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Vegan? Here Are The Makeup Brands You Should Try

Vegan makeup is more ethical and sustainable than most regular beauty brands.

Thanks to a global paradigm shift and a changing consumer landscape, going vegan in 2019 is easier than ever before. There are vegan restaurants, vegan clothes, and even vegan influencers promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle!

The makeup world isn’t far behind, either. Check out our list of the top vegan makeup brands you can find in Australia below! We even threw in a couple of vegan skincare brands and vegan makeup brushes for a full vegan beauty routine.

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Why Is Vegan Makeup Popular?

Vegan makeup is increasing in popularity since more and more people are trying to make ethical choices in their everyday lives. From 2013 to 2018, the demand for vegan cosmetics increased by 175%. With the shift towards ethical consumerism, consumers are eschewing animal-derived ingredients commonly found in makeup (such as lanolin, carmine, and bee’s wax) for more natural, organic, or plant-based ingredients.

Vegan Cosmetics Versus Standard Makeup Brands

The #1 advantage vegan makeup has over standard makeup is the fact that they don’t contain any animal or animal-derived products. This makes it a great choice for anyone who loves makeup but doesn’t want to sacrifice their principles for it.

Another benefit of vegan makeup is that it often uses natural or organic ingredients to substitute for the chemicals and components usually found in most makeup. Because of this, people with sensitive skin can enjoy getting all dolled up without breakouts or other side-effects. Plus, it’s better for the environment, too!

A few years ago, when vegan makeup wasn’t all that popular yet, it was very difficult to find brands that catered to the vegan market. But today, there are tons of brands to choose from – and at similar price points to their non-vegan counterparts.

Vegan Versus Cruelty-Free

Before you start stocking your shopping cart, you need to know the difference between vegan and cruelty. If you see ‘100% vegan’ on the product label, that means that there are no animal or animal-derived ingredients in the product. 

Cruelty-free, on the other hand, refers to whether or not the product was tested on animals. This means that there are vegan makeup products that are tested on animals. The converse is also true – not all cruelty-free makeup is also vegan.

If you want to minimise the harm done to animals, look for makeup products that are both vegan and cruelty-free.

The Top 10 Vegan Makeup Brands

Inika Organic

Product range: Foundation, highlighter, bronzer, lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, makeup brushes, and more

Must-have: Certified Organic Liquid Foundation with Hyaluronic Acid, $AUD 65

Check out Inika Organic here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ffTRBpwGq/

Too Faced

Product range: Foundation, highlighter, bronzer, lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, and more

Must-have: Better Than Sex Mascara, $AUD 37

Check out Too Faced here.

Urban Decay

Product range: Foundation, highlighter, bronzer, lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, and more

Must-have: Any Naked eyeshadow palette, $AUD 83

Check out Urban Decay here.

Natio

Product range: Foundation, highlighter, bronzer, lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, makeup brushes, skincare, haircare, and more

Must-have: Natio Moisturising Lip Balm SPF 30+, $AUD 4.95

Check out Natio here.

Milk

Product range: Foundation, highlighter, bronzer, lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, skincare, and more

Must-have: Lip + Cheek Tint, £20.50 ($AUD 38.51)

Check out Milk here.

Kat Von D

Product range: Foundation, highlighter, bronzer, lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, makeup brushes, and more

Must-have: Tattoo Liner, $AUD 28

Check out Kat Von D here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3hgMvHnoVZ/

E.l.f.

Product range: Foundation, highlighter, bronzer, lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, makeup brushes, skincare, and more

Must-have: Mineral Infused Face Primer, $AUD 16

Check out e.l.f. here.

Jeffree Star

Product range: Highlighter, lipstick, eyeshadow, and more

Must-have: Velour Liquid Lipstick in your choice of shade, $AUD 28

Check out Jeffree Star here.

Cover FX

Product range: Foundation, highlighter, bronzer, eyeliner, eyeshadow, makeup brushes, skincare, and more

Must-have: Custom Enhancer Drops, $AUD 71

Check out Cover FX here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ZkSZzDSOX/

Lime Crime

Product range: Foundation, highlighter, bronzer, lipstick, eyeshadow, makeup brushes, hair dyes, and more

Must-have: Wet Cherry Gloss in your choice of shade, $AUD 26.91

Check out Lime Crime here.

BONUS: Eco Tools

Product range: Makeup brushes, hairbrushes, & skincare

Must-have: Start the Day Beautifully Kit, $AUD 20.83

Check out Eco Tools here.

The Ethical Makeup Choice

Whether you’re a full-blown vegan or you’re just trying to make healthier and more sustainable lifestyle choices, vegan makeup is definitely something you should consider. In fact, vegan makeup today has developed to the point where they’re pretty much indistinguishable in price, quality, and availability from regular non-vegan brands. Pick up a product or two and try it out for yourself!

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