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Top 5 Cruelty Free and Vegan Beauty Brands

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Adelphi chapter.

5 VEGAN AND CRUELTY-FREE BEAUTY BRANDS

 

    Hello friends! This top 5 vegan and cruelty-free beauty brand list was compiled for absolutely everyone, whether you identify as vegan or not vegan. While I encourage everyone to try a “vegan lifestyle” I understand that it’s not a change that will happen overnight. However, getting more educated on the little things, such as purchasing products that were not tested on animals and ingredient lists clear of animal products is a HUGE accomplishment. A majority of vegan and cruelty-free brands also pride themselves on being eco-friendly and made for every audience. What’s better than discovering a brand that creates rad beauty products you love and also spreading the message of peace and compassion? The awesome part of being a young adult in current times, is that more and more brands are veering away from animal testing. This not only makes products more accessible but also very affordable. This list will follow along brands that are lower end to brands that are a bit more pricey.

 

  1. ELF (EYES LIPS FACE)

ELF is a cult classic for affordable cosmetics across the entire spectrum of products. What’s awesome about ELF is that they have recently appeared in more shopping malls, while keeping their prices the same! ELF products are most commonly found in drugstores, making their products extremely accessible. Their prices run as low as a dollar for some of their brushes or small cosmetics. I personally recommend all of the ELF brushes, especially if you are just getting into makeup or travel frequently. This is a 100% cruelty-free company that never tests on animals, but not all products are vegan so be sure to check out the ingredient list. Also, BONUS ALERT they also offer a 20% discount for students!

Check them out here: https://www.elfcosmetics.com

 

 

 

    2. Wet ‘n’ Wild Beauty

Wet ‘n’ Wild Beauty is another great drugstore find. They have always been committed to creating products with absolutely no animal testing. They even go as far as using specific third party vendors that are also cruelty-free to keep their brand promise. Fun fact about the brand is that they actually launched in Brooklyn, New York in 1979. Products from Wet ‘n’ Wild are comparable to ELF’s prices while even maintaining a bit higher quality. My personal favorites are their highlighters, endless shades of lipsticks, and a wide variety of mascaras. Again, not all products are 100% vegan, so make sure to check the packaging.

Check them out here: https://www.wetnwildbeauty.com

 

    3. Jeffree Star Cosmetics

Jeffree Star is an entertaining and hilarious content creator on YouTube, with videos displaying his amazing makeup skills. A few years ago, he decided to start his very own cosmetic line, and let me tell you, I’m a little OBSESSED. His line of velour liquid lipsticks comes in a huge shade range, and the quality is impeccable. The majority of his products are vegan and the entire company is 100% cruelty-free! The liquid lipsticks are available online for $18 a piece, and in select Morphe shops. Jeffree Star Cosmetics also has many seasonal collections of eyeshadow palettes, highlighters, and other merchandise. I highly recommend this brand and checking out his YouTube channel.. you’ll thank me later.

Check them out here: https://jeffreestarcosmetics.com

 

 

 

    4. Tarte Cosmetics

Tarte Cosmetics is another vegan-friendly brand with most of their line free from animal products. Tarte can be found online and in store at Sephora, which is super convenient. Most of their prices are mid range for Sephora cosmetics, and they have a huge line of products. My personal favorites are the foundations, shape tape concealer, and eyebrow gel. A large percentage of my makeup comes from Tarte, because they have a formula for everyone. Each foundation has a slightly different base to accommodate skin types, and skin tones across the board. They also offer skin care products and self-tanners! Be sure to take a look at their display next time you browse through Sephora.

Check them out here:  https://tartecosmetics.com/en_US/home

 

    5. Kat Von D Beauty

Kat Von D is not only a badass tattoo artist but a pretty talented makeup artist as well. Her line of cosmetics is not only made of the best quality, but the packaging is gorgeous down to the details. Kat actually illustrates and designs all of her cosmetic packaging, which definitely makes her brand stand out from the rest. You can purchase her line at Sephora, or on her brand site. P.S on Kat’s website, there are frequent sales and coupon codes so definitely worth a check every now and then. I HIGHLY recommend her brushes, eyeshadow palettes, lipsticks, foundation and tattoo liner. Kat Von D Beauty is a tad on the pricier side, but she offers a ton of products with awesome quality. Just by swatching a few of her products at Sephora, you can get a feel for items you’d like to purchase and then buy them off her website for a small discount. Kat Von D also has a YouTube channel, where she debuts and posts tutorials on how to use her products which is an added bonus.

Check them out here: https://www.katvondbeauty.com

 

HONORABLE MENTION: Garnier

This week’s honorable mention has to go to Garnier! They have released new products to the market including face masks and rosewater facial spray. The formulas are entirely vegan and are clearly marked on the packaging. This is a huge win for the community, because bigger brands like Garnier, are making vegans products even more mainstream.  

 

While this is a fairly short list of ALL the cruelty-free and vegan beauty brands out on the market, it is actually quite simple to check if your product is cruelty-free. On the packaging itself, there might be the iconic “Leaping Bunny” symbol, or bunny ears- which means the brand/product has been certified as cruelty-free. Also, if a product is vegan, there might be a “V” logo on the back or a leaf symbol. For easy access, I have also linked a guide to cruelty-free and vegan makeup brands!

Ultimate Guide To Cruelty- Free and Vegan Makeup Brands:  https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/ultimate-guide-to-cruelty-free-makeup/

 

 

 

Hello everyone! My name is Megan Rasiak, and I am a senior nursing student at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. I have been apart of HerCampus since 2018, and I love writing about fun topics, advice sessions, late night thoughts, and feel good articles. I am just your average nursing student who loves vegan food, music, and random adventures. I try to write my articles as if you are coming along with me through my journey of self-discovery, college life, nursing and everything in between.