I haven’t caked on a face in a while, but whenever I do, I only use a few specific products. I have sensitive skin and therefore need to be careful of the ingredients I put on my face. When I became invested in skincare I realized how important it is to have clean and cruelty-free makeup products as well if I was committed to changing my skin. Animal byproduct is used in more products than you can imagine and some brands are still testing on animals as well. I suggest you join me and make the switch to supporting these ethical makeup brands that are not only beautiful but also clean and cruelty-free!
We all know about the QUEEN’s makeup line, Fenty Beauty, but did you know that not only is it an iconic, shade inclusive brand but also ethically conscious? They are 100% cruelty-free and guarantee that their affiliates also don’t use their products for animal testing. Fenty Beauty is also paraben and phthalate-free.
Home to my favorite highlighter, Becca Cosmetics is an Australian makeup brand that has the most ~sparkling~ products. They are 100% cruelty-free and PETA certified. Becca’s brand is super inclusive, known for using a range of diverse individuals to model their makeup and are committed to spearheading this change in the makeup industry.
Marc Jacobs is a well-known fashion icon with a global fashion brand but its beauty products are underrated. The products are paraben-free, cruelty-free, and hypoallergenic. They have great luxury makeup such as their Velvet Noir Mascara and Dew Drops. If you know anyone who loves makeup, an investment palette or lipstick from Marc Jacobs is a great gift idea.
I am someone who has luscious brows that need to be groomed constantly. With the help of Anastasia Beverly Hills, my brows are always tamed (excluding not getting them threaded for the past 6 months in quarantine.) Anastasia Beverly Hills is the queen of eyebrows, I don’t doubt you’ve seen a brow wiz before in someone’s makeup bag. If you are into shaping, coloring, or feathering your brows, I would turn to this cruelty-free brand.
VEGAN BRANDS:
Here are some brands that are not only clean and cruelty-free, but also have vegan products as well!
One of my favorite brands for a good lipstick, Bite Beauty is clean, vegan, and both cruelty and gluten-free. They include a long list of ingredients on their website that they keep away from their products. Instead of unhealthy ingredients, they use superfoods such as wild African mango and olive oil and natural waxes such as orange peel wax and sunflower seed wax. One of my favorite things about Bite is that they have “Lip Lab’s” which are Bite shops where you can design your own shade of lipstick. There are two locations in New York, two in California, and one in Toronto. Going to the Lip Lab is such a fun activity to do with friends and also a great gift for someone!
One of my favorite makeup brands, Too Faced is committed to having vegan products in their repertoire. On their website there’s a whole section with their vegan products. Some of you may know their popular products such as the Lip Injection lip plumper and Better Than Sex mascara but they have so many other amazing products as well.
One of the most popular drugstore brands, Wet n’ Wild is 100% cruelty-free. I love Wet n’ Wild not just because it’s some of the first makeup I ever purchased but it’s super affordable as well! They say “It’s true! wet n wild® NEVER tests on animals, and we are super proud of this. We never have, and we never will.” This definitely makes me feel better about buying their sparkly eyeliners from my local Duane Reade.
Another fantastic brand, BareMinerals was one of the first brands to practice clean beauty since 1995. On their website, they advertise that all their products are cruelty-free and made without parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, chemical sunscreens, triclosan, triclocarban, propylene glycol, mineral oil, coal tar, microbeads, all that stuff we can’t pronounce but know we don’t want on our faces. BareMinerals stores do something great as well, they will take your empty beauty products to recycle, no matter the brand, and reward you with points for their loyalty programin return.
This new brand, Tower 28, is built on being clean, vegan, cruelty-free, allergen-free, and so much more (they have a whole list of chemicals that are blacklisted from their brand.) Something I specifically like about this brand even though I have not tried their products yet is that with all their clean ingredients, it’s a perfect choice for those with sensitive skin. They follow the National Eczema Association’s ingredient guidelines so they’re non-comedogenic (we love), hypoallergenic, and dermatologist tested. Cannot wait to try some of these products out!
Milk Makeup is another brand I love that is 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free. Not only do they follow those guidelines but they have a Blacklist as well that has almost 100+ ingredients on it that will never be found in their products. Just from their aesthetic, you can tell that they’re a clean and healthy brand.
PYT Beauty, a newly launched makeup line, has pledged to have clean makeup products. They are cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, sulfate-free, synthetic fragrance-free, and so much more. Their products have been getting rave reviews, specifically their Double Duty Lipstick + Gloss and Defining Brow Pencil.
A natural beauty brand for all skin types, Antonym Cosmetics is a U.S. based makeup brand with ‘French flair.” Mostly all their products are vegan, including their brushes which is super important. One of my favorite things about this brand is that all their makeup comes in palettes made out of bamboo that is not only sleek but sustainable.
Charlotte Tilbury was introduced to me through one of my best friend’s who is obsessed with her makeup. Right away from the packaging, you can tell that the brand is high-end but they are also 100% cruelty-free. Not all, but many of her products are vegan and paraben-free as well. Charlotte Tilbury is a great makeup to splurge on!
Urban Decay is my go-to brand for a fun, colorful look. They are certified by PETA as being cruelty-free and also have many vegan products. They are known for their Naked Eyeshadow Palettes and All Nighter Setting Spray but they have a lot of other amazing products as well.
Hourglass Cosmetics is another brand that is considered luxury makeup. They are not only cruelty-free but have pledged to be 100% vegan by this year. 1% of all their profits are donated to the Nonhuman Rights Project that advocates for animal rights. Their passion for animal rights became popular through their Eye to Eye campaign last year where they photographed people’s eyes next to animals to “capture their humanity.”
Another PETA certified brand, NYX Cosmetics is one of my drugstore favorites. Something else I love about this brand is their transparency, they do not retouch any of their photos in their marketing, they show people how they truly look with their products on. I love their glitter and pigments, perfect for any special theme looks and their palettes always come with lots of colors and are well priced.
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