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4 Fantastic Cruelty-Free/Vegan Makeup Brands

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

As a person who truly loves both animals and makeup, finding vegan and/or cruelty-free makeup options is incredibly important to me. Even though I’m not completely vegan or vegetarian, I’ve never really liked the idea of testing makeup products on animals, nor have I been totally comfortable with certain animal products, like fish scales or crushed insects, being smeared on my face. But regardless of whether you’re vegan or not, here are four amazing makeup brands (two prestige or high-end brands, and two drugstore brands) that happen to be vegan.

 

1. Too Faced

One of my all-time favorite makeup brands is definitely Too Faced, and not just because of the fact that their products are both vegan and cruelty free. All of their products, ranging from liquid lipsticks to makeup brushes, are phenomenal! Since Too Faced is a prestige brand, it is a bit on the pricier side, but these products are definitely made to last, so you’ll get your money’s worth out of anything you buy from them. To further sweeten the deal, some Too Faced products, such as their Chocolate Bar eye shadow palettes, are made with real cocoa powder and actually smell like chocolate!

 

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills

If you love liquid lipstick or brow products, this is the brand for you. While not a vegan brand because some of their products contain beeswax and honey, they are entirely cruelty-free, meaning that they do not test any of their products on animals. Also, many of their products are vegan, including their famed Brow Wiz. Their liquid lipsticks (which are, unfortunately, not vegan) are truly phenomenal. They have an incredibly diverse line of different colors ranging from pinks to reds to purples; there are definitely colors that would flatter every skin tone. These liquid lipsticks are probably among the best on the market; they are incredibly pigmented, dry matte, never transfer, and they are incredibly comfortable to wear. You could have the makeout session of your life and these lipsticks won’t budge.

 

3. NYX Cosmetics

Similarly to Anastasia Beverly Hills, NYX Cosmetics is technically not a vegan makeup brand. However, it is completely cruelty-free. Another perk about NYX is that this brand is very affordable and can be found in most drugstores that carry makeup items. While being far less expensive than Anastasia or Too Faced, the quality of the makeup is very similar, so you’re definitely getting a bargain if you go with NYX. Most of their products are under $10! So, if you’re looking to try out certain makeup trends, like contouring or using different-colored concealers, try experimenting with less-expensive NYX products rather than breaking the bank on high-end products; trends only last for so long, after all.

 

4. e.l.f. Cosmetics

This brand is both the least-expensive brand on the list and is vegan/cruelty-free! You can get some pretty quality makeup for $1 from e.l.f. The only downside is that some of the products in the e.l.f. line are better than others, so sometimes it can be a bit hit-or-miss with this brand. On the bright side, the products that are good, like their Baked Eyeshadows and High Definition Powder, are truthfully fantastic. They’re also a fraction of the price of other products of comparable quality! They’re even available to Mount Holyoke students, as we can purchase e.l.f. makeup products directly from the Campus Store in Blanchard!

Which vegan/cruelty-free makeup brand do you want to try?

 

Picture Sources: (Cover, 1, 2, 3, 4 )

If you would like to write for Her Campus Mount Holyoke, please email mt-holyoke@hercampus.com.

 
Sarah Washington is a sophomore at Mount Holyoke College. She is from Wilbraham, Massachusetts. She is a prospective Sociology Major. Sarah's passions include social justice, increased visibility for multiracial individuals, feminism, and LGBT rights. Her other loves include makeup, writing, reading, and music.
Mount Holyoke College is a gender-inclusive, historically women's college in South Hadley, MA.