The vegan cosmetics brands you need to know about

Veganism is on the rise, sales of vegan foods in America are growing ten times faster than food sales as a whole. The Economist has reported that 2019 will be ‘The year of the vegan’, with the trend going mainstream, compared to previously being a minority within a minority. It is also moving from simply what we put in our bodies, to the clothing items we buy and the skincare and beauty products we use every day. If we are avoiding all meat, dairy and animal derived food products, it makes sense to avoid cosmetics that are also vegan.

The commonly seen phrase, cruelty-free, differs from vegan, even though the terms tend to be used interchangeably. Cruelty-free refers only to the testing process, meaning that the final product and its ingredients have not been tested on animals. The ingredients however can be non-vegan, with many makeup products containing ingredients such as honey, beeswax, gelatin, lanolin, collagen, albumen, carmine or cholesterol.

On the other hand, vegan describes the ingredients, rather than the testing and production processes, meaning that the product does not contain any animal products or animal-derived ingredients.

Mintel, the retail research company, has seen a 100% rise in the number of vegan claims for cosmetics in the past year. From foundations to makeup brushes, there are now plenty of vegan options to choose from. There has never been an easier time to adapt your beauty routine to accommodate your way of life!

The PETA award-winning brand Kat Von D is one of the cosmetics industries leading vegan brands. Currently undergoing a process to reformulating its entire cosmetics line to be vegan, which can take some time, it has a huge list of products that already carry the vegan label. From foundation and concealer, to lipstick and liquid liners, the versatile products are all high quality, high pigmented and long-lasting. Bestsellers include the Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks and the Tattoo liner. The Alchemist Holographic Palette has also been a huge hit, getting a 4.7 out of 5 star rating from customers, with four beautiful prismatic shades designed to highlight eyes, face and anything else you like! The Kat Von D website describes it as a ‘first of its kind formula, packed with reflective pearls, dipped in a prismatic coating’, with even a subtle application delivering major impact.

The brand Spectrum has a range of makeup brushes which are not only vegan, but also completely Instagrammable. The brush sets are very popular and we can totally see why. Sassy sirens and Disney are just a couple of the fabulous sets they have on sale. The recently released, Mean Girls set has been heavily talked about online, with the most ‘fetch’ brushes ever coming complete with a Mini Burn Book case to store them (and your secrets) in. Spectrum also has a unicorn vegan brush shampoo because who doesn’t love unicorns? Unicorns have always been popular with children, millennials and older generations, possibly because they are based on cartoons that we experienced in childhood. They are so popular that Clover Casino has a online slot dedicated to them – the Unicorn Bliss Jackpot Online Slot. With the blossoming flowers, the rainbows and the magical creatures, it’s a beautiful sight to look at and it allows players to take a nostalgic step back in time, remembering cartoons they would have watched when they were young.

The Body Shop is an extremely well-known brand, famous for fighting against animal testing, 100% vegetarian and ethically sourced. Almost half of its range of products are vegan, with a great selection of makeup to suit all skin tones. Instaglow CC Cream with SPF, Lash Hero Mascara and the Baked-To-Last Bronzer are some of the vegan products on offer. However it is important to check the label, as not all Body Shop makeup is vegan. It is moving away from using animal derivatives such as lanolin in its products, it still uses honey and beeswax that it sources from its community trade partners.

INIKA Organic is an Australian brand growing in popularity, 100% certified cruelty-free with Australia’s Choose Cruelty Free Organisation and it is also registered with the UK Vegan Society. The brand uses indulgent, all natural ingredients and has won over 35 awards for product excellence and innovation. No harsh or harmful chemicals, additives or fillers are used in its products. Best sellers are the Certified Organic Liquid Foundation with Hyaluronic Acid, the Certified Organic Vegan Lipstick and the Long Lash Vegan Mascara. Add on free shipping if ordering online and your basket is over a certain price – vegan jackpot!

A brand with an ever-expanding global presence, and a huge range of vegan products is Urban Decay. The company started over twenty years ago, when the prestige beauty market was saturated with pink, red and beige and with the founder recognising the colour void, they released revolutionary products to break the mould and give makeup wearers everywhere the alternative colours that the market craved. The must-have Moondust eyeshadows, magnifying mascaras and the Naked Skin collection are all amazing products that every vegan makeup lover needs to own. The All Nighter Setting Spray is renowned by makeup artists and individuals around the world as a makeup bag staple, with glowing reviews from people who could no longer live without it.

If this list isn’t enough, check out one of the most helpful and well researched sources, the PETA directory of brands, which allows you to search by company, product type or country.

With all these fabulous products on offer, it’s the best time ever to deep clean your beauty routine and start shopping vegan.