Vegan And Cruelty-free Makeup Brands You Need To Try

At the beginning of this year, I developed a passion for makeup. I rarely wore makeup in the past, except for the occasional theatre productions and school dances. After watching a bunch of beauty gurus on YouTube, I felt inspired to try it for myself. 

Since I needed to buy makeup products to begin my beauty guru adventures, I wanted to make sure I was buying from ethical beauty companies. I found that many companies use vegan ingredients for their products and also don't test on animals. I thought I would share these brands and encourage you to start using natural and ethical brands too (if you aren't already).

Why Buy Vegan and Ethical Makeup Products?

Firstly, vegan makeup products are made entirely out of natural ingredients sourced from the earth. There are no harsh chemicals that could potentially harm someone in these vegan makeup products. In fact, these products help the skin by keeping it moisturized, nourishing it with vitamins and minerals, and helping it stay smooth. Overall, vegan products are healthier for people.

Every year, half a million animals are abused and forced to be test subjects for cosmetics as per the research by Cruelty-Free International. When it comes to being ethical, the beauty brands mentioned below take it very seriously. Animals don't deserve to be treated poorly simply for human benefits. You wouldn't put harmful makeup products on your pet, so it's not right to do so on other animals. 

Vegan And Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands

Here are 10 ethical beauty brands that you can use for your body:

1. e.l.f. Cosmetics

e.l.f.'s makeup formulas are 100% vegan and aren't tested on animals. In the words of the e.l.f. brand, its products are "made without the nasty bad stuff."

I'm pretty sure that e.l.f. is the first makeup brand I ever used. It's an amazing and cheap brand to buy when you're first starting to use makeup. You can find it at your local drugstores, grocery stores, and even dollar stores.

Fun fact: e.l.f. stands for Eyes, Lips, and Face! I just discovered this a few days ago and I feel silly for not knowing this entire time.

2. ColourPop Cosmetics

Every single ColourPop product is cruelty-free and the company only tests its products on humans from the ColourPop Head Quarters. The company stated that it "does not condone animal testing in any way." They don't work with any companies that test on animals.

Most of the products are vegan, which is wonderful to know. I don't want to put unnecessary chemicals, animal by-products, or anything similar on my body. ColourPop makes it clear which products are vegan and which few are not so that you know what you're buying. I appreciate a company that makes an effort to use natural ingredients for its products. 

ColourPop is my favorite makeup brand at the moment. All of their products are easy to apply and feel light on my face. ColourPop is an inexpensive brand; I bought the Malibu Barbie collaboration palette for only $25 compared to other brands that sell palettes for $60.

3. Fourth Ray Beauty

Fourth Ray Beauty is the sister brand to ColourPop Cosmetics. This brand sells beautiful skincare products so you not only look good but feel good as well. Fourth Ray Beauty sells face cleansers, lip treatments, undereye rollers, moisturizers, and more. Every skincare formula used is designed to give you the best skin possible so you can begin your makeup routine with ease and confidence. Fourth Ray Beauty wants to inspire you to love skincare.

I have yet to try Fourth Ray Beauty products and I'm so excited to get started. I've been trying to take better care of my body and use more natural ingredients. This seems like a good way to begin my journey.

4. Jeffree Star Cosmetics

Now I will admit, Jeffree Star Cosmetics is a bit more expensive beauty brand. CEO and Founder Jeffree Star frequently states that he wants to make the best products he can using the finest ingredients. At Jeffree Star Cosmetics, this company is adamant about not testing on animals. This brand encourages anyone who has a love and passion for makeup to use these products.

I waited to buy makeup from this brand until I felt comfortable and skilled enough in using makeup. I saved up some money and bought a few items from Jeffree Star's latest collection, Pink Religion. I bought the eyeshadow palette, highlighter palette, and a handheld mirror. After testing out my purchases, I was thrilled. It applied so well and lasted all day without any touchups. 

5. Julep Beauty

Julep is yet another amazing and affordable makeup brand. This company sells makeup, tools, and skincare all for a reasonable price!

For Christmas last year, my sister gifted me a set of liquid lipsticks from Julep. As I put it on, it just glided across my lips. The lipsticks are cute, they have a pleasant scent (or flavor?), and I didn't need to reapply. 

6. Luxie Beauty

This whole list consists of some fabulous vegan and cruelty-free makeup products, but what about vegan and cruelty-free brushes to apply them? Well, Luxie Beauty sells what you're looking for. Luxie sells all different types of beauty brushes to help you apply your makeup easier. There's even a quiz you can take on the website to pick which Luxie Brush is right for you.

7. MUDD Beauty

MUDD Beauty is a popular brand in the U.K. This company cares deeply about its customers' health values, which is why it takes time to develop formulas best for the body. There are no toxic chemicals in any MUDD products.

I feel like this brand must be insanely well-known and well-loved because when I was browsing products, many of them were sold out. MUDD is that good.

8. Range Beauty

What makes this brand unique from others is that it sells foundation for every forgotten beautiful shade and type of skin so that you can look your absolute best. According to Range Beauty "defines beauty on [their] own terms by delivering makeup that you love and skin that loves you back."

In addition, Range is the first makeup line created for acne and eczema-prone skin. I love that this brand is so inclusive and considerate towards developing products for everyone.

9. Youth To The People

Youth To The People have three pillars it keeps in mind: "Ingredients are our muse," "One world to protect," and "Good to the people." In other words, this company's top three priorities are product, planet, and people. Youth To The People wants to do good for us and the environment. This brand uses glass bottles and jars for its products to reduce plastic wastes piling up in landfills.

Youth To The People sells cleansers, moisture creams, masks, hydrating oils, and more. You can even schedule a free skin consultation to find out which products will work best for your skin. 

10. Lush

I've been using Lush products for years. I admire this brand's initiative when it comes to making natural beauty items. While Lush doesn't sell makeup, this brand has everything you need to take good care of your body.

Lush sells amazing face masks, lip scrubs, moisturizers, and cleansers. If you feel like pampering your whole body, this brand also sells refreshing and vibrant bath bombs and bars. Treat yourself right with these rejuvenating products.