So it’s 2021, and there really is no excuse now to be ill-informed about the effects we are having on our environment and planet. Although some damage is irreversible, it’s not too late to swap out a few bad habits, for cleaner, more eco-friendly ones.
One way we can do this is by challenging the beauty industries old ways and spending more money with brands that are vegan, cruelty-free and environmentally driven. Below is a list of 20 beauty brands (alphabetically listed) that are cruelty-free and vegan! Although some of the brands are yet to go fully vegan, they all have impressive vegan ranges, that are just as good, if not better than the originals!
1. Aether Beauty
Aether Beauty is a clean vegan beauty brand that ‘harnesses the power of nature’. Aether Beauty uses all-natural products and is famously known for its makeup palettes that are inspired and infused with precious stones to give a more enhanced look. The fair trade and organic brand just gets better as they also produced the very first zero-waste eyeshadow palette in the makeup industry!
2. B Cosmetics
B Cosmetics, Skincare and Makeup are Superdrugs own range of high-quality, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free beauty products. B Cosmetics pride themselves on their professional quality without compromising on the products they use. Using makeup and skin experts, the brand is super accessible and affordable with their most famous product being their Flawless Concealer.
3. Barry M
I think we all know the famous Barry M as they really do have a nail varnish for every occasion, but did you know that they are a cruelty-free company, being an animal-friendly brand with all vegetarian, and most vegan ranges? The brand has always obtained these values since its launch in 1982. The products are all affordable and accessible from most beauty retailers. They are best known for their nail polishes, but also their Dazzle Dust eye shadow and Genie (colour changing) Lip Paint.
4. Beautycounter
Beautycounter holds an extra emphasis on a future of clean beauty, with the aims of formulating, advocating and educating people on skincare with the message ‘beauty should be good for you.’ Despite the USA banning 30 ingredients in personal-care products, Beautycounter has over 1,800 ingredients on ‘The Never List’ as their research found many of these ingredients didn’t mean their high standards of clean beauty. With skincare, makeup and bath/body products, Beautycounter is best known for its serums and hydrating foundation.
5. Cover FX
Cover FX describes itself as a global leader in vegan and cruelty-free products, taking great pride in its award-winning formulas that prioritise clean and safe ingredients. Cover FX has vowed and refuse to sell their products to places where animal testing is required by law. With over 40 global shades, the brand pride themselves on inclusivity and are best known for their famous setting sprays!
6. E.L.F.
E.L.F. is known for its affordable products, with their high-end style. The company are cruelty-free and actively support PETA’s no fur campaign, displaying their morals. The Californian brand, formed in 2004 holds its values high as they make their products ‘without the nasty bad-for-you stuff. Totally guilt-free.’ E.L.F. is best known for their array of makeup primers and brow products, but have something for everyone, eyes, lips or face!
7. Everyday Minerals
Luxuriously sourced, Everyday Minerals is another vegan and cruelty-free brand who prioritise natural and clean beauty in their products. With their products being expertly handcrafted, there’s quite a personal feel about this brand. With skincare and wellness products also on their site, complemented with tutorials, this brand really does have something for everyone. Both their shimmers and their loose powders are a popular choice, listing high in the best sellers of Everyday Minerals.
Check out Everyday Minerals here!
8. ILIA
ILIA Beauty is a clean cosmetics and makeup brand that, when asked if they test on animals, ILIA responded ‘we would never’. ILIA has plenty of vegan makeup options to choose from, but we warned that some products (not in their vegan range) contain beeswax. ILIA lives by the concept of ‘wake up skin. Makeup the rest’ and focuses their brand on skincare-powered makeup. A popular product from Ilia would be their Multi-Stick which combines contemporary colours for cheeks, eyes. lips and more!
9. Illamasqua
Illamasqua is one of a kind. Their high-end brand will without a doubt capture your eye with its unique feel. The British-born brand states that its mission is all about empowering people of all ages to embrace and celebrate their individuality. Their bestsellers include the Hydra Lip Tints which are said to keep your lips glossy and feeling hydrated for 10 hours (see below) and the skin base foundation with over 25 shades to choose from.
10. INIKA Organic
INIKA Organic is the world’s first and only 100% natural, organic skincare line infused with 5% active botanicals. Starting in Sydney in 2006, INIKA is vegan, halal and cruelty-free and is Australia’s only 100% authentic, natural beauty brand. The ingredients used in INIKA organic products are all ethically sourced using botanicals and minerals from the earth for skin-friendly formulas. Some of INIKA’s most popular products include their range of makeup brushes which have fluffy bristles, shaped perfectly for flawless application.
11. Juice Beauty
Juicy Beauty is another California-born brand that is passionate about healthy lifestyles and organic products. The company particularly prides themselves on their sustainability, being environmentally responsible. This is thanks to the 5 Eco-values they abide by in everything they do: 1) use of organic ingredients only, 2) making effective products without harmful ingredients, 3) vegan and no animal testing, 4) remaining sustainable utilising solar power and wind energy and finally, 5) supporting and giving back to communities and charities such as Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. One of Juice Beauty’s best sellers is the Signal Peptides Firming Eye Balm which is designed to help the appearance of firming the delicate skin around the eyes.
12. KVD Beauty
KVD, founded by Kat Von D, a TV tattoo artist has been cruelty-free since day one in 2008, and vow they will be forevermore. The brand became fully vegan in 2016 after realising the great effects on the planet and those who inhabit it claiming ‘we believe outsiders are insiders and stand up for what’s right’. Rejecting conventional beauty standards, KVD dream of ‘unrestrained beauty with nonconformist and fearless spirit’. Kat Von D stepped down from the brand after 12 years but it remains a top choice for encouraging artistic self-expression and creativity. The Lock-it range proves to be a popular choice with foundation, powder, brushes and more which all focus on the flawless and high coverage makeup look.
13. Lime Crime
Lime Crime is best known in the beauty industry for its eccentric and colourful products. The vegan and cruelty-free brand specialise in both hair and makeup products with an estimated 24 shades of hair dye and over 100 makeup products to choose from. With Lime Crime’s motto being “makeup for unicorns”, we can derive the emphasis of self-empowerment, individualism and uniqueness that this brand strives to promote. The Lime Crime Matte Velvetines Lipstick is a hugely popular choice in 19 shades, and in terms of their vegan hair products, the most popular shade seems to be the Bubblegum Rose Colour in the Unicorn Hair Full Coverage line!
14. Mented
Mented Cosmetics first came about in 2017 after the founders, Amanda E. Johnson and KJ Miller had one crucial conversation about the perfect nude lipstick… the ladies wanted to create a brand that provided women of colour with more beauty options. The ladies explained that every woman should be able to ‘find herself in the world of beauty’, no matter her skin tone with each of their products being ‘perfectly pigMented to match your skin tones.’ Although the brand is famous for its lipsticks, including the Semi-Matte Lipstick in shade #5 which won a 2020 Best of Beauty Award, pricing at just $15. All Mented lipsticks are vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic and paraben-free. Within just three years of launching, the brand expanded to new products such as setting powder and eye shadow!
15. Milk Makeup
Milk Makeup is a New York-born brand that launched in 2016 selling cosmetics and skincare that are cruelty-free, paraben-free and 100% vegan. The brand started to gain rapid attention within the online beauty community when they released a cannabis-oil infused mascara, the KUSH mascara alongside the KUSH line of products. Fans started to take more notice of their Instagram which now has over 1 million followers to the “Milk Mob” – the tight-knit community of customers! One product that particularly stood out to me was the $12 Multi-use Tattoo Stamp. This vegan stamp is long-lasting and transfer-proof and will stay on for as long as you’d like until you wash it off with an oil-based remover!
16. MUA Makeup Academy
MUA Makeup Academy describes itself as the ‘go-to brand for on-trend, affordable and high-quality makeup’ being experts in beauty and driven by passion. MUA Makeup Academy holds being inclusive as one of their top brand values as well as remaining always 100% vegan and cruelty-free. The brand is infamous for its brightly coloured products, especially the eyeshadow palettes that encourage creativity, with an affordable price tag as they believe ‘makeup unites all’. Despite the eye-catching eyeshadow palettes, the MUA Shimmer Highlighting Powder is also a popular choice to give you the perfect glow, for just £3!
Check out MUA Makeup Academy here!
17. Tarte Cosmetics
Tarte Cosmetics was founded by Maureen Kelly in 1999 when she began researching all about beauty products and made her own cheek stain. Tarte is cruelty-free and although some products include animal-derived ingredients, they have a large vegan range including some of their most popular items. Although Tarte is cruelty-free, they are owned by Kose, a parent corporation that tests on animals when required by law. Maureen Kelly has since partnered with Sustainable Amazon Partnership and often gives back to charity, including the Sea Turtle Conservancy. A general bestseller that is also vegan would be the Shape Tape concealer which costs £24, available in 35 shades.
Check out Tarte Cosmetics here!
18. Vapour Beauty
Vapour Beauty is ‘designed for visionaries, dreamers and artists of all mediums’ with their products being sustainable, activated by botanicals and energised by the mystic spirit of Taos. Although not all of the products are vegan, their vegan range has enough to complete a full face. The brand creates soft and semi-translucent products to enhance your natural beauty and celebrate every individual skin tone, not mask it. Vapour Beauty values the art of giving back, sustainability and clean beauty highly with an individual recycling policy to be eco-friendly. One of Vapour Beauty’s finest products is the vegan, High Voltage Lipstick for $30. This lipstick gives an intense effect and is perfect for achieving a strong red lip.
19. Vesca Beauty
Vesca Beauty is a community-driven brand centred around high-quality makeup products. All Vesca Beauty Products are formulated without any animal-derived ingredients and have never tested on animals, making them vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. The brand says they help “pave the way for inclusivity, diversity and transparency” as they challenge the old standards of the beauty industry. Vesca Beauty aims to embrace everyone, pay it forward and push boundaries whilst being transparent and building a community. One of the Vesca Beauty favourites has to be the Soft-Matte Bronzing Powder called Kissed By, available in seven different shades for $30.
20. Zao Makeup
Famous for its bamboo packaging, Zao Makeup is a certified organic, vegan, cruelty-free and synthetic chemical-free beauty brand. The brand is also working towards becoming zero waste, plastic-free and as sustainable as possible! The casings are refillable showing the respect Zao has for both your health and the environment. One of the most popular products from Zao is their eye primer, starting at $16. The primer has a creamy texture and allows for a more smooth makeup application to the eye, working miracles for small vessels on the eyelid, helping to even out your skin tone and brighten those eyes!
So there we have it! 20 new beauty brands to try out, that values animal welfare and the environment highly in everything they do. Let us know if you have any suggestions or if you found this useful on our Twitter or Instagram!