Eyeshadow is one of the hardest types of makeup to find vegan. While the leading lipsticks are already carmine-free, eyeshadow is far more reluctant to give up insect pigments.
Luckily, vegan eye makeup is slowly gaining momentum. We are excited to bring you the best vegan eyeshadows and vegan eyeshadow brands right now.
Enjoy beautiful vegan eyeshadow pigments and vegan eyeshadow palettes brought to you by beautiful plants.
All eyeshadows below are vegan and cruelty-free, meaning they are free of animal ingredients and have not been tested on animals.
Best Vegan Eyeshadows 2024
Here are the best vegan eyeshadows on the market right now. From soft mattes to intense shimmers – these vegan pigments will make your skin glow and eyes sparkle.
- Best Palette: Urban Decay Naked Wild West Palette
- Best Compact: Ilia The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette
- Best Organic: Athr Beauty Rose Quartz Crystal Gemstone Palette
- Best Professional: ABH Norvina Pro Pigment Palette Vol 5
- Best Affordable: E.l.f. Bite Size Eyeshadow Palette
- Best Refillable: Honeybee Gardens Skinny Dip Palette
- Best Monochromatic: Glossier Monochromes Eyeshadow Trio
- Best Smokey Eye: Lime Crime Venus Immortalis Palette
- Best Singles: Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeshadow Singles
- Best Powder: Bellapierre Shimmer Powder
- Best Cream: Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerize Cream Eyeshadow
- Best Liquid: Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Liquid Eyeshadow
- Best Glitter: Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow
- Best Stick: KVD Dazzle Vegan Eyeshadow Stick
Best Vegan Eyeshadow Palette
1. Urban Decay Naked Wild West Palette
Urban Decay Naked Wild West is the best vegan eyeshadow palette. It’s smooth, pigmented, and versatile allowing for a wide range of looks from daily neutrals to full-on evening glam. The deep teal and copper shades are just magnificent, especially for brown eyes.
- What we like: the most beautiful set of colors
- What we don’t like: shades break easily
- What other reviewers say: good pigment, great balance between warm and cool shades, gold, silver, and green tones highly praised
Key ingredients: mica, talc, capric triglyceride (vegan glycerin with coconut oil) | Finish: matte, metallic, shimmer | Shade range: 12 pan palette, 1 palette option | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, synthetic fragrance-free
Best Compact Vegan Eyeshadow Palette
2. Ilia The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette
The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette is the best compact vegan eyeshadow palette for everyday looks. The shades are buttery soft, easy to use, and made from clean ingredients. We just love a palette where no shade goes unused. The palette comes in cool and warm neutral shades.
- What we like: the best set of neutrals, great pigment
- What we don’t like: no mirror in the case
- What other reviewers say: very flattering colors, rich in pigment, soft and easy to blend, clean formula loved by sensitive skin
Key ingredients: jojoba seed oil, vitamin E | Finish: matte, satin, metallic | Shade range: 6 pan palette, 2 palette options | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, paraben-free, phthalate-free, SLS-free, mineral oil-free, talc-free, gluten-free, synthetic fragrance-free
Best Organic Vegan Eyeshadow Palette
3. Athr Beauty Rose Quartz Crystal Gemstone Palette
Athr Beauty offers the best organic vegan eyeshadow palette. Made with organic shea butter and moringa seed oil, it has 10 velvety shades with gorgeous matte, shimmery, and metallic finishes. Safe and natural, Rose Quartz is also the best vegan eyeshadow for sensitive skin.
- What we like: gorgeous luminous finish, organic ingredients
- What we don’t like: powdery texture has some fallout
- What other reviewers say: beautiful colors, easy to apply and remove, natural result, long-wearing, clean ingredients, amazing on fair skin
Key ingredients: organic shea butter, coconut oil, moringa seed oil, rose quartz| Finish: matte, shimmer, metallic | Shade range: 10 pan palette, 1 palette option | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, organic, fair trade, filler-free, preservative-free, talc-free, silicone-free, synthetic fragrance-free, non-GMO
Shop on: Amazon, Credo Beauty
Best Professional Vegan Eyeshadow Palette
4. Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Pro Pigment Palette Vol 5
Anastasia Beverly Hills has created a superb collection of pro-grade vegan eyeshadow palettes. Our favorite is the lilac one. The 25 shades are soft and blendable and have a great color payoff. Every look is possible with this one from soft pastels to bold artistic styles.
If you seek more hade options, know that from the Norvina collection palettes Vol 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are vegan-friendly. Norvina Mini versions are not vegan.
- What we like: impressive pigment, very blendable
- What we don’t like: it’s expensive
- What other reviewers say: stunning pigment, beautiful purples, high-performance palette, you can create many different looks
Key ingredients: mica, talc, kaolin | Finish: matte, shimmer, metallic | Shade range: 25 pan palette, 6 palette options | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, SLS-free, synthetic fragrance-free
Best Affordable Vegan Eyeshadow Palette
5. E.l.f. Bite Size Eyeshadow Palette
E.l.f. Bite Size Eyeshadow Palette is the best affordable vegan eyeshadow palette. For only 3 dollars, you get surprisingly good pigment and blendability. Plus, the shade range is beautiful from neutrals to blues, greens, browns, and pinks for every skin tone and eye color.
As the name suggests, the Bite Size palette is small. So if you are looking for a more long-lasting affordable palette, we also like the Onlybetter Nude Vegan Eyeshadow Palette on Amazon. It’s also our favorite neutral vegan eyeshadow pallet. It’s cheap yet organic.
- What we like: smooth to apply and blend
- What we don’t like: it’s very small
- What other reviewers say: good amount of pigment for 3 dollars, lasts well, does not have much fallout, Pumpkin Pie and Rose Water palettes loved
Key ingredients: mica, talc, capric triglyceride (vegan glycerin with coconut oil) | Finish: matte, shimmer | Shade range: 4 pan palette, 10 palette options | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, made in a fair trade factory
Best Refillable Vegan Eyeshadow Palette
6. Honeybee Gardens Skinny Dip Palette
Honeybee Gardens has our favorite refillable vegan eyeshadow palette in 4 amazing neutral shades. It’s the best matte vegan eyeshadow and with one lovely deep shimmer topper. The palette is talc-free and fragrance-free and comes in a mirrored case with a vegan brush.
- What we like: beautiful neutral mattes
- What we don’t like: not the strongest pigment
- What other reviewers say: perfect for a natural look, plum & pink undertones flatter fair complexions, eco-friendly choice
Key ingredients: mica, kaolin, aloe & cucumber extract | Finish: matte, shimmer | Shade range: 4 pan palette, 1 palette option | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, alcohol-free, talc-free, non-GMO, filler-free, fragrance-free, preservative-free, synthetic dye-free, eco-friendly refillable packaging, gluten-free
Best Monochromatic Vegan Eyeshadow Palette
7. Glossier Monochromes Eyeshadow Trio
Looking for a great vegan monochromatic eyeshadow palette? Go for Glossier. This vegan eyeshadow palette is best for everyday natural looks. It offers a subtle wash of color with a matte basis and two more shimmery shades. Our favorite is the cool-toned Mist.
- What we like: great palette for everyday looks
- What we don’t like: glitter powder is not very fine
- What other reviewers say: well-pigmented and affordable, great cool-toner options such as Jute and Mist, ideal for simple makeup routines
Key ingredients: synthetic fluorphlogopite, isododecane | Finish: matte, satin, metallic | Shade range: 3 pan palette, 10 palette options | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, paraben-free, phthalate-free, SLS-free, mineral oil-free, synthetic fragrance-free, gluten-free, talc-free
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
Best Smokey Vegan Eyeshadow Palette
8. Lime Crime Venus Immortalis Eye & Face Palette
Lime Crime Venus Immortalis is the ultimate vegan eyeshadow palette for a sexy smokey eye. It’s as dramatic as it sounds with pigmented deep gray and black shades that blend like a dream. Lighter silver foil and baby pink shades in it bring balance and brightness.
- What we like: amazing for smokey eye, great blendability
- What we don’t like: has some fallout
- What other reviewers say: lots of pigment, effortless blending, lasts all day, beautiful mirrored box, great for going out
Key ingredients: mica, talc, synthetic fluorphlogopite | Finish: matte, foil, metallic, sheer iridescent | Shade range: 8 pan palette, 1 palette option | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free
Best Vegan Eyeshadow Singles
9. Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeshadow Singles
Urban Decay’s bestselling Eyeshadow Singles are also fully vegan and cruelty-free. They have amazing matte vegan eyeshadows and glitter vegan eyeshadows to choose from. All shades are highly pigmented, creamy, and blendable. The singles are also very long-wearing.
- What we like: best singles on the market, especially shimmer ones
- What we don’t like: not the most long-wearing
- What other reviewers say: very smooth, pigmented, goes on with one swipe, no fallout, best-performing glitter formula
Key ingredients: mica, talc | Finish: matte, shimmer | Shade range: 25 | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, gluten-free
Shop on: Amazon, Sephora, Ulta
Best Vegan Powder Eyeshadow
10. Bellapierre Shimmer Powder
The best vegan powder eyeshadow comes from Bellapierre. You’ll only need a small amount for great coverage and a long-lasting glow. It’s natural and made from pure mica powder. The powder is also hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin.
- What we like: beautiful sparkle, natural formula
- What we don’t like: too shimmery for everyday wear
- What other reviewers say: gorgeous shimmer, great color pay-off even without a base, amazing for bridal makeup, vibrant shades
Key ingredients: mica powder | Finish: shimmer | Shade range: 40 | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, filler-free, preservative-free, talc-free, silicone-free, synthetic fragrance-free, hypoallergenic
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
Best Vegan Cream Eyeshadow
11. Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerize Cream Eyeshadow
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerize is the best vegan cream eyeshadow. The shades are beautiful and the texture is so smooth and blendable. It’s a great vegan eyeshadow for dry skin. It leaves a classy shimmery finish, it does not crease or settle in lines.
If you are looking for a cream vegan eyeshadow with SPF, Supergoop! Shimmershade Cream Eyeshadow SPF 30 is a great one. This innovative vegan eyeshadow has the best sun protection of SPF 30 since usually eyeshadows do not have a higher SPF than 15.
- What we like: so creamy, fast to use, non-creasing
- What we don’t like: photos look more high-impact than reality
- What other reviewers say: very luxurious, beautiful warm shades, non-sticky and smooth, easy and quick to apply, especially with a brush
Key ingredients: mica, vegan glycerin | Finish: shimmer | Shade range: 12 | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, mineral oil-free, SLS-free, synthetic fragrance-free, gluten-free
Best Vegan Liquid Eyeshadow
12. Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Liquid Eyeshadow
Stay Vulnerable is the best vegan liquid eyeshadow. It gives such a subtle wash of color and glow. The liquid-to-powder formula blends seamlessly, it’s weightless and stays crease-free for the whole day. We love the rose-colored shades, especially for brown and green eyes.
- What we like: great pigment and glow
- What we don’t like: small shade range
- What other reviewers say: very pretty colors, pigmented result that is also perfect for everyday natural looks, also works as a blush
Key ingredients: isododecane, synthetic fluorphlogopite, silica | Finish: satin | Shade range: 5 | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, mineral oil-free, SLS-free, waterproof
Best Glitter Vegan Eyeshadow
13. Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow
Hourglass has the best vegan glitter eyeshadow. It’s so luxurious and elegant with buildable intensity. It uses light-reflecting pearls that create a stunning multidimensional finish. Unlike many glitter eyeshadows, this powder is very fine and lightweight yet long-lasting.
- What we like: finest glitter eyeshadow, long-wearing
- What we don’t like: too sparkly for everyday looks
- What other reviewers say: rich and creamy, stays put, no fallout or creasing, mess-free, golden and copper tones look beautiful on blue eyes, best for glam looks
Key ingredients: mica, anise extract | Finish: glitter | Shade range: 9 | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, nanoparticle-free, sulfate-free, fragrance-free, synthetic dye-free, non-GMO, talc-free
Best Vegan Eyeshadow Stick
14. KVD Dazzle Vegan Eyeshadow Stick
KVD Dazzle is the best vegan eyeshadow stick if you want a high-impact result fast. It’s the perfect eyeshadow for a night out with gorgeous prismatic copper, sterling, and pearl shades. Creamy and long-wearing, it’s also the best vegan eyeshadow for mature skin.
- What we like: goes on smoothly, radiant sparkly finish
- What we don’t like: not the best blendability
- What other reviewers say: beautiful color range, cooling sensation on the lids, smooth texture, stays on well, creases only if you apply too much
Key ingredients: glycerin, carnauba wax | Finish: shimmer, metallic | Shade range: 5 | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free
Best Vegan Eyeshadow Brush
Hourglass All-Over Shadow Brush
For a quality vegan eyeshadow brush, turn to Hourglass. This vegan brush is perfect for applying every type of eyeshadow from creams to powders. It’s durable, easy to use, and leaves a perfectly natural, blended result.
Shop on: Amazon, Sephora, Ulta
Best Vegan Eyeshadow Brands
We’ve put together a list of the best vegan eyeshadow brands. The brands below are 100% vegan and cruelty-free, so you can shop their eyeshadows with ease.
Athr Beauty
Athr Beauty is a cruelty-free and vegan eyeshadow brand from California. They offer mostly vegan eyeshadow palettes with a few selected singles here and there.
All Athr Beauty eyeshadows are organic, clean, gluten-free, and formulated without talc, parabens, nanoparticles, and fragrance. They only use natural mineral pigments.
Infused with crystal gemstones, their Rose Quartz Palette is one of the most popular vegan eyeshadow palettes amongst vegans.
Shop on: Amazon, Credo Beauty
Lime Crime
Lime Crime is a certified vegan & cruelty-free makeup brand also from LA. Through their vibrant vegan makeup and hair dyes, they encourage embracing everyone’s uniqueness.
The brand has tons of great vegan eyeshadow palettes and liquid vegan eyeshadows that are suitable for the eyes and cheeks.
E.l.f.
E.l.f. is one of the most popular American cosmetic brands. The brand is 100% vegan and cruelty-free – and it’s also super affordable.
E.l.f has a long list of vegan eyeshadow palettes, vegan eyeshadow singles, vegan eyeshadow sticks, vegan cream eyeshadows, and liquids. We love them all.
Their award-winning Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow is quick-drying and long-wearing with a comfortable gel-like formula.
Rare Beauty
Selena Gomez’s beauty brand Rare Beauty creates makeup that is designed to make you feel good. Rare Beauty is 100% cruelty-free and vegan.
From Rare Beauty, Stay Vulnerable is our favorite vegan liquid eyeshadow. We also like their Confident Energy vegan palette with vibrant creamy shades.
KVD Beauty
KVD Beauty is the mother of all vegan makeup. Inspired by tattoo artistry, KVD offers vegan eyeshadows that are rich in pigment and allow for high-impact looks.
KVD has some vegan eyeshadow palettes, vegan eyeshadow sticks, as well as multi-use vegan pigments for eyes and brows. Our favorite is their Dazzle Vegan Eyeshadow Stick.
Pacifica Beauty
For over 25 years, the American brand Pacifica Beauty has done right by our planet. They use only skin-friendly and vegan ingredients with earth-friendly packaging.
Pacifica has many great vegan eyeshadows in matte, reflective, and shimmer pigments. Our favorite is their Cocoa Nudes Mineral Eyeshadow Palette.
Pacifica’s eyeshadows are affordable yet clean and natural. The eyeshadows are always free of talc, parabens, phthalates, and mineral oil.
Hourglass
Hourglass is one of the favorite brands among makeup artists. They are cruelty-free and recently reformulated their products to also become fully vegan.
We love their simple vegan eyeshadow palettes, be it for the smoky eye or for everyday neutrals. Hourglass is excellent in bold, deep, metallic shadows.
For a high-impact result, try their Scattered Light vegan glitter eyeshadow. It is so smooth with an intense prismatic finish. We also love their Curator vegan eyeshadow singles.
Lune+Aster
Based in Washington, Lune+Aster is a fully vegan beauty brand. The brand promotes wellness through clean, vitamin-infused, and gluten-free makeup formulas.
Lune+Aster has the best selection of warm and matte shades for natural everyday looks. The clean formulas are always safe for sensitive eyes.
We love their Celestial Nudes vegan eyeshadow palette. The matte and shimmery shades have a smooth, velvety texture that blends great.
Shop on: Amazon, Bluemercury
Dear Dahlia
Dear Dahlia is a luxury vegan beauty brand from London. They believe in timeless beauty that blooms like a delicate Dahlia flower.
Famous for vegan lipsticks, Dear Dahlia also boasts a collection of gorgeous vegan eyeshadows, mostly in subtle pink and neutral shades.
Their Paradise Dual vegan eyeshadow duo is the best. It features a soft balm eyeshadow with vegan powder eyeshadow for beautiful customized looks.
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
What Makes Eyeshadow Vegan?
Vegan eyeshadow is eyeshadow free from animal-derived ingredients. Vegan eyeshadows are also not tested on animals or contain any ingredients tested on animals.
The typical ingredients that make an eyeshadow not vegan are carmine, guanine, beeswax, or animal-based glycerin.
- Carmine: pigmented red dye derived from crushed red female insects (cochineal)
- Guanine: shine agent derived from the skin and scales of fish
- Beeswax: binding emollient wax produced by honeybees (Cera Alba)
- Glycerin: binding and moisturizing agent derived from animal fats (or vegetables)
Instead of carmine, vegan brands use plant-based red colorings such as iron oxides, anthocyanins, and beetroot. To achieve shimmer in eyeshadows, vegan brands replace guanine with natural mica crystals and synthetic pearls.
For a soft and smooth consistency, animal glycerin is usually replaced by vegetable glycerin, coconut oil, or shea butter. Beeswax is easily replaced by plant waxes such as candelilla wax or carnauba wax or synthetic beeswax.
Numerous eyeshadows today are still tested on animals or contain animal-based components. To be sure your eyeshadow is vegan, always look for a certified vegan label from PETA or The Vegan Society. Or pick an eyeshadow from our verified list.
What To Look For In Vegan Eyeshadow?
When choosing a vegan eyeshadow, opt for clean and natural ingredients. Putting harsh additives and hormone-affecting chemicals close to your eyes is hardly a good idea.
If possible, prefer vegan eyeshadows that are free of potential skin irritants such as parabens, sulfates, and fragrances. Natural shadows these days have great color pay-off, so you won’t miss out on anything by choosing a skin-friendlier option.
If you have dry skin or mature skin, we recommend choosing a vegan cream eyeshadow that is non-drying. Oily skin can go for either long-wearing and crease-proof cream eyeshadows or oil-absorbing powder eyeshadow.
Choosing The Right Shade Of Vegan Eyeshadow
For the best eye makeup result, match your vegan eyeshadow with your skin tone or eye color.
Dark skin benefits more from bright vegan eyeshadows than soft ones. Great options are warm earthy and golden tones. We love the Juvia’s Place Warrior Eyeshadow Palette for dark skin.
Fair skin should avoid smokey black, white, and gray shades as well as overly warm tones. Cool-toned pink and champagne shades are much better such as in the Athr Rose Quartz Palette.
In terms of eye color, there are no set rules but some general guidelines. Certain eyeshadow shades just bring out your eye color better.
Warm and rusty colors contrast blue eyes well and violet tones look good on green eyes. Silver and smoky tones go beautifully with gray eyes.
Most colors compliment brown eyes well. We especially like brown eyes with gold, brown, burgundy, or navy vegan eyeshadow.
How We Review Vegan Eyeshadows
Here is how we rate and review vegan eyeshadows:
- Ingredient list: Vegan eyeshadows (like any eyeshadows) are rarely 100% natural but we expect to see a high content of natural ingredients in the eyeshadow. We also like to avoid potential hormone disruption such as parabens or phthalates in eyeshadows.
- Color pay-off: It’s the worst to buy a vegan eyeshadow and realize it’s unnoticeable on the eyelid no matter how much you layer it on. We value color pay-off and pigment intensity highly in both neutral and vibrant shades.
- Smoothness: The texture of the vegan eyeshadow should be smooth, soft, and easy to glide on. That also applies to baked border eyeshadows. The softer the eyeshadow is, the more blended and natural result is able to achieve.
Why Trust Us
None of our vegan eyeshadow reviews or product listings has been incentivized by the brand or retailers. Our research is completely independent and based on personal experiences and peer recommendations.
FAQ About Vegan Eyeshadow
Eyeshadow can be vegan but often is not. The typical ingredients that make an eyeshadow not vegan are carmine (red dye from crushed bugs) and guanine (shine agent derived from fish).
100% vegan eyeshadow brands include Lime Crime, E.l.f., Pacifica Beauty, Lune+Aster, Dear Dahlia, Rare Beauty, and KVD Beauty.
The best vegan eyeshadow is Urban Decay’s Naked Wild West Palette.
You can find the largest variety of vegan eyeshadows online. Sephora, Ulta, and Amazon have the best selection of high-quality vegan eyeshadow brands.
The best selection of zero-waste plastic-free vegan eyeshadows is available on Etsy. Our favorite one is the Foraged Fields Natural Eye Powder Shadow.
Not all Urban Decay eyeshadows are vegan but the brand has a good vegan selection. Our favorite Urban Decay vegan eyeshadows are the Naked Wild West Palette and 24/7 Eyeshadow Singles.
No. Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette is not vegan and contains beeswax and carmine.
NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette has vegan and non-vegan options. The only vegan option is Utopia, the rest are not vegan.
The Bento Eyeshadow has both vegan and non-vegan options. 03 Toasted Caramel and 08 Chocolate Dahlia are vegan-friendly.
Yes. Evanescence X Hipdot Fallen Eyeshadow Palette is vegan. It’s even officially certified vegan by PETA and certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny.
No. The Get It Together Eyeshadow Palette from Honest Beauty is not vegan and contains carmine.
No. None of P. Louise’s products can be currently considered vegan. The company has not provided any information on its ingredient origins or animal testing policies.
Summary
Eyeshadow is a form of self-expression. And in 2024, we want to express ourselves without harming any innocent animals.
We love the vegan eyeshadow selection of Athr Beauty, Lime Crime, and KVD Beauty. Many cruelty-free brands also have a fantastic range of vegan eyeshadows.
Whether you were looking for a vegan eyeshadow palette or singles, vegan powder eyeshadow, or a cream one – we hope you found your perfect shadow from our list.
As new colorful vegan makeup brands enter the market, we are sure to check out their vegan eyeshadows and add the best ones to this list. Thanks for choosing vegan makeup.
See also: Vegan Eye Primers
