Bibelot » Ethical

Feb 15

by bibelotm_wp in Ethical, Food, Lists 0 comments tags: Best Places to eat, London, Restaurants, Vegan, vegetarian

Bibelot’s Favourite Places to Eat Vegan

It’s meat-free Monday! Giving up meat for just one day a week has a profoundly positive affect on our planet, and our health. Limp lettuce and tasteless tofu are thankfully a thing of the past! And for those of you who choose to eat ethically as a way of life, or are trying to reduce the meat intake in your diet, it’s never been easier. It’s also never been easier to enjoy a meal out, with new vegetarian and vegan restaurants popping up all over the place, and other restaurants adding meat-free options to their menus. Here’s a list of some of our favourite places to grab a delicious plate of vegan food in London. Dig in! Mildred’s Originally just based in soho, Mildred’s have recently opened another restaurant in Camden, and now you can book in advance. The menu has a diverse selection of delectable vegetarian and vegan dishes, with a good mixture of both healthy and naughty (heavenly chocolate cake, we’re looking at you) to satisfy whichever mood you’re in. Manna One of London’s oldest vegetarian restaurants, Manna offers a brilliantly varied, and mouth-watering choice of (entirely vegan) food. Tucked away in leafy green Primrose Hill, […]

Nov 30

by bibelotm_wp in Ethical, Guests 0 comments tags: Christmas, Cruelty Free, Gift Guide, Vegan

Cruelty Free Christmas Gift Guide

This year I wanted to put together my very own ‘Christmas Gift Guide’ to help you along your way with that all important impending task of Christmas gift buying. I’ve selected some of my favourite vegan and cruelty free products available right now which I’m sure you will love! Maybe you have a vegan or vegetarian in your life who you’re worried about buying for? If so then this guide will hopefully point you in the right direction and ensure some big smiles on Christmas morning. This post might also give you some ideas about what to put on your own Christmas lists too. I don’t know about you but I always struggle when people ask me what I want for Christmas so I am looking forward to reading other gift guides for ideas too. Whether you have been good or bad this year the most important thing to remember is to shop more ethically for those around you and encourage others to do the same. Gift buying and Christmas shopping is a great way of introducing new products and brands into other peoples lives and I for one plan to shop completely cruelty free this year. […]

Nov 09

by bibelotm_wp in Ethical, Fashion, Guests 0 comments

Fashion Month’s Ethical Designers

From high end to high street Fashion Month consists of four weeks of catwalk shows hosted in the ‘big four’ cities. Taking place twice each year in February and September, the month starts in New York, before moving to London, Milan and finishing in Paris. Women’s ready-to-wear shows gain lots of media coverage, making them the main event in the fashion calendar. But smaller fashion weeks happen in cities all over the world, all the time. While only women’s wear is shown during Fashion Month, leading designers show menswear, cruise, resort, bridal and haute couture collections outside of the four weeks. The fashion world throws its doors open to exhibit and entertain during the month. The main cities host hundreds of catwalk shows, parties and events in a schedule full to the brim. What is it all for? Catwalk shows introduce looks from leading designers, which are then translated into trends and available to the general public in stores around six months later. It’s a trickle down effect where higher and lower end brands alike take inspiration from the shows to create their own ‘consumer-friendly’ versions. This has been the structure of fashion for at least the last ten years. […]

Oct 26

by bibelotm_wp in Craft, Ethical, Interview, Treat Yourself 0 comments

Bahari Blossom – Interview

Sandhya Sharma is the creative mastermind behind ethical bath and beauty brand Bahari Blossom. All of her pieces are handcrafted with natural organic ingredients and full of moisturising oils, butters and exotic fragrances, offering a truly indulgent treat at every bath time. We caught up with her to discover how her adventures to the most beautiful places on earth, and a passion for nature, have served as inspiration. 1. How did Bahari Blossom come about? Having suffered from eczema and sensitive skin since childhood, I was disappointed with the limited products that were available. So I decided to learn how to create products that were not just plain and unscented but pretty and fun to use, and suitable for people with sensitive skin. The first thing I learnt how to make was soap and that was it – the journey began from there! 2. There are lots of things we fancy in your Etsy shop – what’s your best-selling piece? Thank you! My best selling item is the Custom Made Bath Time Treat Box in which you can choose from any 6 of my Bath Bombs, Bath Melts or Bath Truffles to make your own personalised gift of luxurious Bath time treats. […]

Aug 28

by bibelotm_wp in Ethical, Guests, Shop 0 comments

Welcome to the ASOS Green Room

During December 2014, Asos.com received 98 million visits in one month. With visits set to increase for this December, it is safe to say Asos.com is a global go-to desitination for online shoppers. Asos houses a vast selection of established and emerging fashion, footwear, accessories and beauty brands, as well as their own clothing and accessories lines. The buying and design teams at Asos tend to pick up on emerging trends before they appear on the high street. This equates to a well-curated, yet diverse first pick of fashionable pieces, all in one place and delivered to the door – a winning formula. However Asos is not all trend-led fast fashion. Did you know that Asos also partners with ethical brands? Not only in its ‘Marketplace’ where many smaller emerging boutiques use this hosted platform to sell vintage, secondhand and handmade items to a wide audience – but in a ‘green room’ edit on the main website. Simply go to the top left and hover over the ‘Women’ section, and just underneath ‘A to Z of Brands’ you will find ‘eco brands’. Click. Now browse the green room edit. Not only do conscious fashion accessories and garments live here, […]

Aug 26

by bibelotm_wp in Ethical, Reviews, Shop 0 comments

INDISKA – A Far East Goldmine in Sweden

INDISKA is an ethical Swedish clothing and homeware chain. Founded originally as a little boutique in Stockholm showcasing patterned fabrics, leopard skins, precious weapons and idols in 1901 by the well travelled Matilda Hamilton. Back then, all the profits went to schools in India. Eventually she started selling imported handicraft, textile and spices. In 1951, she sold the company to Åke Thambert who transformed it into the successful chain that it is today. His granddaughter Sofie Gunolf is the deputy manager and the company is run by his family with about 700 employees. The name is the plural form of the Swedish adjective for ‘Indian’. Today, INDISKA have 93 shops in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland as well as an online shop catering to the European market. They also have three Indian restaurants located in Stockholm called Hurry Curry. In their design, they want to convey their passion for India and the country’s crafts, colours and materials. Indian and Far East influences marry with Scandinavian design. They have an impeccable eye for detail. Their unique style exudes colours, patterns and energy. They want to give the customers the possibility to look like they feel on the inside and […]

Jul 15

by bibelotm_wp in Ethical, Food, Positivity 0 comments

How To Shop For Food Ethically

Every time you’re spending money on something, you’re making a vote. If you favour organic produce you’re voting for environmental sustainability. Maybe you buy fair trade and by doing so you’re voting for human rights. Do your research about the businesses whose products you buy and withdraw your support from the ones whose ethos you don’t agree with. Every little purchase counts, so here are some words to look out for to be an ethical food consumer. Fair trade Fair trade aims to provide better working conditions and fair prices for farmers and farm workers. The most common products are bananas, coffee, tea, chocolate, cotton and sugar. Organic Organic is supposed to mean that the produce has been grown naturally without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilisers. Sadly, there are loopholes when it comes to labelling produce as organic. A lot of organic nurseries can use chemical pesticides and still be called organic. Vegetables grown in vermiculite rather than soil can’t be labelled as organic even if no chemical pesticides are used to grow them. If you want to buy pesticide free, make sure that pesticide free is specified on the produce. Organic doesn’t necessarily mean free […]

May 29

by bibelotm_wp in Ethical, Positivity 0 comments

21 Plants That Help Save Bees

Spring has sprung, and it’s the perfect time to think about what we can plant to help save our bees. Bee colonies are dramatically disappearing, in fact some bumblebee species in the UK have become extinct already. Over the past 50 years, we’ve lost 50%! Bees are essential in pollinating the crops that form our food, and also the wild plants that grow across the country and provide food for much of our wildlife. Without our busy little pollinators, life as we know it would be drastically altered. Let’s work together to stop what will be a catastrophic natural disaster by doing as much we can to help these beautiful creatures numbers increase. Putting up bee hives and houses, buying and growing organic and pesticide free food, and planting the right plants are all positive things we can do, and encourage others to do the same! We love this illustration by Hannah Rosengren which shows 21 plants we can grow to help save bees, if you don’t have a garden, try planting on windowsills. Spread the message with Hannah’s screen printed eco-friendly tote bag! Available to purchase here. Tip: If you ever see a bee lying on the ground, […]

May 27

by bibelotm_wp in Beauty, Ethical, Make, Treat Yourself 0 comments

Coconut and Sugar Scrub Recipe

If you’ve ever bought exfoliating beauty products from shops that promise to give you glowing blemish-free skin for the Summer, the likelihood is they contain microbeads. These beads are made of plastic, and hundreds of thousands of them can be found in one bottle of face or body scrub alone. They are then washed down bathroom drains, and back into the ecosystem, through our oceans, and are eaten by fish and other marine life. Tens of millions of microbeads are now working their way back up the food chain, causing a very serious environmental disaster. Thankfully, people are now becoming aware of the damage certain brands are causing by including microbeads in their products to make their products cost effective, and new laws are being put in place to stop further plastic pollution. We believe homemade is always best, and this simple, natural, and luxurious recipe will cost a fraction of the price, and is environmentally sound. Coconut oil is an excellent source of goodness for skin because it’s full of Vitamin E, keeps skin hydrated and has anti ageing and antibacterial properties. Sugar is gentler on skin than salt, and works as a fantastic exfoliator. Ingredients: 2 cups […]

Mar 04

by bibelotm_wp in Beauty, Ethical, Lists 0 comments

Bibelot’s favourite cruelty free beauty brands

Most of us would prefer to buy cruelty free beauty products, but sometimes people just don’t have time to research every brand before buying. The problem is, due to a loophole in the law, some brands can call themselves “cruelty-free” if they don’t test their finished products on animals, but can still buy ingredients from suppliers who conduct animal testing. Some cruelty free brands are owned by bigger brands who test on animals. There are mixed feelings on this; Some people prefer to boycott these brands completely, some people believe that it sets a good example to parent companies, encouraging them to believe cruelty free is the right way to go. We have shared our favourites in this cruelty free list. We do recommend doing some of your own research too, because there are many more out there you might not know about! ♥ Vegan ♦ Subsidiary of a parent company that does not comply Barry M (Some products are not vegan, but all are vegetarian) Crabtree & Evelyn (Some products contain animal products) Gosh Cosmetics (Some products are not vegan, but all are vegetarian) The Body Shop ♦ (owned by Loreal, who is not cruelty free) Beauty Without […]