Whether you’re new to the vegan lifestyle or a seasoned veteran, you may not have known just how many makeup products aren’t vegan. Some test on animals, while others use actual animal ingredients in their products. When searching for vegan makeup brands, it can be hard to find clear answers.
On top of that, many animal-derived ingredients in makeup can be hard to pinpoint. For example, many products use carmine, a dye made from insects that the average person wouldn’t suspect isn’t vegan.
To help, we’ve done the research for you! We’ve put together a list of the best vegan makeup brands, double-checking to make sure they’re actually 100% vegan.
Note: We have only included makeup-focused brands on this list. Check out our lists of vegan skin brands if you’re interested in these types of products as well.
RELATED: Best Vegan Makeup Brands + Products at Sephora
Best Vegan Makeup Brands
KVD Beauty
Average pricing: $10 – $49
Kat Von D’s beauty line was sold and rebranded to become 100% vegan, now known as KVD Beauty. This is one of the largest brands that is all vegan!
Now, you can invest in their top-rated tattoo liner (and other great products) without worrying if they’re vegan.
e.l.f Cosmetics
Average pricing: $2 – $15
Thankfully, one of the most affordable makeup brands out there is cruelty-free and vegan. So, if you’re on a budget, you don’t have to save for weeks to afford a new foundation!
Although quality can be a hit or miss, they do have a ton of great products (including makeup tools and plenty of skincare products as well).
Milk Makeup
Average pricing: $15 – $40
Although their name might concern you, Milk Makeup is 100% vegan and cruelty-free!
They have a variety of excellent products, with many award-winning formulas (like the Hydro Grip Primer we’re obsessed with).
Hourglass
Average pricing: $15 – $38
Luckily, the brand responsible for one of the best highlighters in the world (as well as other lovely products) is also 100% vegan. Thank goodness!
They have always been cruelty-free, but they recently made the switch to 100% vegan products as well.
Cover FX
Average pricing: $15 – $45
All products from Cover FX are vegan and cruelty-free (approved by PETA).
They make excellent face products, such as foundations and powders, but don’t sleep on their makeup brushes either.
Rare Beauty
Average pricing: $15 – $30
This new makeup line created by Selena Gomez is entirely vegan, not to mention has plenty of gorgeous products to choose from.
With cute packaging, decent prices, and effective formulas, you’ll want to run to Sephora and try out Selena’s makeup brand ASAP.
Thrive Causemetics
Average pricing: $20 – $40
Well-known for their award-winning mascara and other high-quality products, Thrive Causemetics is a growing beauty brand that is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Their brand is also dedicated to giving back, making sure every product purchased helps empower women.
Vasanti Cosmetics
Average pricing: $19 – $29
Although Vasanti also sells vegan skincare products, they have a variety of makeup for your whole routine, including their best-selling Dark Circle Eraser concealer.
All of their products are vegan, cruelty-free, and made with natural, clean ingredients. Their prices are a little higher than drugstore brands, but at $19-$29 per product, they are still very affordable.
Lime Crime
Average pricing: $15 – $40
Well-known for their top-rated liquid lipsticks, Lime Crime is another cruelty-free and vegan makeup brand to add to your radar.
With eyeshadow palettes, liquid lipsticks, mascara, highlighters, and even hair dye, they’ve got a ton of options.
Makeup Eraser
Average pricing: $15 – $25
Not only is the Makeup Eraser brand vegan, they are also eco-friendly and hypoallergenic. What more could you ask for? They create high-quality towels that are designed to effectively remove makeup (with just water)!
Check out our full Makeup Eraser review to see if their makeup-removing cloths are worth the investment.
Ofra Cosmetics
Average pricing: $15 – $45
With gorgeous highlighters, lipsticks, and other high-quality makeup products, Ofra is another great makeup brand that’s 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Quality is excellent of course, but we are also obsessed with their packaging – you’ll want to collect every product.
Pacifica
Average pricing: $10 – $30
This fairly affordable vegan makeup brand has a ton of great products (including both makeup and skincare products).
From eyeshadow palettes to mascara to primer, they’ve got everything you need to keep your makeup on-point.
Nabla
Average pricing: $15 – $38
With plenty of gorgeous eyeshadow palettes and a great lip plumper as well as a variety of other makeup products, Nabla is an Italian beauty brand worth checking out.
Most of their products have close to 5-star ratings – quality does not disappoint!
Au Naturale
Average pricing: $18 – $42
Although Au Naturale only have a few products to choose from, what they do have is excellent quality. We’re obsessed with the Anywhere Creme Multistic.
This brand is vegan, organic, and all-natural, ensuring you’re only putting quality ingredients on your skin.
Juice Beauty
Average pricing: $20 – $40
Juice Beauty is entirely vegan, with the exception of one product: their lip moisturizer (it has beeswax).
As long as you don’t purchase this product, you’re good to go! They have a variety of great makeup products as well as some skincare as well.
Petit Vour
Average pricing: Varies
Although this isn’t a specific brand, we felt it was worth mentioning! The beauty marketplace sells only vegan brands and products, so you can be sure what you’re buying is 100% vegan.
They also have a fantastic subscription box that can help you find some new favorites!
Cruelty-Free vs. Vegan?
Even if a brand is labeled as cruelty-free, they may not be 100% vegan. Many brands don’t test on animals, but still use some animal-derived ingredients in some of their makeup products.
That said, just as you might eat at a restaurant with vegan options, shopping from a makeup brand that isn’t entirely vegan could be an option as well.
We definitely recommend prioritizing 100% vegan brands to support their mission, but if you’re really struggling to find that perfect product, you can always check for vegan options at cruelty-free brands as well.
If you choose this route, make sure to do your research thoroughly to ensure the product you’re looking to buy is indeed vegan. And of course, you’ll want to make sure the brand doesn’t test on animals (you might also want to make sure the parent company doesn’t test on animals as well).
For example, Smashbox is a popular cruelty-free brand with a wide range of vegan options (here is a list). Their parent company, Estee Lauder, is also dedicated to cruelty-free practices, so this can be a great option to find a great vegan product.
Also, keep in mind that simply looking through the ingredients list might not be good enough to determine if a product is vegan. Many brands use animal-derived dyes and other ingredients with random names that you may not recognize (for example, carmine is a popular dye that is derived from insects).
To avoid making a mistake, try to make sure the actual description lists the product as vegan. Large retailers (including Ulta) often have a filter that allows you to narrow down the results to only vegan products, which makes the search a lot easier.
Bottom Line
Overall, finding vegan makeup brands and products doesn’t have to be a struggle! Many of the brands above have high-quality products within any price range you’re looking for. You don’t have to sacrifice your values to keep your makeup on fleek.
