Not long ago did veganism come to light for most people and upon its introduction it was mostly taken with a grain of salt and a somewhat ‘animals are friends’ attitude. Yet truth be told nowadays- the once picturesque imagery of conscious eaters running in fields with smiling animals is no more- instead an almost volatile group of angry social activists has taken its place, and despite the well meaning intentions it can arguably be said that many may be doing less for their cause and more for their intent. From PETA berating the legacy of Steve Irwin to protesting innocent farmers with picket signs of murder claims, the vegan community in this current moment does not have the greatest reputation- even amongst themselves things seemingly do not appear as wholesome as one would expect.

Almost monthly- there seems to be a new influencer creating a blog post or online video announcing that they are no longer vegan and in most cases typically follow the claim that the health benefits of their former lifestyle no longer align with the content they had been broadcasting. As soon as these sorts of announcements are made public- reaction videos from current vegans containing disarming insults that read along the lines of “you can no longer sit with us, you were never really one of us” are almost guaranteed. Unfortunately like most issues, it always seems to be the outspoken few that are heard and suddenly become the representatives of a the entire group. Yet in amongst the chaos that is vegan culture these days – there are still a few that stand tall in their beliefs, who recognize veganism as a lifestyle rather than a healthy diet in which to capitalize on. I am not a vegan and am that type of person to instinctually choose clean carpets over pets and children but after a couple listens to the “ChickPeeps” podcast specks of curiosity came into my thinking and for a moment I was almost converted.

Left: dress shirt ELIZABETH EMANUEL • Right: embroidered netting ELIZABETH EMANUEL

Unintentionally every episode has the genuine heartbeat of curious betterment- with conversations flowing from common ground and genuine friendships you seemingly cannot help but wonder if you too could join in the conversation; never to rebut or disagree but more so to learn more and laugh along with the crew, one of which is Evanna Lynch- a woman of many titles, on a humble mission for the greater good.

When you think of Evanna you think about the characters she has played, the achievements she has accomplished in the public eye and even ponder how about her complexion but when you talk to Evanna you instead discover this is a young girl whom despite being gentle in tone and charisma is in fact a passionate woman whose core value is simply making the world a little more beautiful each day. Her veganism comes from her love of animals, her constant campaign for healthy self image come from a love within and her next steps in tackling the beauty industry comes from her love for others. When asked what she hoped the beauty and fashion industry would look like in the future she took a breath and wonderfully said “I hope it stops promoting this idea that beauty is exclusive to rich, thin, high cheek-boned people. I hope it champions authenticity and individuality more than a narrow set of genetic features” and just like that you knew you wanted a friend like her.

From one small exchange with Evanna you feel like you too should strive to make the world a better place, at least one small step at a time. In comparison however her small steps are significantly larger- I recently bought a keep cup for my daily coffee each morning and somehow have instinctually confused myself for some eco warrior fully conscious of his environmental impact. Whilst Evanna in amongst an acting career and having the spotlight schedule of a famed figure has managed not only to maintain both a level head and career but is also committed to producing her own podcast series (one that is about to enter its second season), is currently preparing for a theatre production and new to the already long list of achievements is founding a new business venture the “Kinder Beauty Box”.

The vegan lifestyle may start at the diet but gradually with a newly found awareness of how animals are being impacted by mankind, veganism extends to all facets of life- varying from being conscious of clothing choices, cautious of the effect everyday plastics has on natural habitats to even being weary of the products used on our bodies. Scarily the majority of beauty products on store shelves are animal tested and for the most part it can be presumed that the typical customer would not even be aware of the unethical practice. However no matter the gender- beauty is important and if make up helps an individuals feel a little better about themselves then justifying spending a couple dollars on any item that will achieve such results is what consumers will do. The Kinder Beauty Box on the contrary strives to serve the same purpose but the only difference is that the subscription services exclusively advocates for cruelty free products and brands. Through her journey of overcoming mental health issues, Evanna found her solution in love, the more you love yourself or even find the little things in the everyday to love and celebrate than focus on that she says. From there comes her philosophy- why hurt animals, fellow living beings when you do not have too.

Left: top HARRIS REED • Right: black velvet & net top HARRIS REED

Despite the term sounding like a new age movement, vegan beauty is simply the notion that products used in beauty or skin care routines are cruelty free and ethical produced. The Kinder Beauty Box is an initiative to not only help create an awareness that there are alternatives out there but also help educate people about vegan beauty step by step. “Beauty should have no intersection with exploitation of animals and yet we found that in practice it’s easier said than done to live a cruelty free life”. Caring about animals is one thing but to address an entire industry and cater to those like minded is an entirely different realm of genuine kindness. Evanna is just that- for those that only know her from her career I can imagine it not being hard to believe but once you have even just one conversation with her you realize that everything you assumed about her was right and even more. Her gentle soul and ambitious drive to make the world a better place, simply protrudes love- she is a woman this earth is fortunate to have, one frankly we need more of.

Words / QUADE AU

Left: jacket ELIZABETH EMANUEL • Right: dress shirt ELIZABETH EMANUEL

Talent / Evanna Lynch
Photography / Jason Hetherington
Styling / Daisy Toogood
Make up / Gina Kane @Caren
Hair / Davide Barbieri @Caren using Leonor Greyl
Nails / Sophie Harris-Greensade using Nails Inc

Evanna Lynch - Ethical Beauty

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