on hand.

5. A go-to vegan wine
What drink do you order when out, if you're vegan? Do you skip thinking about this, since most alcohol is probably vegan? Nope, it's actually most likely not vegan. Wine and beer is most likely to not be vegan because it's often either filtered with parts of an animal (usually fish parts or sheep udders), or because it has caesin or whey (dairy-derived proteins) added to it for taste and mouth-feel. You know that Chardonnay that's described as "buttery" on the label? Yes, it may actually have butter in it. Gross.

A lot of high quality, delicious options are truly vegan, and exist at every price point. I'll do another post later this year on the top vegan wines to have on-hand for every occasion, and where to buy them. It's a whole separate topic that needs it's own post to do it justice.

For now, I will leave you with two ideas: For a mid-range wine you'd feel good about taking as a host or hostess gift or bringing to Thanksgiving, I recommend Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot. Being from the Pacific Northwest, I am partial to this label - my husband and I will be visiting their winery as part of our wedding anniversary trip in September 2019, and I will report back!

Secondly, download the app Barnivore! It will tell you quickly, while you are out if the beverage you are considering is vegan.


6. An airline that considers the animals
The travel process is hard enough without having to worry that your only food options en-route will be animal based. Most disappointingly, the leading airlines to offer vegan and vegetarian food are not US-based. Which means, not accessible to my starting point, since I am often flying out of the Seattle or Portland areas.

However, in the United States, the leading domestic airline to offer vegan choices is United Airlines. Consider United next time you fly, and be assured there will be vegan choices on board. Read more about other airline options here, in Matador Network's post from February 2019.

And that's it for today, everyone! I hope you enjoyed these six items that make life as a compassionate human that much better, and that you're richer for the experience of reading this post! Let me know what you think of these tips in the comments below, or via direct message.