In 2024, you can find plenty of vegan makeup to choose from. But it’s much more difficult to find vegan makeup brands. That is brands that are 100% vegan and animal-free.
Many leading cosmetics companies have a decent vegan selection but they still like to use animal-derived ingredients such as beeswax and carmine here and there.
To help you find companies that never use animal ingredients, here are the best vegan makeup brands for 2024. These companies are always free of animal products or by-products.
The vegan makeup brands below are all vegan and cruelty-free, meaning they do not use any animal-derived ingredients and have not been tested on animals.
See also: Best Vegan Makeup Products
Organic Vegan Makeup Brands
Affordable Vegan Makeup Brands
Luxury Vegan Makeup Brands
Korean Vegan Makeup Brands
Black-Owned Vegan Makeup Brands
LGBTQ-Owned Vegan Makeup Brands
Best Vegan Makeup Brands 2024
These are the best 100% vegan makeup brands.
1. Merit Beauty
Merit Beauty is the best vegan makeup brand. Their makeup is clean, skin-friendly, and leaves the most natural finish. We especially like their lightweight vegan lipstick, tinted lip oil, and cheek products. It’s such a high-quality minimalist brand, and it’s fully vegan.
- What we like: natural everyday makeup
- What we don’t like: not for high-impact looks
Based in: Los Angeles, California | Owned by: Katherine Power | Certifications: Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, female-owned, Sephora clean brand, natural, non-comedogenic, safe for sensitive skin, made in the USA, Korea & Italy
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
2. Milk Makeup
Another vegan makeup brand we love is Milk Makeup. This New York brand is fun and urban. They have the best vegan primer along with vibrant cheek tints and highlighters. We also really like their new Pore Eclipse line with a mattifying primer and setting spray for oily skin.
- What we like: clean formulas, best primer on the market
- What we don’t like: most products are in a stick form
Based in: New York City, New York | Owned by: Mazdack Rassi, Dianna Ruth, Georgie Greville, Zanna Roberts Rass| Certifications: Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free| Features: vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, paraben-free, mineral oil-free, talc-free, Sephora clean brand, inclusive, made in the USA
3. KVD Beauty
KVD Beauty is the mother of all vegan makeup brands. Founded by Kat Von D, KVD is inspired by tattoo artistry and stands out with bold pigments and full coverage, long-wearing formulas. We recommend their vegan foundations, vegan eyeliners, and liquid lipsticks.
- What we like: pigmented and long-wearing formulas
- What we don’t like: not clean beauty
Based in: San Francisco, California | Owned by: Kendo Brands (parent LVMH) | Certifications: PETA certified animal test-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, refillable options
4. Rare Beauty
Rare Beauty is a vegan makeup brand by Selena Gomez. While celebrity beauty brands are not always the best, Rare Beauty has positively surprised us with beautiful pigments and creamy, blendable formulas. While Selena is not vegan, her brand uses no animal products.
- What we like: very lightweight and blendable makeup
- What we don’t like: not very pigmented
Based in: El Segundo, California | Owned by: Selena Gomez | Certifications: PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, female-owned, Latinx-owned, inclusive, dermatologist-tested, paraben-free, non-comedogenic, safe for sensitive skin, made in Korea and Italy
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
5. Hourglass
Hourglass is the best luxury vegan makeup brand. They have always been cruelty-free and as of 2020, the brand is also fully vegan. They have even invented a carmine replacement for gorgeous red vegan lipsticks. We also love their setting powder and vegan makeup brushes.
- What we like: best face makeup and red lipsticks
- What we don’t like: the products are expensive
Based in: Venice, California | Owned by: Unilever | Certifications: PETA certified animal test-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, sulfate-free, synthetic fragrance-free, non-GMO, made in the USA and Italy
6. Rose Inc
A newer celebrity vegan makeup brand we like is Rose Inc by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Rose Inc offers gorgeous vegan cream blushes, bronzers, and lipsticks that are clean, moisturizing, and packed with plant extracts. Many products come in eco-friendly refillable packaging.
- What we like: best cream formulas, refillable cases
- What we don’t like: the selection is small
Based in: Emeryville, California | Owned by: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Amyris | Certifications: Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, natural, female-owned, non-comedogenic, paraben-free, synthetic fragrance-free, Sephora clean brand, refillable options
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
7. E.l.f. Cosmetics
E.l.f. is the best affordable vegan makeup brand. This brand is also PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free. From E.l.f., you will find a wide variety of affordable vegan face, eye, and lip makeup and makeup tools. The products are cheap but very decent in quality.
- What we like: wide selection, affordable
- What we don’t like: the quality of products varies
Based in: Oakland, California | Owned by: TPG Growth | Certifications: PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free, Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, made in a Fair Trade certified factory
8. Well People
Well People is loved for organic plant-based makeup and skincare. As of 2023, Well People is also fully vegan. They dropped all animal ingredients including beeswax, pearl powder, and carmine. Enjoy natural mascaras, foundations, and eyeshadows, all vegan and cruelty-free.
- What we like: organic and skin-friendly makeup
- What we don’t like: not the best coverage
Based in: Austin, Texas | Owned by: E.l.f. Cosmetics | Certifications: Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, PETA certified animal test-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, organic, clean, natural, gluten-free, dermatologist-developed, safe for sensitive skin, EWG-verified, LGBTQ-owned, made in a Fair Trade certified factory, made in the USA and Italy
9. Tower 28
Tower 28 is a PETA-certified vegan makeup brand that is clean, natural, and safe for sensitive skin. This lighthearted brand is named after a lifeguard tower that stands where Santa Monica Pierre and Venice Beach meet. We adore their Jelly lip gloss and BeachPlease cream blush.
- What we like: safe for sensitive skin, best lip gloss
- What we don’t like: small selection
Based in: Santa Monica, California | Owned by: Amy Liu | Certifications: PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free| Features: vegan, cruelty-free, Asian-owned, female-owned, made in the USA and Canada, hypoallergenic, clean, natural, allergen-free, safe for sensitive skin, fragrance-free, essential oil-free, Sephora clean brand, free of over 1300 potentially harmful ingredients
10. The Lip Bar
The Lip Bar is a black female-owned vegan makeup brand with kick-ass liquid lipsticks and lip glosses for all skin tones. Rejected by the Shark Tank, The Lip Bar is today the largest black-owned makeup brand in Target. We also like their vegan mascara and tinted moisturizer.
- What we like: black-owned brand, best matte lipsticks
- What we don’t like: not clean beauty
Based in: Detroit, Michigan | Owned by: Melissa Butler | Certifications: none | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, black-owned, female-owned, inclusive
11. Mented Cosmetics
Mented is another wonderful black-owned vegan makeup brand that celebrates women of color. They have the best vegan complexion products to complement brown and black skin tones. Our favorite products are their semi-matte lipstick and creamy foundation stick.
- What we like: best shades for dark skin
- What we don’t like: not clean beauty
Based in: New York City, New York | Owned by: Kristen Jones (KJ) Miller and Amanda E. Johnson| Certifications: none | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, black-owned, female-owned, inclusive, paraben-free, made in the USA
12. Inika Organic
It’s difficult to find a more natural vegan makeup brand than Inika Organic from Australia. They are certified vegan, certified organic, halal, and loved by sensitive skin types. From Inika, we recommend their organic BB cream, lengthening mascara, and mineral powder foundation.
- What we like: best certified organic vegan makeup
- What we don’t like: not available in many stores (in the US)
Based in: New South Wales, Australia | Owned by: Total Beauty Network | Certifications: The Vegan Society certified vegan, PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, certified organic, clean, natural, halal, plastic-neutral, dermatologist-tested, safe for sensitive skin
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
13. Cover FX
Cover FX is our go-to vegan makeup brand for foundations, powders, primers, and setting sprays. They closed shop at Sephora but they are very much alive and well on Amazon. They offer clean vegan face makeup for all skin types from oily and acne-prone to dry skin.
- What we like: great-quality vegan face makeup
- What we don’t like: many products sold out
Based in: New York City, New York | Owned by: AS Beauty | Certifications: PETA certified animal test-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, paraben-free, phthalate-free, sulfate-free, talc-free, fragrance-free, mineral oil-free, gluten-free, made in the USA, Canada & Italy
14. Athr Beauty
Athr Beauty is a vegan makeup brand that left Sephora in order to surpass Sephora’s definition of clean makeup. Athr is organic, natural, vegan, and sustainable. From Athr, you will find the most beautiful gemstone-infused vegan eyeshadow palettes and lip cremes.
- What we like: best organic eyeshadows
- What we don’t like: no face makeup (besides glow oil)
Based in: San Francisco, California | Owned by: Tiila Abbitt | Certifications: PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free (under Aether Beauty), Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, organic, female-owned, zero-waste, made in the USA, Canada & Europe, safe for sensitive skin.
Shop on: Amazon, Credo Beauty
15. Pür Cosmetics
Pür Cosmetics is a cruelty-free vegan cosmetics brand from Atlanta. We like that Pür’s makeup always has some skincare benefits. Their bestselling Love Your Selfie Foundation and 4-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer offer great coverage while conditioning and hydrating the skin.
- What we like: best hydrating face makeup
- What we don’t like: not much eye makeup
Based in: Atlanta, Georgia | Owned by: Astral Health & Beauty | Certifications: PETA certified animal test-free (under Pür Minerals/Complexion Authority) | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, petrolatum-free, mineral oil-free, SLS free, talc-free, gluten-free
16. Pacifica Beauty
Mainly famous for vegan skincare, Pacifica Beauty also offers some good-quality vegan makeup. Their makeup is always vegan, cruelty-free, clean, and affordably priced. We recommend trying out their vegan eyeshadow palettes, mattifying setting powders, and mascaras.
- What we like: clean and affordable vegan makeup
- What we don’t like: not many shade options
Based in: Carpinteria, California | Owned by: Brook Harvey-Taylor | Certifications: PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, female-owned, paraben-free, phthalate-free, SLS-free, mineral oil-free, most products made in the USA
17. One/Size
One/Size is the best LGBTQ-owned vegan makeup brand by Filipino-American makeup artist and influencer Patrick Starrr. This brand is fun and vibrant and celebrates inclusivity. Our favorite products of theirs are the On ‘Til Dawn Setting Spray and Lip Snatcher Lip Liner.
- What we like: great gender-inclusive vegan brand
- What we don’t like: the products are quite fragranced
Based in: Miami, Florida | Owned by: Luxury Brand Partners, Patrick Simondac | Certifications: none | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, LGBTQ-owned, inclusive, paraben-free, made in the USA
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
18. Seraphine Botanicals
Seraphine Botanicals is a cruelty-free vegan makeup brand from Los Angeles, California. They offer organic vegan blushes, lip glosses, and lip stains as well as vegan primers, powders, and eyeliners. All their products are ethically made in small batches in the USA.
- What we like: nice blushes, made in small batches
- What we don’t like: small selection
Based in: Los Angeles, California | Owned by: Beauty Everich | Certifications: PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, organic, fair trade, made in the USA in small batches
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
19. Lime Crime
Lime Crime is an LA-based vegan cosmetics company that promotes self-expression. This is the brand you go to for stunning eyeshadow palettes and pigmented vegan lip products. They also have the best vegan hair dye in fantastic pastel colors.
- What we like: best vegan eyeshadow palettes and hair dyes
- What we don’t like: not a clean beauty brand
Based in: Los Angeles, California | Owned by: Stacy Panagakis | Certifications: PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free, Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, female-owned
20. Aesthetica Cosmetics
Aesthetica Beauty is a vegan makeup brand that offers the best vegan contouring palettes. Their palettes are gluten-free, paraben-free, and affordable, and always come with easy step-by-step instructions. Aesthetica also has some affordable vegan makeup brushes.
- What we like: best vegan contouring products
- What we don’t like: no products for lips or eyes
Based in: Miami, Florida | Owned by: Karen Cohen | Certifications: PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, female-owned, paraben-free, gluten-free
21. Veil Cosmetics
Founded by renowned makeup artist Sébastien Tardif, Veil Cosmetics is a great vegan brand for oil-free and non-comedogenic face makeup. We really like their vegan concealer pen, mattifying balm, hydrating primer, and soothing liquid foundation.
- What we like: lightweight face makeup
- What we don’t like: small selection, no eye or lip products
Based in: New York City, New York | Owned by: Sébastien Tardif| Certifications: none | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested, ophthalmologist-tested, safe for sensitive skin
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
22. Ofra Cosmetics
Ofra Cosmetics is a beautiful cruelty-free vegan makeup company. They have the best selection of vegan pressed powder highlighters and nude liquid lipsticks. Ofra is PETA-certified vegan and their products are ethically made in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
- What we like: gorgeous highlighters for all skin tones
- What we don’t like: their foundation is very cakey
Based in: Pompano Beach, Florida | Owned by: Ofra Gaito, David Gaito | Certifications: PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free, Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, made in the USA
23. Lune+Aster
Based in Washington DC, Lune+Aster is a clean and natural vegan makeup brand. They are all about vitamin-infused formulas, be it for lip glosses, eyeshadows, primers, or tinted moisturizers. Everything from Lune+Aster is also gluten-free and safe for sensitive skin.
- What we like: best organic gluten-free makeup
- What we don’t like: not a wide shade range
Based in: Washington DC| Owned by: Bluemercury (parent Macy’s)| Certifications: none | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, clean, natural, organic, gluten-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, dermatologist-tested, allergy-tested, safe for sensitive skin
Shop on: Amazon, Official site
24. Lys Beauty
Lys Beauty stands for Love Your Self. This black female-founded makeup brand is PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free. We just love their triangle-shaped blushes, powders, and bronzers. While made with dark skin in mind, their clean vegan makeup is flattering to all skin tones.
- What we like: beautiful complexion products
- What we don’t like: no eye makeup
Based in: Kennesaw, Georgia | Owned by: Tisha Thompson | Certifications: PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free, Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, black-owned, female-owned, inclusive, gluten-free, Sephora clean brand
Shop on: Sephora, Credo Beauty
Organic Vegan Makeup Brands
These are the best organic vegan makeup brands. These natural vegan makeup brands create makeup primarily from organic plant-based ingredients.
See also our selection of the best mineral vegan makeup.
Affordable Vegan Makeup Brands
Here are the best affordable vegan makeup brands. These cheap vegan makeup brands save you money while being still ethical, vegan, and cruelty-free.
Luxury Vegan Makeup Brands
Looking to splurge on vegan makeup? These are the best luxury vegan makeup brands. Hourglass and Rose Inc are 100% vegan while Westman Atelier has a good vegan selection.
- Hourglass – 100% vegan
- Rose Inc – 100% vegan
- Westman Atelier – not 100% vegan
Korean Vegan Makeup Brands
Looking for Korean vegan makeup brands? These K-Beauty brands are 100% vegan and cruelty-free with a great selection of clean vegan makeup products.
Black-Owned Vegan Makeup Brands
Support these black-owned vegan makeup brands. Founded by black women, these brands are inclusive as well as fully vegan and cruelty-free.
There are also many black-owned makeup brands that are not fully vegan but have a great vegan makeup selection. These brands are Fenty Beauty, Uoma Beauty, Danessa Myricks Beauty, and Juvia’s Place.
LGBTQ-Owned Vegan Makeup Brands
These are our favorite LGBTQ-owned vegan makeup brands. Discover cruelty-free vegan makeup products from LGBTQIA-owned companies.
What Makes A Makeup Brand Vegan?
A makeup brand is vegan if does not use any animal-derived makeup ingredients, most commonly beeswax, carmine, guanine, or lanolin. A vegan makeup brand does not also test its products on animals or operate in countries where animal testing is required by law.
Many makeup brands today offer vegan makeup but very few have given up animal-derived ingredients fully. In addition, many makeup brands are against animal testing by virtue, yet they are willing to use animal testing if they absolutely need to, namely, if they want to sell in China.
Vegan makeup brands have replaced traditional animal-based emollients and waxes with plant waxes and oils such as carnauba wax, jojoba oil, and shea butter. Synthetic vegan beeswax is also growing in popularity as it’s almost identical to real beeswax in quality.
While it used to be difficult for vegan makeup brands to replace insect-derived red carmine pigments, these days, there are so many red vegan pigments available. Red can be derived from red and purple vegetables as well as made synthetically.
All in all, vegan makeup brands won’t miss out on anything by leaving out animal-based ingredients. But they have a lot to gain with a more ethical and eco-friendly approach to makeup that adheres to the values of a modern conscious shopper.
What To Look For In Vegan Makeup Brands?
When scouting the market for vegan makeup brands, prefer vegan companies with official vegan or cruelty-free certifications. It’s always safer to trust brands that have PETA’s or Leaping Bunny’s assurance the brand has not used animal testing anywhere in the world.
When trying to find the best vegan makeup brands, we suggest starting by reading online reviews. If the brand is on Sephora, you can filter out reviews that match your skin type or skin tone and see what the response to the brand’s products has been.
In addition, we always suggest finding out what other values the brand has. It’s already a big win if the brand is fully vegan. But see whether they are also eco-friendly. Find out if they use fair labor. The more sustainable the vegan brand is, the better it also is for the animals.
And last but not least, show support for vegan makeup brands that are not owned by large corporations that may still test on animals. Prefer brands that are owned by women or minorities. Not all vegan brands are created equal, use your power to vote with your dollars.
How We Review Vegan Makeup Brands
Here are our criteria when reviewing vegan makeup brands.
- Ingredients: We favor vegan makeup brands that choose to use no harsh chemicals such as parabens and phthalates. It’s even better if the company uses no artificial dyes and fragrances either. The cleaner the makeup, the safer it is for our skin, lips, and eyes.
- Certifications: We prefer vegan makeup brands that have gotten officially certified by an external organization such as PETA or Leaping Bunny. That’s the best way to guarantee the company uses no animal testing and is truly free of animal ingredients.
- Quality: We expect the vegan makeup brand to offer products that perform. Clean beauty is great but makeup products should deliver on their promises. That’s the only way vegan makeup brands can compete with traditional drugstore brands.
- Availability: A vegan makeup brand should be easy to find and shop online. The brand should be available on at least one leading retailer (Amazon, Sephora, Ulta) or at the very least have a well-functioning online store.
- Inclusivity: The best kind of vegan makeup brands are inclusive in terms of age, race, and gender. Exposure is everything and we expect the product range and marketing materials to represent more kinds of people than just a white young woman.
- Price: We list vegan makeup brands at every price point. From affordable vegan makeup brands to high-end brands. Some expensive vegan makeup products are worth investing in but all in all, vegan makeup should not cost a fortune.
Why Trust Us
Vegan Avenue has been researching and reviewing vegan makeup brands for over 2 years. We do extensive research on each brand, try out their bestselling products, and compare our experience with that of other consumers. None of our brand listings has been incentivized.
FAQ About Vegan Makeup Brands
A vegan makeup brand is a makeup brand that is 100% free of animal-derived ingredients such as beeswax or carmine. A vegan makeup brand is also cruelty-free and doesn’t test products on animals.
You can find the best selection of vegan makeup brands on Amazon, Ulta, and Sephora.
The best vegan makeup brands are Merit Beauty, Milk Makeup, KVD Beauty, Rare Beauty, and Hourglass.
The best affordable vegan makeup brands are E.l.f. Cosmetics, Pacifica Beauty, and The Lip Bar.
Tarte is not a vegan brand but Tarte offers many vegan-friendly products. Tarte is also cruelty-free and does not test on animals.
Urban Decay is not a vegan brand but Urban Decay has a good vegan selection. In addition, Urban Decay is cruelty-free and never tests on animals.
M.A.C. is not vegan. This company uses animal-derived ingredients and also tests its products on animals.
Summary
We prefer shopping at 100% vegan makeup brands. Brands that are animal ingredient-free are the only brands that are fully free of animal cruelty and exploitation. Stopping animal testing is a great first step, going vegan should be the next one.
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best vegan makeup brands. We really love makeup products from Merit Beauty, Milk Makeup, KVD Beauty, Hourglass, and Rare Beauty. We also like to support organic vegan makeup brands and inclusive black-owned vegan makeup brands.
Once new vegan makeup brands enter the market or some exciting ones decide to go vegan, we will add our new favorite companies to this very list.
See also: Best Vegan Makeup Products
