Empowering Beauty: Our Unwavering Commitment to Cruelty-Free Cosmetics

At Honeybee Gardens, we believe that beauty should never come at the expense of our furry friends. Our 29 year journey in the cosmetics industry has been guided by a steadfast commitment to cruelty-free practices, ensuring that every product you love reflects our dedication to the well-being of animals.

Certified Cruelty-Free: Beyond Words, Actions Speak Louder

We’re not just saying it; we’ve got the certifications to prove it. Honeybee Gardens proudly holds certifications from both PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and Leaping Bunny, assuring you that our products are entirely cruelty-free. This means that from the conception of an idea to the final product in your hands, no animals were harmed or involved in testing.

Ingredients That Uphold Ethical Standards

Our commitment extends beyond the finished product. We meticulously source our ingredients to ensure they meet the highest ethical standards. Every component of our cosmetics is chosen with care, guaranteeing that no animal testing was conducted on any ingredient. It’s about making conscious choices, and we’re proud to provide you with beauty products that align with your values.

Giving Back to Our Furry Friends

Being cruelty-free isn’t just a label for us; it’s a way of life. We’ve established a fund that contributes to animal welfare causes every month. Your choice to support Honeybee Gardens directly contributes to these initiatives, allowing us to make a positive impact on the lives of animals in need. It’s our small way of giving back to the creatures who inspire us every day.

A Little Glass Critter: A Symbol of Our Pledge

With each retail order, we include a handblown glass critter as a token of our appreciation and a constant reminder of our commitment to cruelty-free beauty. It’s not just a trinket; it’s a symbol of our shared dedication to a world where beauty and compassion go hand in hand.

Join Us on the Journey to Ethical Beauty

At Honeybee Gardens, we invite you to embrace cruelty-free beauty without compromise. It’s not just a product; it’s a statement—one that empowers you to express your beauty while respecting the lives of our animal friends. Thank you for being part of our mission to make the world a kinder, more beautiful place—one lipstick, eyeshadow, and glass critter at a time.

Choose Honeybee Gardens, where beauty meets compassion.

Holiday 2020 Gift Guide – easy gift solutions in a not-so-easy year

Gifts for Essential Workers

Essential Workers
Our essential workers are heroes! From healthcare workers to grocery clerks, mail and delivery personnel, teachers, caregivers, etc. we thank you all.  Here are some items to help pamper and heal these glorious humans.

Totally Natural Tinted Lip Balms
Hydrogel Facial Treatment
The Ultimate Facial Serum
Crystal Infused Body Oils
Hydrating Facial Toner
Gentle Cleansing Grains

Gifts for Teens & Tweens

Teens & Tweens
Although a typically tough category we’ve got some great products any teen or tween can use.

WaterColors Nail Enamels (water-based and non-toxic in some great new colors)
Totally Natural Tinted Lip Balms (a kiss of color with a big rush of hydration)
Deodorant Powder (because sometimes kids stink)
Activated Charcoal Soap (great for helping with acne)
Aloe Vera Gel (great gentle skincare option)

Gifts for Men

Men
Shocker! Men have skin, too! Let’s remind them to keep it in tip top shape with these products.

Herbal Aftershaves (soothing and subtle)
Original Lip Balms (nourishing ingredients with a kiss of flavor just for fun)
HBG for Men Deodorant Powders (kick that aluminum deodorant to the curb)
Aloe Vera Gel (a great multi-tasker with tons of uses)

Gifts for Your Bestie

Your Bestie
Even if you haven’t been able to physically see your good pal this year, let them know you’re always thinking of them with these thoughtful gifts. They are some of our absolute favorite items!

Nude Renaissance Eye Shadow Palette (with 8 neutral, but not boring, shades her eyes will pop no matter which colors she choices. Plus, it’s refillable!)
Bellissima Mascara (the easiest way to feel put together is a swipe of our Bellissima Mascara)
Truly Natural Lipstick (shown in Heirloom which looks awesome on just about everyone. Tell her to keep this by her laptop for a quick refresh before zoom calls)
Crystal Infused Body Oils (let them zone out and chill with these luscious aromatherapy oils)

Stocking Stuffers

Stocking Stuffers
Affordable, easy options for anyone and any age!

Aloe Vera Gel (a great multi-tasker with tons of uses)
Original Lip Balms (nourishing ingredients with a kiss of flavor just for fun)
Handcrafted Artisan Soaps (who doesn’t enjoy a beautifully made bar of soap?)
Honeybee Gardens E-Gift Certificates

Looking to have some of the shopping done for you AND save some cash?  We have a whole page on our website dedicated to Gift Sets.  Check them out!

You’re Cheap, And You’re Not Pretty Enough

Sounds hurtful, doesn’t it?

If someone said this to you, it would probably make you angry.  You might think about slapping that person in the face.  I found these words hurtful and confusing.  Though they weren’t said about me personally.  They were said about my brand.

Sometimes I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle.  Since I started this company 23 years ago, it has always been my mission to create products that would help people.  My products also had to incorporate wholesome ingredients, and they needed to be affordable.  The very first product I ever created, our Herbal Aftershave, was designed to ease the irritation and discomfort associated with shaving.  From there I went on to make a 100% natural deodorant made from only four ingredients and a highly moisturizing lip balm.  These very first products are still made the same way today.

I’ll never forget many years ago when I was still making products in my kitchen and selling them out of my house, an old farmer came to buy some of our Hard Working Hands.  It was a moisturizing balm that was good for very dry skin.  He was a soft-spoken gentleman, wearing overalls and a well-worn flannel shirt.  As he pulled the crumpled five dollar bill from his pocket to pay me, he explained that he had been to the doctor for his condition, and nothing he had been prescribed seemed to help his cracked skin and dry hands.  But my balm worked.  It healed his skin and took away the discomfort, and it didn’t cost him a fortune.  He smiled and thanked me.  My heart melted.  I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life.

A few years later when we introduced our very first color cosmetic product – our lipstick – I met with a group of buyers at a well-known natural grocery chain to introduce them to Honeybee.  There must have been 20 people in that room as I nervously explained all the healthy ingredients in the product, and how we created colors so that there’s something for every age group and ethnicity.  I passed around samples, watching their reactions as they swatched the different colors and applied the product.  They loved it!  I felt euphoric!  Amongst all the excitement, someone shouted out, “how much does it sell for?”  Feeling my price was a bit too high, but knowing it had to be there because of all the advertising I was expected to do along with the store free fills, I sheepishly replied, “It’s $7.99.”  The fervor quickly died down, and the mood of the room changed.  “$7.99?  That will never work.”  Ugh, I was devastated.  I thought my price was too high.  But then I heard, “It’s too cheap.  No one will buy it.  You need to charge more.”  Charge more?  Huh?  “Yeah, you should be charging at least ten bucks for this stuff,” another buyer chimed in.  “People will see it’s only $7.99 and think it’s junk.”  “But look at the ingredients!” I defended.  “You can see my ingredients are better than the competition.”  “Doesn’t matter,” said the first buyer.  “People expect to see a certain price point in our store.  If you’re below that, the perception is your stuff isn’t as good.”

Several years have passed since that learning experience, yet I still face the same challenges today.  I hear that our products are TOO affordable.  Or that our packaging needs to look like it costs more; maybe add a nice box with some foil embossing.  Imagine being turned down because of these reasons.  Not because the products don’t work, not because they’re not healthy formulas, but because they don’t fit in with other similar brands who charge more for their products and package them differently.

I’ve been doing this long enough that I know ingredients, and I know how much they cost.  A friend recently purchased a natural product, and paid $36 for the tiny 0.2 oz jar.  The ingredients were coconut oil, castor oil, beeswax and jojoba.  I can tell you the contents of this jar literally cost pennies.  BUT the jar itself was a lovely frosted thick glass jar.   And it came in a box.  My guess is that the company had about a dollar in packaging.  So why charge $36 for this item?  I can’t answer that.  Maybe they were told that they needed to charge more to be taken seriously, and they listened.

The company who chose not to work with us because we are too affordable, carries this $36 item, along with about ten other brands just like it.  It’s what they’re known for – selling only high-end beauty products.  Of course, that’s not what they tell you in their store and on their web site.  No, they say they sell healthy, clean beauty products.  Only natural products that pass their tough definition of clean.  They mention nothing about price and affordability.  Though I have yet to see anything they carry that sells for less than $20.00.

I’m not crying sour grapes here.  Really.  I just wonder what the motivation is.  Is it money?  Is it bragging rights?  I see it on Instagram.  These people who post about having spent $150 on a particular face serum or $80 on a popular eye shadow palette.  It’s like they’re saying, “look at me, I could afford to spend the money for this item”.  But then they say nothing about the efficacy of the product.  Sure, you bought the item but does it really perform any better than something that costs less?  Maybe it makes them feel special.  And who am I to judge that?  To me, it just doesn’t make sense.

So here I am, left somewhere in the middle.  Our products are not cheap, mass-produced items spat out by a mega-corporation, nor are we the she-she froo-froo luxury products that will give you bragging rights.  We are in this no man’s land of products with really good ingredients and formulas that really work, that look pretty and are also affordable.  Maybe this will be a niche someday.  I certainly hope so.  For now, I guess I’ll just enjoy the solitude.

Facebook Has Changed Our Lives, For Better or Worse

I wanted to write a blog post this week, but a sprained wrist is making it difficult to type.  So I’m reposting an article from CNN about Facebook which turns 10 this week.

CNN, January 30, 2014 –

Ten years and 1.2 billion users into its existence, there’s no question that Facebook has changed our lives.

Whether it was an inspired vision, deft execution, a bit of dumb luck or a combination of all three, Mark Zuckerberg’s social juggernaut has ingrained itself into the daily lives of digital-age users in a way that forebears like MySpace and contemporaries like Twitter could only imagine.
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Lemon Water Really is THAT Good

I know I talked about this last year, but I’ve been doing the lemon water thing for several months now and I can honestly say I see benefits. I find that it aids in digestion, wakes me up in the morning and somehow encourages me to make healthier choices throughout my day. The proven health benefits are numerous. This is an article by Jim Dillan for Healthy Ambition which spells it all out.

The Many Health Benefits of Lemon Water 11/13/2013

Lemon water is a simple and surprisingly healthy internal cleanser to start your day with. I certainly noticed a difference myself when I first started having the juice of a whole lemon in water first thing in the morning. I really like the way the sharp taste wakes you up and gets you going.

Some resources say that it’s good to have it in warm or even hot water. I suppose in this way you could use it as a healthier replacement for your morning coffee, but I personally prefer it in room temperature filtered water.
Continue reading “Lemon Water Really is THAT Good”