Vegan And Cruelty-Free Beauty Swaps for Popular Makeup Buys
Whether you’re going full glam for an event or need low-key warpaint for work, the most important feature of any beauty buy is whether animals were harmed in its creation. So, you’ll need to choose vegan and cruelty-free make-up from the store.
Crushed-up beetles, fish scales, boiled skin… You might be surprised at the disgusting ingredients that are taken from animals and used in cosmetics – not to mention the horrific ways in which some cosmetics are tested on animals.
Here, we’ve done the legwork to bring you vegan, cruelty-free swaps of popular products.
Vegan Mascara
Swap Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara, which comes from a non-cruelty-free company, for…
For Revolution Big Lash Waterproof Volume Mascara
Bat your lashes while going to bat for animals, with this slick, vegan, volumising mascara. One tube lasts for ages, and delivers lashes so cake-, smudge-, and clump-free, you’ll think it comes with a magic wand.
For the Lips
Swap Bobbi Brown Extra Pump Lip Serum in Bare Raspberry , which as well as not being cruelty-free contains carmine (also called cochineal, cochineal extract, crimson lake, or carmine lake), a red dye made from crushed-up beetles…
For the E.L.F Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pen
Double-duty divas will love how this pen adds a glossy pop of colour alongside a tingly plump. Free from crushed-up insects (yuck), you get a fuller lip, a splash of colour, and a shine, all without animal-derived ingredients.
Cruelty-Free Foundation
Swap Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Hydrating Foundation with Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen – the latter of which is derived from the boiled skin and connective tissue of mammals or fish…
For Revolution Skin Silk Serum Foundation
You don’t need to slather your face in collagen that’s made from someone’s skin! This vegan foundation glides on and moisturises all day long thanks to its vegan hyaluronic serum. Plus, it comes in a huge range of shades to suit any skin type.
Vegan Highlighter
Swap The CC Beauty Cream Highlight and Contour Stick, which, despite being promoted as vegan, actually contains lanolin, an oily fat taken from the fleece of sheep …
For Barry M Chisel Cheeks Cream Sticks
The most epic duo since Galinda and Elphaba, this pair of creamy contour creams glides on to give you the gorgeous cheekbones you longed to be born with and the dewy glow that turns heads.
The Best Blush
Swap Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush, which isn’t cruelty-free and, like many red or pink-tinted products, contains carmine, which comes from crushed up female Dactylopius coccus insects…
For NYX Cosmetics Fat Cheeks Juicy Blush
The transformative power of a pinch of colour in your cheeks cannot be underestimated, and this creamy vegan blush from NYX will make you look like you’re just a little bit flushed from flirting. Goes on creamy, stays put for hours.
Cruelty-Free Nails
Swap OPI Nail Lacquers in legacy shades like Tutti Fruitti, which contains Guanine, a now seldom-used ingredient made from fish scales…
For Manucurist Active Glow Blueberry polish
A nourishing nail polish, this shiny, long-wearing, fast-drying polish is gorgeous. The vegan formula includes blueberry extracts to hydrate and deeply nourish for healthier nails.
What Are Vegan Cosmetics?
Vegan cosmetics are made without any animal-derived ingredients. Instead of crushing sensitive insects, skinning the scales from clever fish, or stripping oil from the wool of curious sheep, vegan cosmetics use plant-derived or synthetic ingredients to achieve shine, creaminess, moisture and glow.
It’s best to look for certified vegan cosmetics, but it’s also helpful to know what to look for. Aside from the above ingredients, avoid squalene (shark liver oil), casein (milk protein), and stearic acid, which is usually derived from pigs’ stomachs.
Why Choose Cruelty-Free
Choosing cruelty-free cosmetics is the simplest way to help mice, rabbits, and other sensitive animals who are used and killed in cosmetics tests. Every animal is someone, and with savvy swaps, we can change their lives for the better!
Ban Badger Cruelty from Your Cosmetics Case!
Did you know that some beauty brushes are made from badgers who’ve been beaten and stabbed to death? Never buy brushes made from real hair and take action for badgers today!
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Help Animals in 2026: Renew Your PETA Membership!
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