Looking for affordable vegan makeup? You’ve come to the right place. We love exploring vegan drugstore makeup brands that help make ethical beauty accessible to everyone.
We’ve listed the 12 best affordable vegan makeup brands for you to explore. See also our picks for the best affordable vegan makeup products from foundations to mascaras and lipsticks.
In 2024, you don’t have to compromise your values when shopping for budget-friendly makeup. Many drugstore brands today are cheap, vegan, and cruelty-free.
Best Affordable Vegan Makeup Brands
From E.l.f. to Wet N Wild, these cheap vegan and cruelty-free makeup brands help you save money on vegan makeup. Fill your makeup case with budget-friendly vegan cosmetics.
- E.l.f. – 100% vegan
- Pacifica – 100% vegan
- The Lip Bar – 100% vegan
- NYX
- Wet N Wild
- Essence
- Covergirl
- Milani
- Physicians Formula
- ColourPop
- Catrice
- Palladio
1. E.l.f.
E.l.f. is the best affordable vegan makeup brand. This Californian company is 100% vegan and has the best selection of vegan face, lip, and eye makeup at really low prices. Everything from E.l.f. is paraben-free and made in a certified fair trade factory.
From E.l.f., we can recommend so many affordable vegan makeup products. We love their Flawless Finish Foundation, Camo Concealer, Halo Glow Setting Powder, and Bite Size Eyeshadows. You can get great-quality vegan makeup for less than 10 dollars.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA and Leaping Bunny
- Vegan: Yes, 100% vegan and certified by PETA
- Features: paraben-free, phthalate-free, triclosan-free, made in a fair trade factory
- Pricing: $2–15
2. Pacifica Beauty
Pacifica Beauty is one of our favorite affordable vegan skincare brands. To our joy, Pacifica also has a fantastic selection of budget-friendly vegan makeup made from clean and natural ingredients. Pacifica never uses harsh chemicals such as parabens or mineral oils.
From Pacifica, we recommend their Pink Nudes Mineral Eyeshadow Palette, Aquarian Gaze Mascara, and Kind Tint Tinted Serum. Their bestselling Cherry Powder is also a great affordable vegan setting powder for oily skin. Pacifica is PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA
- Vegan: Yes, 100% vegan and certified by PETA
- Features: female-owned, natural, clean, paraben-free, phthalate-free, SLS-free, mineral oil-free
- Pricing: $5–24
3. The Lip Bar
Founded by a fierce female entrepreneur Melissa Butler, The Lip Bar is a great affordable vegan makeup brand on Target. They have the best selection of affordable vegan lipsticks, lip liners, and glosses. Everything from The Lip Bar is vegan and has never been tested on animals.
This Detroit-based company creates vegan makeup that is able to complement a wide variety of skin tones and look great on multi-hued lips. Their $14 Bawse Lady Liquid Matte Lipstick is the best affordable red vegan lipstick around.
- Cruelty-free: Yes
- Vegan: Yes, 100% vegan
- Features: black female-owned, paraben-free
- Pricing: $8–22
4. NYX
NYX is another cheap vegan makeup brand we love. While NYX is not 100% vegan, they have a great vegan selection. In fact, their official vegan selection doesn’t even cover all the vegan-friendly products they offer. When shopping at NYX, look for products with a vegan tag.
From NYX vegan makeup, we love their Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette, XXL Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipstick, Mineral Powder, Contouring Stick, and Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray. Also, their 10-dollar Epic Ink Liner is the best vegan eyeliner of all time.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA
- Vegan: Not entirely, see their vegan makeup selection here
- Features: paraben-free, SLS-free
- Pricing: $2.50–25
5. Wet N Wild
Californian brand Wet N Wild is one of the cheapest makeup brands ever. This legendary cosmetics brand is PETA-certified animal test-free and has many options for affordable vegan face makeup, vegan eye makeup, and vegan lip makeup.
The prices for Wet N Wild makeup start from as low as $3 for the MegaSlicks Vegan Lip Gloss and their vegan makeup brushes are even cheaper than that. We like that Wet N Wild has a convenient vegan filter on their website and their vegan-friendly products are always marked so.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA
- Vegan: Not entirely, see their vegan makeup selection here
- Features: fragrance-free options, gluten-free options
- Pricing: $1.70–17
6. Essence
Essence is a great affordable vegan makeup brand from Germany. The company is not entirely vegan but has a good selection of inexpensive vegan makeup products for eyes, lips, face, and nails. Many of Essence’s products are also gluten-free and alcohol-free.
From Essence, we absolutely love their affordable vegan mascaras, especially the bestselling Sculpted Volume Mascara which only costs $4.99. They also have a beautiful vegan-friendly I Like To Mauve It Eyeshadow Palette, Eyebrow Gel Mascara, and This Is Nude Lipstick.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA
- Vegan: Not entirely, see their vegan makeup selection here
- Features: most products are paraben-free with many oil-free, gluten-free, and alcohol-free options, mainly made in Europe
- Pricing: $2–13
7. Covergirl
Famous drugstore brand Covergirl has been certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny since 2018. Covergirl is not fully vegan but we love their Clean Fresh Collection which is 100% vegan, clean, chemical-free, and incredibly affordable.
From their Clean Fresh Range, we suggest trying their affordable Skin Milk Vegan Foundation, Tinted Lip Balm, and Cream Blush. Covergirl also offers some good-quality affordable vegan mascaras such as their bestselling Lash Blast Clean Mascara.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by Leaping Bunny
- Vegan: Not entirely, see their vegan makeup selection here
- Features: Clean Fresh Vegan Range is free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and talc
- Pricing: $5–20
8. Milani
Milani is one of our favorite cosmetic brands for face and complexion products. The brand is not fully vegan but many of their bestsellers are. Milani products are also very affordable and sustainably made in the USA. Their vegan products are always tagged so.
Los Angeles-based Milani currently offers over 50 affordable vegan makeup products. Our favorites are their Baked Bronzer, Make It Last Setting Spray, and Bright Side Illuminating Primer, and Cheek Kiss Liquid Blush.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA
- Vegan: Not entirely, see their vegan makeup selection here
- Features: made in the USA, paraben-free options
- Pricing: $6–20
9. Physicians Formula
Physicians Formula is an affordable makeup brand formulated with sensitive skin in mind. The brand is cruelty-free with a sizable collection of vegan-friendly makeup. Physicians Formula makeup is affordable, hypoallergenic, and free of over 100 potential skin irritants.
Our favorite affordable vegan product from Physicians Formula is their Murumuru Butter Bronzer. This gorgeous bronzer is made with natural plant oils. We also like their vegan Mineral Wear Pressed Powder and Killer Curves Curling Mascara.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA
- Vegan: Not entirely, see their vegan makeup selection here
- Features: clean, natural, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, dermatologist-approved
- Pricing: $6–19
10. ColourPop
American cosmetics brand ColourPop has become a real hit in the beauty world. This brand is budget-friendly with lip, eye, and face makeup products that really perform well. ColourPop is cruelty-free and many of their products are vegan.
The best affordable vegan makeup products from this Californian brand include their Sweet Roll Cheek Palette, No Filter Matte Concealer, and of course, their bestselling vegan false eyelashies. Their vegan products always have a vegan label on their website.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA
- Vegan: Not entirely, see their vegan makeup selection here
- Features: paraben-free options
- Pricing: $7–35
Shop on: Ulta, Official site
11. Catrice
Catrice is a European affordable makeup brand that focuses on clean and skin-friendly formulas. Most of their products are free of gluten, alcohol, fragrance, and oil. This German brand is also very wallet-friendly with makeup prices starting from as low as 3 dollars.
Catrice is 100% cruelty-free with lots of vegan makeup options. Above all, we recommend their HD Liquid Coverage Foundation. It’s only 10 dollars and provides the most natural-looking coverage. Their new tinted moisturizer is also great, hope it’s soon also available in the USA.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by PETA
- Vegan: Not entirely, see their vegan makeup selection here
- Features: paraben-free, gluten-free options, alcohol-free options, sustainable palm oil
- Pricing: $3–15
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
12. Palladio
Based in Florida, Palladio offers vegan makeup that is affordable and made with natural ingredients. They company is not 100% vegan but has a wonderful vegan selection of eye, brow, lip, and face makeup products. Palladio is also Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free.
Palladio has our favorite affordable vegan Brow Powder, Hydrating Lip Oil, and Mattifying Rice Primer. Most of Palladio’s products are under 15 dollars and safe for sensitive skin.
- Cruelty-free: Yes, certified by Leaping Bunny
- Vegan: Not entirely, see their vegan makeup selection here
- Features: paraben-free, gluten-free options, natural
- Pricing: $4–25
Shop on: Amazon, Sally Beauty
Best Affordable Vegan Makeup Products For Under $10
Here are the best cheap vegan makeup products for under 10 dollars. In our experience, These affordable vegan drugstore makeup products perform as well as more expensive ones.
- Best Affordable Vegan Foundation: E.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation ($6)
- Best Affordable Vegan Tinted Moisturizer: Wet N Wild Bare Focus Skin Veil ($6.49)
- Best Affordable Vegan Primer: E.l.f. Mineral Infused Face Primer ($10)
- Best Affordable Vegan Concealer: NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Concealer ($9.50)
- Best Affordable Vegan Blush: Wet N Wild Color Icon Powder Blush ($3.99)
- Best Affordable Vegan Bronzer: E.l.f. Primer-Infused Bronzer ($7)
- Best Affordable Vegan Highlighter: Wet N Wild MegaGlo Loose Powder ($6.29)
- Best Affordable Vegan Mascara: Essence Sculpted Volume Mascara ($4.99)
- Best Affordable Vegan Lipstick: NYX Lip Lingerie XXL Matte Liquid Lipstick ($10)
- Best Affordable Vegan Eyeshadow: E.l.f. Bite Size Eyeshadow Palette ($3)
- Best Affordable Vegan Setting Powder: E.l.f. Halo Glow Setting Powder ($8)
- Best Affordable Vegan Setting Spray: NYX Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray ($9.50)
*Prices at the time of publishing
Is Affordable Makeup Vegan?
Affordable makeup is not always vegan. While affordable brands tend to use a higher concentration of cheaper synthetic ingredients (which are vegan), many affordable makeup products still include some animal-derived ingredients such as beeswax or carmine.
In addition to non-vegan formulas, many affordable makeup brands such as Maybelline or L’Oréal Paris still test their products on animals. This especially applies to drugstore brands that operate in physical stores in mainland China where animal testing is difficult to bypass.
Even though Maybelline likes to label its animal ingredient-free makeup product ‘vegan’, none of Maybelline’s makeup can be actually considered vegan because of its unethical animal testing practices. Thus it’s always safer to buy vegan makeup from certified cruelty-free brands.
What To Look For In Affordable Vegan Makeup
When shopping for affordable vegan makeup, remember that you do not have to settle for poor-quality products. Affordable brands like E.l.f. or NYX are good examples of companies that make great-quality vegan makeup at budget-friendly prices.
In addition to quality, affordable vegan makeup can be also made from clean ingredients. Most leading affordable brands today are free of parabens, phthalates, and other potential endocrine disruptors. You do not have to compromise your health when saving money on vegan makeup.
Some affordable makeup brands such as Pacifica Beauty and Physicians Formula are even considered clean, natural, and hypoallergenic. If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, you can find affordable vegan makeup that is gentle and free of fragrance, alcohol, and talc.
How We Review Affordable Vegan Makeup
At Vegan Avenue, we review affordable vegan makeup by personally trying out the bestselling brands and products. We then combine our personal experience with hundreds of online reviews to reach the most objective conclusion about the brand or product.
We always prefer affordable vegan makeup brands that are 100% vegan. Nevertheless, we like to list companies that are not entirely vegan but are committed to offering a wide selection of affordable vegan makeup. For us, it’s all about the balance of quality and values.
When we add a pricing range to the brands, we do not take into account the special discounts, bundles, and mega-sized products. When we add an exact price to a product, it’s always the price at the time of publishing. All prices are subject to change.
FAQ About Affordable Vegan Makeup
Affordable makeup is not necessarily vegan. Affordable makeup products can include a variety of animal-derived ingredients such as beeswax or carmine. Affordable drugstore makeup can also be tested on animals.
The best selection of affordable vegan makeup is affordable on Amazon and Ulta. Also, Target and Walmart offer cheap vegan makeup brands.
The best affordable vegan makeup brands are E.l.f., Pacifica Beauty, and The Lip Bar. These brands are 100% vegan and cruelty-free with a good selection of cheap vegan makeup.
No, Maybelline is not vegan. Maybelline likes to label some of its formulas vegan but since the company tests on animals, none of its makeup products can be considered vegan.
Summary
We hope you enjoyed our selection of affordable vegan makeup brands and products. Vegan makeup does not have to cost a fortune. You can also find many cheaper drugstore brands that help fill your beauty arsenal in a vegan and cruelty-free way.
Our favorite affordable vegan makeup brands are currently E.l.f. and Pacifica Beauty. We also like the cheap vegan makeup products from NYX, Wet N Wild, Covergirl, Milani, and other cruelty-free brands.
As we find new affordable vegan-friendly makeup brands, we will add our favorites to this article.
See also: Best Affordable Vegan Skincare
Main image: courtesy of Catrice
