The beauty industry is increasingly embracing ethical and sustainable practices, leading to a rise in vegan makeup brands. Vegan makeup products are free from animal-derived ingredients and often come with the added benefits of being cruelty-free, eco-friendly, and made with natural components.
If you’re looking to switch to vegan makeup or expand your collection, this guide will introduce you to some of the best vegan makeup brands available today.
Why Vegan Makeup?
Choosing vegan makeup is beneficial for several reasons:
- Ethical Considerations: Vegan makeup does not use animal-derived ingredients, aligning with ethical and cruelty-free practices.
- Sustainability: Many vegan brands focus on eco-friendly packaging and sustainable sourcing of ingredients.
- Health Benefits: Vegan makeup often uses natural and organic ingredients, which can be gentler on the skin.
- Quality and Performance: Vegan products are formulated to meet high standards, offering excellent quality and performance.
Best Vegan Makeup Brands
Here are some of the best vegan makeup brands known for their commitment to ethical practices, high-quality products, and innovative formulations.
1. Aether Beauty
Overview: Aether Beauty is a brand that combines sustainability with high-performance makeup. All their products are vegan, cruelty-free, and made with ethically sourced ingredients.
Popular Products:
- Rose Quartz Crystal Gemstone Palette: An eyeshadow palette infused with real rose quartz powder for a radiant finish.
- Radiant Ruby Lip Creme: A hydrating lip color with a luminous finish.
2. KVD Vegan Beauty
Overview: Originally founded by tattoo artist Kat Von D, KVD Vegan Beauty is known for its bold and long-lasting makeup products. The brand is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Popular Products:
- Tattoo Liner: A highly pigmented, waterproof eyeliner with a precise tip.
- Lock-It Foundation: A full-coverage, long-wearing foundation that provides a flawless finish.
- Just twist it up + glide it on. Tattoo Pencil Liner comes in bold shades for waterproof, transfer-proof color that lasts all day on your lids + in your waterline.
3. Cover FX
Overview: Cover FX offers a wide range of vegan and cruelty-free makeup products. Their formulations are free from parabens, fragrance, and other harmful ingredients, making them suitable for sensitive skin.
Popular Products:
- Custom Cover Drops: Highly pigmented drops that can be mixed with skincare products for a customizable coverage.
- Power Play Foundation: A long-wearing, matte foundation with buildable coverage.
4. E.l.f. Cosmetics
Overview: E.l.f. Cosmetics is a budget-friendly brand that offers a variety of vegan and cruelty-free makeup products. They are known for their affordable prices without compromising on quality.
Popular Products:
- Poreless Putty Primer: A smoothing primer that minimizes the appearance of pores.
- Hydrating Camo Concealer: A full-coverage concealer with a hydrating formula.
5. Milk Makeup
Overview: Milk Makeup focuses on creating clean, vegan, and cruelty-free products that are easy to use. Their innovative packaging and formulations cater to a modern, on-the-go lifestyle.
Popular Products:
- KUSH High Volume Mascara: A volumizing mascara made with hemp-derived cannabis seed oil.
- Lip + Cheek: A multi-use stick that can be used as both a blush and lip color.
- Mega Volume + Conditioning: This award-winning volumizing mascara is clinically proven to condition and promote thicker, fuller, high-volume lashes from root to tip – resulting in softer, healthier-looking lashes without the crunch; the unique crisscross bristles on the applicator brush catch + coat every lash to thicken and nourish
- Lash-Caring Ingredients: Conditioning Hemp Seed Oil helps keep lashes soft, while Vegan Wax helps keep thickening fibers locked onto lashes and prevents fallout
- How to Use: Wiggle the brush from the root of your lashes to the tip, using the tip of the brush to define inner corner and bottom lashes; layer to your desired intensity
- Clean, Vegan Formulas: With Milk Makeup, it’s high standards or nothing—that’s why we don’t use over 2,500 controversial ingredients; everything is clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and made to make your life easier
- Live Your Look: Born out of Milk Studios, a creative hub in downtown New York City, community and self-expression are at the heart of everything we do; we believe it’s not about how you wear your makeup, it’s what you do in it that matters
6. Bite Beauty
Overview: Bite Beauty is dedicated to creating high-performance, clean, vegan makeup. Their products are formulated with food-grade ingredients and free from harmful chemicals.
Popular Products:
- Power Move Creamy Matte Lip Crayon: A creamy, matte lip color with intense pigmentation.
- Changemaker Supercharged Micellar Foundation: A buildable foundation that offers a natural finish.
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7. Pacifica Beauty
Overview: Pacifica Beauty offers a wide range of vegan and cruelty-free makeup, skincare, and haircare products. Their products are formulated with natural ingredients and come in eco-friendly packaging.
Popular Products:
- Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream: A lightweight BB cream that evens out skin tone and provides a natural glow.
- Dream Big Lash Extending 7 in 1 Mascara: A multi-tasking mascara that lengthens, volumizes, and curls lashes.
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8. Urban Decay
Overview: Urban Decay is known for its bold, high-performance makeup products. While not all of their products are vegan, they offer a substantial range of vegan options.
Popular Products:
- All Nighter Setting Spray: A long-lasting setting spray that keeps makeup in place for up to 16 hours.
- Stay Naked Foundation: A lightweight, breathable foundation with a natural finish.
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9. Ilia Beauty
Overview: Ilia Beauty combines clean ingredients with high-performance formulas. Their products are vegan, cruelty-free, and often include skin-nourishing ingredients.
Popular Products:
- Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40: A tinted serum with SPF 40 that hydrates and evens out skin tone.
- Limitless Lash Mascara: A buildable mascara that lengthens and lifts lashes.
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10. 100% Pure
Overview: 100% Pure focuses on natural, organic, and vegan makeup products. Their formulations are free from synthetic chemicals and dyes, using fruit pigments for color instead.
Popular Products:
- Fruit Pigmented® Ultra Lengthening Mascara: A lengthening mascara colored with black tea and berries.
- 2nd Skin Foundation: A serum foundation that offers a natural finish and skincare benefits.
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Tips for Choosing The Best Vegan Makeup Products
- Check the Labels: Look for products that are explicitly labeled as vegan and cruelty-free. Certification from organizations like Leaping Bunny or PETA can also be helpful.
- Research Ingredients: Familiarize yourself with common animal-derived ingredients to avoid, such as beeswax, carmine, lanolin, and collagen.
- Consider Your Skin Type: Choose products that suit your skin type and address your specific skincare needs, whether it’s hydration, oil control, or sensitivity.
- Read Reviews: Customer reviews and beauty blogs can provide insights into the performance and quality of vegan makeup products.
- Start with Essentials: If you’re new to vegan makeup, start with essential products like foundation, mascara, and lipstick before expanding your collection.
Conclusion
Switching to vegan makeup is a great way to support ethical, sustainable, and cruelty-free practices while enjoying high-quality, effective beauty products. The brands mentioned in this guide are leaders in the vegan makeup industry, offering a wide range of products to suit various preferences and needs.
By choosing vegan makeup, you can look great and feel good about the impact of your beauty routine.
