A few weeks ago, I asked over 3000 readers what their favorite products of 2015 are. Based on your answers and lots of research -- with some personal experience thrown into the mix -- I was able to compile this list.
I'm incredibly excited to share this huge post with you! I'm especially pumped because all the brands featured here are all 100% cruelty-free, with many vegan options. This means that none of the brands below are owned by companies that test on animals.
I'll be listing the absolute best cruelty-free makeup, skincare, as well as hair and body products. Don't hesitate to share your personal faves with us in the comments!
is a full-coverage foundation that looks just like skin. It has a natural, radiant finish and melts beautifully into the skin.
is the ultimate liquid liner. It makes it easy to draw a precise line, and it's super black, smudge-proof, and lasts all day.
The IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer was a big favorite in 2015. It covers stubborn dark circles and doesn't crease the way more concealers do.
If you love a dramatic mascara, was made for you. It gives lashes major volume and makes them look extra thick and luscious.
The is the trick to creating a flawless base for all skin types. If you have oily skin, this primer will help your foundation last all day.
This is a must-have for polished brows. It sets them in place so they don't budge all day long. It's thick yet clear, so it works with any brow color.
Liquid lipsticks are all the craze right now, and Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipstick are a huge reader favorite. Above is the cult shade "Lolita", but you have 29 shades to choose from!
The Koh Gen Do Maifanishi Face Powder is a real gem for all skin types. It sets foundation and prevents oiliness through the day, but it also contains hyaluronic acid for extra moisture.
The is good enough to eat! Seriously, it smells like chocolate and it's heavenly. It also comes in 3 shades and blends amazingly into your skin.
are super pigmented and easy to blend, not to mention they're really affordable for the quality. Plus you can build your own blush palette!
The BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector is a glorious highlighter that adds the most beautiful glow to your skin. It's available in 7 different shades to suit ALL skintones.
The Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist sets your makeup and gets rid of any cakiness. It's the ultimate last step to your makeup routine for a natural, dewy finish.
The is the bomb. The colors are pigmented, blendable, and organized by warmth (warm, cool, and neutral). I guarantee you'll be using this palette daily.
The Beauty Blender is making a comeback right now, and it's the best way to apply liquids, creams, and even powders. If you're still using a brush to apply foundation, grab yourself this tool.
The One Love Organics Vitamin B Enzyme Cleansing Oil is an amazing makeup remover for all skin types, including sensitive or acne-prone skin.
The Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash is a favorite among readers! It's affordable, gentle on the skin, and even removes makeup.
The Mad Hippie Face Cream is not only great at providing moisture, but it's also packed with skin-smoothing and antiaging ingredients like Niacinamide and Coenzyme Co Q10. This one takes the crown.
The Pixi Glow Tonic uses glycolic acid for gentle yet effective exfoliation. Used daily, it leaves your skin glowy, super soft, and younger-looking.
The sunscreen is the best out there. It dries matte and non-greasy, making it easy to wear under makeup. It's also a mineral sunscreen, giving you the best and healthiest protection.
The Sunday Riley LUNA Sleeping Night Oil is an effective retinol treatment for all skin types. It reduces the appearance of pores and fine lines and repairs damaged skin using top quality ingredients.
The Giovanni Smooth As Silk Shampoo is ultra-gentle and well with all hair types. It boosts moisture and leaves your hair soft, silky, and shiny.
The Alterna Caviar Repair RX Instant Recovery Conditioner is a little miracle for damaged hair. It transforms dull, dry, colored, or over-processed hair and brings it back to life.
The Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is one of the best hair products ever, and it's a reader favorite. Use it to boost volume and add hold to your hairstyle at the same time.
The John Masters Organics Citrus & Neroli Detangler is an amazing leave-in treatment that transforms dry and frizzy hair.
The Nubian Heritage Body Wash in Coconut & Papaya is absolutely heavenly. It smells amazing, leaves skin soft and moisturized, and doesn't contain any harsh chemicals. Nubian Heritage is one of my favorite finds of the year, and I highly recommend you try something from this brand.
The is a big hit! It's VERY moisturizing yet fast-absorbing, and smells amazing. If you suffer from dry skin, give this one a shot.
Nubian Heritage make several soaps for different skin types, and all of them are amazing. Pictured here is their Raw Shea Butter Soap, with Frankincense and Myrrh.
Schmidt's Deodorant is a big green beauty fave, and it's one of the few natural deodorants that hasn't irritated my skin. Plus, it has a lovely scent and truly keeps odors at bay.
Were any of your personal favorites in this list? Leave a comment below to share your own top cruelty-free beauty products of 2015!
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but i thought retinol is not vegan.so sunday riley stuff is not vegan. but you guys say it is cruelty free. or is retinol vegan?
But Alterna uses caviar in its’ products…no?
tatcha got bought out by loreal so they are not cruelty free anymore.
I can’t find anything that verifies this. Source?
Hi! I’m writing a blog for my website and would like to use your Pinterest image with credits to your blog. Would you kindly give me the permission to do so? 🙂
Kindly
Jenn
kieroncollective.com
Hi Jenn, of course! 🙂
I was hoping to find the best eye cream/serum on this list. Any recommendations? I tried Estée Lauder’s Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging Eye Balm and loved it but later found out EL is not cruelty free 🙁
I recently saw a post from you saying that IT cosmetics just sold out to L’oreal. If that’s the case then maybe this post would need an update 🙂
How can a non-vegan product be classified as cruelty free?
Brands that are cruelty free don’t test on animals and can create both vegan and non-vegan products. A product that is vegan wouldn’t contain any animal derived products, period.
For example, Kate Somerville is a cruelty free skincare brand, and I believe all of their products are vegan except one line: her goat milk line. Obviously goat milk is an animal-derived product, yet it’s not one in which an animal is harmed to obtain it. Other common animal derived yet cruelty free products are beeswax (common in lip products) and animal hairs (for makeup brushes… the hairs can simply be brushed and/or shaved off the animals).
I hope this helped. 🙂
Just clicked on the “Too Faced” mascara link, and it took me right to the Sephora website 🙁 Not cruelty free.
If you don’t shop at Sephora, it’s available at Too Faced’s online store as well. 🙂
Why do you like this foundation better than Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Liquid Foundation? How are they similar/different? Thanks!
I am surprised to see 2 Kate Von D products on this list. Their parent company is not cruelty free right? It is hard to keep it all straight.
Their parent company is Kendo, which is considered to be cruelty-free. Sephora isn’t cruelty-free and used to be KVD’s parent company before this change. LVMH owns both Kendo and Sephora.
Thanks for clarifying. I am just making the transition to all cruelty free products and it is quite an undertaking! There is alot to learn!
Amen sister!
There are so many products on here that I can’t wait to try this year. Thank you for creating such a fabulous list!
Thank you Jen!!
What a great list! Thank you for making this!
Thanks for making this awesome list! That Kat Von D Eyeliner is amazing! I was wondering if you could recommend a cruelty free anti-perspirant. I see lots of deodorant options, but nothing that is made to stop sweat too. I tried one from Tom’s of Maine, but it left stains on my clothes 🙁
Certain Dri is cruelty-free!
Tom’s of Maine is owned by Colgate, which is not cruelty free. Certain-Dri is a great cruelty-free antiperspirant, lasts forever, and can be found at CVS and other drugstores.
I really want to try the Too Faced bronzer and the lipsticks from Kat Von D! Also I heard a lot of good things about the Becca highlighter 🙂 My favorite cruelty-free product is probably the shampoo I Love Juicy or the Herbalism cleanser, both from Lush
Fantastic selection! I’ve heard mixed reviews on the Born This Way foundation, but I am a huge fan of the Beauty Blender and I would love to try the Hourglass primer.
So glad you approve, haha! I have yet to try the real beauty blender, but I think I’ll buy it for the sake of a comparison post. Do you think it’s worth the extra money? So far I’m very happy with the RT dupe (and hated my ebay dupe).
I think it is. I’ve tried cheap(er) dupes before but I ALWAYS go back to my trusted pink egg in the end 🙂
Hi I am a big lover of Alterna Hair Care but read somewhere that their not cruelty free, was that information incorrect, theirs not yours?
Thanks for the head’s up, I’m looking into it! I believe they’re still cruelty-free as far as I know, but I’ll triple check.
Hi! Any luck on finding out if Alterna is still cruelty free? Thanks! 🙂
Right now it’s in the grey area unfortunately.
i’m surprised lush isn’t anywhere on the list. i don’t use it, but i thought that was the go to brand for cruelty free products.
anyway, do you have recommendations for body lotion and astringent?
also, is giovanni a good brand overall? that’s what i’ve been using lately, but only because whole foods happened to have it.
thank you!!
Lush was a close second for best body moisturizer! Their Charity Pot and Dream Cream lotions are very moisturizing and soothing. About Giovanni, yes, it’s one of the best cruelty-free hair care brands out there and very affordable! Hope this helps.
I was really interested in the Koh Gen Do
Face Powder In Jar, but the ingredient list on Sephora reads that it has silk powder. Does that mean it’s not vegan?
Unfortunately it’s most likely not vegan. As an alternative I believe Too Faced makes great finishing powders that are vegan, though!
How about eye brow pencils or treatments?
Definitely look into Anastasia Beverly Hills’s Brow Wiz for a great brow pencil! They’re also releasing a new pencil that has a slanted tip which looks very promising.
Thank you. I will!!
Thank you for the info. I’m going to keep this post! Best regards from Barcelona,
Thank you Marta, all the best to you!
This is fab! Some new brands that I had not yet heard of so looking forward to trying a few out this year 🙂
I got a mini Too Faced kit for Christmas & I’ve been loving the Better Than Sex Mascara & bronzer. I wanna buy some foundation with some Christmas money. Intrigued by the deodorant. I’ve heard of it before, just need to try it! Love that shampoo, too. 🙂 Great post!
Christina
http://www.cityloveee.com
Thanks Christina! Glad you loved the Too Faced picks! 🙂
Thanks for compiling this list! Can you tell me which of these producrs are vegan?
Im pretty sure Too Faced is vegan friendly, i love their stuff. Im not aware of the other products, yet.
havent done all my research yet, newly vegan right here! lol
heres a list of vegan friendly from too faced.
https://www.toofaced.com/faq/