The Ultimate Guide To Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands: Over 140+ Brands Listed

Welcome to the ultimate cruelty-free makeup guide! This page is the #1 resource for finding cruelty-free makeup at every price point. It has been regularly updated since we created it, and new brands continue to be added in 2021.

Note: I originally created this guide several years ago, and it now compiles over 160 vetted cruelty-free brands! I’ve had to remove some which are no longer cruelty-free, which is unfortunate, but I’ve also added many more since the guide was published. Thank you to everyone who has shared and used this guide to shop cruelty-free! I’m so glad to see that it’s been helpful to you. If you love this guide, consider sharing it with a friend.

Our Cruelty-Free Criteria

All brands listed have been vetted to be cruelty-free, meaning that no animal testing is being performed on either finished products or ingredients at any point during production and beyond. Our criteria is the Cruelty-Free 5, meaning:

• Their company doesn’t test finished products or ingredients on animals
• Their suppliers don’t test finished products or ingredients on animals
• No third parties test their finished products or ingredients on their behalf
• They do not test on animals where required by law
• Their products are not sold in stores in mainland China

Find out more about the Cruelty-Free 5 and how to determine if brands are truly cruelty-free.

In This Guide

Who said there aren’t many cruelty-free and vegan makeup brands?! I created this guide containing 160 brands to show you that it’s possible to find quality cruelty-free makeup for every budget, from high-end to drugstore.

You’ll find something for everyone, no matter the makeup brands you’re looking for. Brands are also split into 3 sections: mid-range and high-end, drugstore or budget-friendly, and “clean” (conscious, natural, or organic). In each category, you’ll find everything from natural-looking makeup to bold and glam. There’s no need to support brand that test on animals, and you’ll absolutely find brands that you love in this guide.

I divided this guide into 3 sections (click to skip to those sections):

• Mid-Range and High-End Brands
• Drugstore and Affordable Brands
• Natural and “Clean” Makeup Brands

For the first 2 sections, price point is the divider. By “mid-range” and “high-end” brands, I mean that their products typically cost more than $20 per product. For brands that fall under the “drugstore” or “budget-friendly” category, these brands are either available in stores or online, and their products typically fall under the $20 mark.

I also included a “clean beauty” section. Although the term “clean” may not be the best to describe the movement in general, I’m using the term to avoid confusion. “Clean beauty” refers to brands whose products don’t contain any potentially harmful ingredients. These brands are typically mid-range to high-end, though there are some affordable options as well.

Timeline

2017 UPDATE: I added more brands to the list! I also now mention ALL cruelty-free brands regardless of parent companies. If a brand is owned by a company that isn’t cruelty-free, you’ll find a * beside the brand and the parent company will be clearly marked.

2018 UPDATE: Vegan products for top brands were added! The biggest brands now have their vegan products listed below.

2019 UPDATE: Over 40 new cruelty-free makeup brands were added!

2021 UPDATE: New brands added! The post was overhauled.

Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands

The brands listed here are all officially cruelty-free, and their price point varies from mid-range to high-end. Many of them can be found in stores like Sephora and Ulta.

• Anastasia Beverly Hills
• Ardency Inn
• Aromi
• Auric
• bareMinerals
• Beautyblender
• Becca
• Ben Nye
• Benecos
• Besame
• Bite Beauty*
• Blinc
• Bossy Cosmetics
• butter LONDON
• Buxom*
• Cargo
• Chantecaille
• Chi Chi Cosmetics
• Ciaté
• Coloured Raine
• Cover FX
• Dermablend*
• Doll 10
• Dose Of Colors
• Edward Bess
• Ellis Faas
• Em Cosmetics
• Emani
• Eyeko
• Face Atelier
• Furless
• Glossier
• Grande Cosmetics
• Hourglass*
• Illamasqua
• IT Cosmetics*
• Jane Iredale
• Japonesque
• Jeffree Star
• Josie Maran
• Jouer
• Juvia’s Place
• Kaja
• KKW Beauty
• Koh Gen Do
• Kryolan
• KVD Vegan Beauty*
• Kylie Cosmetics*
• Laura Geller
• LUSH
• Lys Beauty
• Makeup Geek
• Marc Jacobs Beauty*
• Mehron
• Melt Cosmetics
• Mented Cosmetics
• Milk Makeup
• Nabla Cosmetics
• Natasha Denona
• Nude By Nature
• OFRA Cosmetics
• Perfekt
• Perricone MD
• PUR Cosmetics
• Pure Anada
• Range Beauty
• RCMA
• Rodial
• Rouge Bunny Rouge
• Saie
• Smashbox*
• Smith & Cult
• Stellar Beauty
• Stila
• Studio Makeup
• Suva Beauty
• Tarte*
• Thrive Causemetics
• Too Faced*
• trèStiQue
• Trish McEvoy
• Uoma Beauty
• Urban Decay*
• Vesca Beauty
• Wunderbrow

Keep scrolling for details and featured products from the best cruelty-free makeup brands listed above.

High-quality and luxurious makeup, beautiful packaging. Three of their face products are definitely cult favorites: their Ambient Lighing Powder (great for all skin types and tones), their Veil Mineral Primer, and their Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation (both great for oily skin).

Urban Decay markets itself as bold and edgy, but they also have a ton of neutrals and staple products. Primer Potion is a great eyeshadow primer suitable for oily lids and their All-Nighter Setting Spray is the best setting spray around for oily skin.

Super-pigmented and buttery eyeshadows, available both in bold and virbant colors or neutral shades, as it’s the case with the Naked palettes.

Note that Urban Decay is cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny-certified, but their parent company L’Oreal still tests on animals.

Anastasia specializes in brow products and makes some of the best ones on the market. These are available in multiple formats (pencil, pomade, powder) but also in a ton of shades. If you have eyebrows that are hard to fill out or colormatch, Anastasia has your back.

They expanded their collection way beyond brow products now, and they offer a full makeup line. For instance check out their contour palette.

Em Cosmetics was created by Michelle Phan. They offer products with everybody in mind, from the makeup newbie to the seasoned makeup artist. Their pricing is on the affordable side of mid-range, and they offer innovative products like their beloved liquid blushes.

Jouer has been flying under the radar, however they’re a high-quality makeup brand who even acquired Leaping Bunny certification. They’re currently available at Sephora and they offer products that are “classic and effortless”.

Stila gained fame with their Kitten eyeshadow, and although their popularity has dropped since, they continue to to be a big cruelty-free brand. Their products can be found around the world, at retailers like Sephora and Ulta.

Since they pulled out of mainland China, Smashbox has been cruelty-free, though they’re still owned by a parent company that isn’t. They can be found in many big retailers like Sephora. Standout products include their primers and setting sprays, but they offer a full range of makeup products.

Becca is very well-known for their gorgeous highlighters. They offer high-quality makeup and a great selection of products. They specialize in base products; their highlighters, bronzers, foundations, primers, and blushes are beautiful!

They recently came up with color correctors as well, which have pretty good reviews. Check out their red or peach correctors for undereye circles. Their green corrector is great to cover up redness, and their lavender corrector is great for dull and sallow skintones.

Illamasqua is about self-expression through the art of makeup. They offer rich pigments and bold colors, but also many products suitable for natural looks. Most of their collection is solid in terms of quality.

A popular favorite is their Hollow Cream Pigment for contouring, especially for lighter skintones. They have a huge selection of nail polish and their formula is fantastic. Their powder blushes are also worth checking out.

Too Faced is great for those who prefer natural-looking makeup with a little edge. They offer mostly neutral colors, and their packaging is super cute!

Especially popular for their pressed powder products, namely their Chocolate Bar Eye Palette (neutral colors, smells like chocolate), Primed & Poreless Pressed Powder (good for oily skin), as well as several convenient eye and face palettes. Better Than Sex is one of the best cruelty-free mascaras I’ve come across.

Milk Makeup is a new makeup brand available at Sephora. They’re all about “quick” makeup, mostly on the natural side. They have a lot of cream and stick products, like the Lip + Cheek stick.

This makeup line is definitely on the luxurious side. Gotta love the sleek, black packaging and the high-quality pigments. If you want a wonderful full coverage foundation, check out their Re(marc)able Foudation. They also offer a lot of beautiful and high-quality Eyeshadow Palettes.

Marc Jacobs Beauty is cruelty-free, but please keep in mind that their perfumes are not. They belong to a different brand, Marc Jacobs Fragrances (not cruelty-free).

Previously known as Kat Von D Beauty, the brand is no longer affiliated with the tattoo artist. Their products are high-quality yet still fairly-priced, and they offer everything from neutrals and nudes to bold and colourful items. Plus, they make the best matte eyeshadow palette ever for those who love matte neutrals.

They have an amazing selection of liquid lipsticks. Their Shade + Light contour palettes for both face and eyes are best-sellers and great products.

Josie Maran’s makeup and skincare is all about feeling luxurious without compromising ethics. They offer great products for natural looks, and their ingredients are also on the natural side.

One of their key ingredients is pure organic fair-trade argan oil, which is also present in their face, lip, and cheek products, even their Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee.

Tarte offers makeup free of parabens, synthetic fragrance, petrochemicals, GMOs, and gluten. Their Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes are super-pigmented, long-lasting, and non-chalky. I especially love the shade Exposed because it works with ANY eye and lip look!

Check out their In Bloom palette (pictured above), which has been getting a lot of love.

Offering foundations and concealers in a huge number of shades and undertones, and formulated for those with sensitive skin, acne, rosacea, or other skin conditions. Their Total Cover Cream Foundation is available in whooping 28 shades, and perfect if you’re looking for a true full coverage foundation. All Cover FX products are 100% vegan.

Offering high-quality lip products that are also “healthy enough to eat”. Their lipsticks contain less synthetics and potentially harmful ingredients than other mainstream brands. Huge choice of lip products and shades, highly-pigmented. Bite Beauty is Leaping Bunny-certified.

Juvia’s Place is well-known for their affordable, high-quality eyeshadow palette, but they create a full range of makeup products. They’re an inclusive, black-owned company that caters to all skin tones.

Quality makeup with a retro feel and packaging, and a good alternative to Benefit (which isn’t cruelty-free). Top picks include their awesomely glowy highlighter Mary-Lou Manizer, their pigmented and long-wearing Instain blushes, their Bahama Mama bronzer, and their underrated Nude Tude palette.

PUR Cosmetics is found in some drugstores as well as Ulta. They offer pressed powder products and are considered “the complexion authority”, but they’ve expanded their line way beyond that. They use non-toxic ingredients, but also effective ones.

They offer an interesting line of products called the 4-in-1 range, which has both makeup and skin care products that are multi-tasking.

IT Cosmetics was developed by Jamie Kern Lima (above) with the intention of providing more than just cover-up makeup. She wanted a product that also treats skin conditions such as rosacea, and acts as a problem to common skin problems. IT Cosmetics mostly focus on a flawless base (from foundation to concealer to contour products) and also offer skincare. You can buy IT Cosmetics from Ulta here.

Mented Cosmetics was created out of the desire for every woman, no matter the color of her skin, to be able to find her perfect nude lip shade. Today, they expanded their products from their original nude lipsticks to face, brow, cheek, eye, and nail products. They’re a black-owned company and they’re available at Target.

Rituel de Fille is “a new vision for beauty inspired by the magical side of natural ingredients, where pigment is elemental, ceremonial and powerful”. Beautiful and pigmented lipsticks, cream blushes, and eye makeup. You can now find them at Ulta.

Leaping Bunny-certified pro-quality independent brand. Their best-selling Ultra Foundation provides medium to full coverage and doesn’t require a primer. It’s also available in “adjuster” shades such as pure white, deep brown, and red. Some of their brushes are made from natural animal hair.

Originally a nail polish brand, Ciate has moved on to makeup! A few stand-out products include their Liquid Velvet Moisturizing Matte Liquid Lipstick (13 shades), The Pretty Eyeshadow Palette, and their Bamboo Bronzer Longwear Bronzing Powder.

Besame is bringing back vintage makeup with their retro packaging and products inspired by classic products. They even make their products in the USA. A must-have is their Brightening Setting Face Powder, and their Classic Color Lipstick is also getting rave reviews.

Uoma describes itself as “the world’s most inclusive black-owned brand”, and they want to redefine beauty as authenticity. They stand for self expression, colorful living, and African pride. One of their top products is their Say What?! Foundation which comes in 51 shades.

Perfekt aims to simplify the beauty routines of our super busy lives! They’re a relatively new brand and can be found at Sephora. They offer many versatile and multi-use products, and everything is free from parabens, synthetic fragrance, and talc. They’re made in the USA.

Blinc focuses solely on luxury eye products, specifically mascaras, brow products, and eyeliners. You can buy Blinc from Sephora, where they have fairly good reviews.

Cargo is a Canadian makeup brand that’s also available in the US at Kohl’s. Their focus is “simple, professional results that would be easy enough for all women to achieve”.

DuWop is an independent makeup company that stands out by offering some cool, nifty items such as their super-popular Lip Venom lip plumper, their Reverse Lip Liner (a product for lining the ouside of your lips, preventing your lipstick from bleeding and giving your lips a sharp line), and their awesome-looking and hydrating Icedteas Lip Treatments.

BareMinerals became popular for their mineral foundation, but have now branched out and offer a lot more mineral-based products. BareMinerals is owned by Bare Escentuals, which is owned by Shiseido. While Shiseido isn’t cruelty-free, Bare Escentuals still is.

Buxom is also a part of Bare Escentuals, but they specialize in non-mineral stuff, especially lip products. Check out their cool Full-On Lip Polish lip plumpers if you’re into plumping products that tingle! It’s their best-seller. Again, Bare Escentuals is owned by Shiseido, which isn’t cruelty-free.

The Body Shop is a great cruelty-free alternative. Their makeup is comparable to some mid-range brands. They have a great bronzer available in several shades (Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder, 20$). I also love their Lip Care ($14) moisturizer which actually comes in a bullet and looks like lipstick. Their complete range of brushes is vegan!

Lush mainly makes skin and body products, but they do offer a small selection of makeup as well.

Popular especially for their good quality and MAC-like eyeshadows at very decent prices! They also offer a good selection of blushes as well as 100% vegan and cruelty-free brushes.

Glossier is all about fresh, easy, minimalistic makeup. They’re somewhat new on the market but their products have been getting a lot of buzz. Check out their whole makeup line if you’re into natural, dewy looks. They already released their Glossier Play line which is more than their typical “barely there” makeup.

This brand has been gaining popularity for their luxurious, ultra-pigmented eyeshadows. They offer multiple eyeshadow palettes and the quality is fantastic although the price is a bit steep. They’re now available at Sephora.

Melt is a popular brand offering lipsticks in bold and unusual colors. They also have eyeshadow stacks that are greay quality, and many of their products are vegan (some contain Carmine).

Dose of Colors offers beautiful liquid and creamy lipsticks as well as fake lashes, eyeshadows, and highlighters. They have a vegan section on their website.

Coloured Raine is “an edgy collection of bold eye shadows, nail polishes, lipsticks and glosses that break all barriers in the cosmetic world”.

They offer a big selection of pressed eyeshadows from shimmery and matte, as well as cream eyeshadows bases and liners. Beautiful bold colors as well as neutral shades, great for makeup artists.

Mainly known for their highly-pigmented vegan lipsticks, Aromi also make over 25 vegan solid fragrances for both men and women, as well as a few liquid perfumes.

Cruelty-Free Drugstore Brands

These brands are either found in drugstore, or you can purchase them online. All of them are more affordable, and many brands still provide high-quality and cruelty-free products at a more reasonable price.

• 3INA
• Annabelle
• Ardell
• Barry M
• BH Cosmetics
• Burt’s Bees*
• Catrice
• Colourpop
• Covergirl*
• EcoTools
• e.l.f.
• Essence
• Fiona Stiles
• Flower
• GOSH
• Hard Candy
• Jane
• Jason Wu Beauty
• Jordana
• Kiko
• LA Girl
• Makeup Revolution
• Marcelle
• Milani
• Mineral Fusion
• Nip + Fab
• No7
• NYX*
• Pacifica
• Palladio
• Pixi
• Primark
• Pupa Milano
• Real Techniques
• Sleek
• Sonia Kashuk
• Stargazer
• Superdrug
• The Ordinary*
• theBalm
• Zoeva

E.l.f. offers inexpensive products (typically around 3$ to 4$ per individual item) in sleek packaging that mimics higher-end brands. They’re a hit or miss brand and the prices mostly reflect the quality, meaning their makeup most often doesn’t measure up to high-end brands, but they do have some great products and very decent dupes. Their affordable prices make them a great brand for those on a budget, or just starting out with makeup. They reformulated all their brushes and they are now 100% vegan!

An overall solid and good quality drugstore brand that’s also certified cruelty-free by the Leaping Bunny. Check out their Baked Blushes (Luminoso in particular is a popular favorite), eyeshadows and eyeshadow primer, pencil and liquid eyeliners, as well as lip products; most of these are long-lasting and very pigmented. They have a great selection of both natural and bold colors, and some good makeup staples!

NYX remains cruelty-free despite their acquisition by L’Oreal in 2014. This is another good quality drugstore makeup brand, offering highly pigmented products in both natural and bold shades. Their lip products are particularly worth checking out, especially the Soft Matte Lip Creams and lip glosses. Their blushes and eyeshadows are also a good bang for your buck. Their Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencil in Milk is a big favorite, cheap, and versatile: you can use it as an eyeshadow primer, highlighter, and lid concealer. It’s a must-have if you want to make less-pigmented shadows pop!

Affordable good-quality makeup. They currently offer lip products and eyeshadows, both in a huge color selection. Their eyeshadows are highly pigmented and available in several finishes.

Covergirl is now cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny certified, which may come as a shock to some. They are not using any loopholes and they are not selling in mainland China. Since it’s an internationally available brand, it’s nice to have a widely common brand that’s cruelty-free. Keep in mind however that their parent company is not.

Pacifica is not only cruelty-free, but also 100% vegan. They offer so many products from makeup to body care and even hair care. Known for their colourful packaging, their products are also affordable and they’re available at Ulta and Target.

Pixi is mainly known for their skincare, however they offer a lot of makeup products and they’re available in drugstores across the world. You can also find them at Target and Ulta.

Sonia Kashuk is exclusively available at Target and offers wearable, more natural makeup. This brand is best known for their high-quality yet affordable makeup brushes.

Please note however that some of them are made from natural animal hair which I don’t view as cruelty-free, even though the company claims that the brushes are obtained in humane ways — it’s up to you whether or not you trust this claim.

A great synthetic brush I would recommend is their Synthetic Flat Top Multipurpose Brush.

Other than the brushes, their makeup is also good quality and worth checking out, especially their Dramatically Defining Long-Wear Gel Liner, Eye On Neutral matte palette, and nail polishes.

This brand is a Walmart exclusive, and you can find it both in the United States and Canada. Their products are inexpensive and sometimes on the bold or shimmery side. Their Fast & Fabulous Setting Spray is a good drugstore setting spray and is very affordable.

BH Cosmetics offers a wide range of makeup at SUPER affordable prices! They have huge and inexpensive eyeshadow palettes, contour palettes, and more, and they’re Leaping Bunny certified.

Zoeva is a popular German makeup brand that also offers a huge selection of makeup brushes. They have an international presence as well. They offer some vegan products including their brushes, but not everything is vegan.

More Drugstore Brands

There are a few other cruelty-free drugstore brands worth mentioning, such as Jordana (owned by Milani), Flower (Drew Barrymore’s line, exclusively available at Walmart), Jane, and Prestige (both available at Ulta). Mineral Fusion can be found at Target.

For those in the UK, there’s Barry M, Sleek, and Superdrug’s brand B. which is Leaping Bunny certified.

For Canadian cruelty-free shoppers (and some American locations), there’s also the UK-based makeup brand GOSH that’s available at Shopper’s Drug Mart. The brand Quo Beauty also recently rebranded and they are not officially cruelty-free. Marcelle and Annabelle are also commonly available in drugstores and both arecruelty-free.

Clean + Conscious Cruelty-Free Brands

These brands fall under the “clean beauty”, or conscious beauty category. Their products don’t contain any ingredients that are potentially harmful. Most brands below are mid-range to high-end, but you’ll also find some that are affordable.

It’s important to note that not all “clean beauty” brands are cruelty-free, and not all of them are vegan. The ones listed here are cruelty-free.

• 100% Pure
• Aether Beauty
• Alima Pure
• Antonym
• Au Naturale
• Axiology
• Bellapierre
• Clove + Hallow
• Dr. Hauschka
• Ecco Bella
• Elate
• Ere Perez
• Everyday Minerals
• Exa Beauty
• Fior Minerals
• Gabriel Cosmetics
• Gressa
• HAN
• Hynt Beauty
• ILIA
• Inika
• Juice Beauty
• Kari Gran
• Kjaer Weis
• Kosas
• Lilah B.
• Lily Lolo
• RMS Beauty
• Sappho
• Suntegrity
• Vapour Organic Beauty
• W3ll People
• Wander Beauty
• Zuii Organic
• ZuZu Luxe

Kosas describes itself as “makeup for skincare freaks” and “super clean”. Their makeup aims to be comfortable and pleasant on the skin. Even with their non-toxic formulas, they provide high pigment and color that lasts all day. They also offer a well-loved clean deodorant. They’re available at Sephora.

This is one of the top green makeup brands out there. They offer high-quality makeup that you’ll love if you’re into more natural looks, and everything is free of petrochemicals, artificial preservatives, GMOs, parabens, dyes, fragrance, sulphates, phtalates, glycols, and nano particles. Their brushes are also synthetic and cruelty-free. Check out their Narcissist Stick Foundation.

Another established green makeup brand offering awesome, minimalist makeup!  Their range mainly consists of versatile paintpot-like items for face, cheeks, lips, and eyes. A popular option is their lip2cheek paintpot in Smile. RMS Beauty is a great brand for those into organic makeup and glowy skin.

More reknown for their lipsticks and lip products, ILIA is a Leaping Bunny-certified natural and organic makeup company that also offers some staples such as their Mascara that’s available in several shades, and nifty multi-use sticks. Everything is high-quality, both in terms of ingredients and final products.

Kjaer Weis is the crème de la crème of green makeup. This is a luxury brand that offers beautiful, sturdy, sleek packaging along with high-quality products. Their makeup is organic, eco-friendly, and sustainable, and their containers are refillable. If you  like luxurious makeup on the natural side, look into their foundations and cream blushes, especially Blossoming.

Another great brand that’s both Leaping Bunny-certified and organic! Vapour Organic Beauty offers an attractive line of cruelty-free makeup, but they have a big skincare line as well. Their Atmospheric Soft Focus Foundation is great for mature skin.

This Leaping Bunny-certified company markets itself as “the skin care makeup”. Jane Iredale offers a very wide range of makeup made from nourishing ingredients free of harsh synthetics and parabens. They have a very wide range of makeup, mostly in natural shades and finishes but they also offer some shimmery or colorful items. Their pressed mineral foundation is available in 24 shades.

This brand is mostly vegan except for the products that contain honey, and free from harmful synthetics such as parabens and fragrance. They also use fruit and vegetable dyes as their makeup pigments! For instances, their Blackberry Mascara uses blackberry as pigment and their Fruit Pigmented Blush uses cranberry pigment. Their foundations and face products are also high in antioxidants.

Natural and organic makeup including a fantastic liquid foundation as well as fully synthetic and cruelty-free makeup brushes that are very good quality. Based in Canada.

Au Naturale (100% VEGAN) offers both mineral-based and cream-based makeup for natural makeup lovers. They also have a line of cruelty-free and 100% vegan brushes. Everything is made in the United States and 100% VEGAN.

More “Clean” and Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands

There are many mineral makeup brands out there; don’t hesitate to comment if you think a company should be added to this section. A popular one is Alima Pure, but they’re on the pricier side. Another great option is Everyday Minerals; especially check out their ultra-soft brushes as well. Youngblood, and Lily Lolo offer mineral makeup products in addition to a wide selection of pressed items, lipsticks, and creams.

A few more clean beauty brands to look into are Elate, Ere Perez, Inika, Antonym, Bellapierre, and Zuii Organic.

FURTHER READING:
List of Cruelty-Free Brands at Sephora
Complete List of Cruelty-Free Drugstore Brands