Doing Veganuary? Here’s How To Bring It To Your Makeup Bag

There’s been a lot of enthusiasm for Veganuary this month, with lots of people committing to a plant-based diet for at least a few weeks. But would you ever consider extending that to your makeup bag?

You might assume that cruelty free makeup is automatically vegan, but that isn’t so. Vegan cosmetics contain absolutely no ingredients derived from animals – so that means none of these common ingredients:

• Beeswax
• Carmine (a red colour made from crushed insects)
• Collagen (an anti-ageing ingredient normally taken from animal bones and skin)
• Keratin (a protein found in hair, nails and horns)
• Guanine (an iridescent solution made from fish scales, often used in blush, eyeshadow and nail polish)
• Lanolin (often found in lip balms, made from the grease in sheep’s wool)
• Squalane (used in moisturisers, made from the oils found in sharks’ livers)

Some of the main misconceptions about vegan makeup are that it’s only made by specialist brands, or very difficult to find. Here are a few easily-available brands that either a) are completely vegan, or b) offer vegan-friendly products in their lineup.

B Cosmetics at Superdrug

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsVZETaAD-T/

Dublin dwellers, have you checked out the huge new Superdrug in the Jervis Shopping Centre yet? It’s heavenly. And their own brand of makeup is vegan. Win win!

Catrice

The budget-friendly pharmacy brand is cruelty-free, and also has a few vegan products across the range – including the HD Liquid Coverage foundation (a favourite of ours), the Power Plumping Gel Lipstick, and the Glam & Doll Boost Lash Growth mascara.

Elf Cosmetics

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpSOWWHgIAA/

Elf Cosmetics’ entire makeup line, including the makeup brushes, is vegan – however, it’s not clear if the skincare range is totally vegan, so check the ingredients before you decide to purchase.

NOTE Cosmetics

Another up-and-coming pharmacy brand, NOTE’s offerings are all vegan, from the gorgeous Terracotta bronzer to the Rich Colour Lipsticks.

SoSu by SJ and Dripping Gold

Suzanne Jackson’s makeup and tan brands are both vegan-friendly, from the highlighters to the makeup brushes. Nice wan.

• vegan makeup
• veganuary