How To Spot Vegan And Cruelty Free Makeup When Online Shopping

Plus, some of our favourite makeup brands at the moment!

@sazan

The world of makeup can be quite daunting, especially if you’re also trying to make sure the products you buy are vegan or cruelty free. For many people who are vegan, buying these products is a must, but for those of us who may not be fully dedicated to a vegan lifestyle but want to make some changes in our day to day lives, starting with our makeup is a great idea. There are loads of amazing brands on the market that are proudly vegan and cruelty free – however, what a lot of people don’t realise is that just because one is either, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the other too and PSA, they’re not the same thing.

So to make this a little bit easier first we’re going to start by defining both.

Vegan – Vegan makeup is made up that contains no animal products or derivatives. This means that there are no ingredients in the makeup product that is from an animal, a good example of this would be Honey which comes from bees and is often found in lip products such as lip balms. It is also important to note that while there are a few vegan brands which have completely committed to becoming vegan, there are also some brands which have some of their products vegan, but not all. Although they haven’t reached the end goal of being completely vegan, they’re definitely trying!

Cruelty Free – This means that this makeup is not tested on animals and no animal testing occurs within its making process. Often animals are used by companies to test their products before they test it on human skin. Animal testing is banned in Europe, however many products that come from outside of Europe still test on animals.

Here are our top brands

Elf – vegan / cruelty free

Elf is not only vegan and cruelty free, but it is also very nice to our pockets at an extremely affordable price range. With all the essentials you could need to start off your vegan and cruelty free makeup collection, Elf is a great place to start.

 

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Wet n Wild – cruelty free / vegan selection

As one of the staple brands in a lot of people’s make up bags, the fact that Wet n Wild have a vegan selection will be welcome news to a lot of people. Although Wet n Wild have expanded their sales to China they remain cruelty free. According to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) they have ‘worked with PETA to take the additional steps required to ensure that no tests on animals will be conducted for its products in the future.’

 

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Tarte – cruelty free / vegan collection

There is no animal testing on Tarte products or any ingredients used by for their products. There is also no animal cruelty done in any of the companies they work with. Although Tarte are not a fully vegan brand they have a vegan friendly section on their website showing all of their vegan products which contains all your makeup needs.

 

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Ecotools – vegan / cruelty free

Although more of a makeup tool and brush brand than product, it is still important to highlight the amazing Ecotools. Their brushes and tools are all both vegan and cruelty free. Available online and in stores at Boots. Available online and in stores at Boots.

 

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Skinny Tan – vegan / cruelty free

If you’re looking for a gorgeous summer glow without the holiday and want to do so with a conscious mind, then Skinny Tan is the perfect addition to your self tanning collection. Available in a variety of different shades and products you’ll easily find the tan for you. Available online and in stores at Boots.

 

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Too Faced – cruelty free / vegan list

A list of vegan products from Too Faced can be found on their website. All of Too Faced’s products are cruelty free and no animal testing is used by the brand. However, not all of their products are vegan. You can find the list of vegan products on the Too Faced website.

 

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Urban Decay – cruelty free / vegan section

On their website Urban Decay say that they are a cruelty free brand and ‘is committed to ending animal testing. We do not test our products on animals, nor do we allow others to test on our behalf. Additionally, we require our suppliers to certify that the raw materials used in the manufacture of our products are not tested on animals.’ With that being said, not all of their products are vegan so when shopping on their website make sure you use the vegan tab to see their vegan collection.

 

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It is important to remember that makeup can be both vegan and cruelty free or one or the other – if this is something which strongly matters to you, I strongly advise checking the brands websites before purchasing any products.

Words by STELLAR intern, Nicky Anderson
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