Affordable Makeup That Is Cruelty-Free
When it comes to makeup the heuristic assumption that a higher price tag means better quality and overall better brand isn't very justified.
In this modern era of Youtube and increasing demands of more ethical cosmetic production, the up-and-coming makeup brands often have a lot more to offer than the well-known classics.
Although many cosmetics brands like Mac and Clinique are known for being exceptional at what they do, my question is always “but are they really unrivalled?” and when I conclude that no probably not, I then ask myself whether they can’t be rivalled by a cruelty-free company. I’m even going further than that and asking myself “but as a poor student, do I need to sell a kidney to get great quality makeup?” and I believe the answer to once again be no. So here we have a trifecta of quality, price and ethics, which I look for in any product that I buy.
These are what I would consider no-go brands. Luxury, test on animals and pretty expensive.
VS
These are some great brands that I will talk more about below: the brands shown here are Number 7, Essence, Smashbox and Colourpop.
As a side-note: when I talk about affordable makeup, I am restricting this entry to makeup and nails. I will talk about skin and haircare in a different blog, as well as middle-of-the-range products (like Urban Decay) and high-end products that are cruelty-free (like Charlotte Tilbury, love her!) in different posts. Do bear in mind, not all of these will necessarily be easily accessible in the UK; some will be US brands that haven’t made it into Boots or Superdrug yet and that Debenhams would probably deem too cheap to stock, but these are all available online.
How to tell if something is cruelty-free?
Simply look for any one of these logos, they are "Leaping Bunny", "PETA" and "Cruelty-Free Australia". This is the only way to be completely certain. Looking online can lead you to their website policies where certain bands will be very shirty when it comes to the truth.
Nevertheless, if you want to really commit to being cruelty-free, do some extra research on a brand to see if they are owned by a parent company. Parent companies are big Fast-Moving-Consumer-Goods companies like L'Oreal, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble. These companies have policies of their own and in some cases the parent companies' views on animal-testing can be quite negative or they may own other brands that are not cruelty-free.
Affordable makeup brands that are certified cruelty-free.
In the list I've compiled I will explain why I included the makeup and those opinions will be quite biased, but I have tried to be brief and it wasn’t easy. I have also highlighted in green the brands I most recommend…again this is completely subjective.
The A, E or G specifies whether the brand is American, English or German, so may give you a sense of its availability in your country but some of these brands are internationally available.
Barry M – E
Most famous for their nail products, which I like very much. For their price they’re no worse than Essie or Sally Hansen in my highly professional opinion...I absolutely love their Molten Metal Collection and own every single nail varnish from it, so I'm a big fan.
BH Cosmetics – A
The Take Me Back To Brazil palette is highly rated and very beautiful. I haven't tried their makeup so can't pass judgement, I will be scouting them out ASAP though because they do sound good.
Boots – E
Number 7 and Sleek cosmetics
Number 7 tends to be more muted and better if you want to achieve a natural look, whereas Sleek is more colourful but very good quality as well. Both have similar concealers and the Number 7 concealer is very underrated, it’s definitely my favourite because I have dry skin and most concealers crease on me. I would also recommend the Number 7 Essentially Natural foundation, because it evens out the skin tone without making things overly matte, dry or cakey. I would say this is less affordable than some of the other brands and teeters between affordable and middle-of-the-range.
Colourpop – A
Honestly a fantastic brand. They have very few flops and I would say their lip products rival Mac. They are a brand that could have hundreds of releases and I would get excited every time.
Cover Girl – A
Mostly branded towards teenagers, I wouldn’t wear it personally but the company recently became Leaping Bunny certified by no longer selling in China. Good for them and good for us!
E.L.F – A
This is a big win! They have fantastic products, and brand themselves as luxury makeup at affordable prices, which is true! A great high-end dupe and I think their highlighters are fantastic!
As you can see from the picture, these are their most highly rated products and they are worth testing.
Eco-Tools – A
I own the Start The Day Beautifully kit (£10 for 5 brushes), which is fantastic value and the brushes do their job very well. Also, they’re vegan, eco-friendly and made from bamboo!
Essence – G
The makeup can be hit and miss, I react badly to its coal eyeliners (but my eyes are very sensitive) and I find their bronzers lack pigment. However, they have some great things and my opinion doesn't seem to match the masses. In fact, they have won awards for their makeup, their waterproof gel eye pencil was the 2014 Allure winner so what do I know! What I do love are their accessories and nail collections. I mean I think I'd struggle without Essence; there are many products that I have bought at least four times already, notably their nail oils.
This is without a doubt one of the most affordable and most underrated brands for its quality so I do recommend it.
L.A girl – A
They have a £2 concealer which is very underrated, they have a great shade range and a range of brushes too!
Lush – E
They have some great eco makeup, it’s fully vegan and the reviews seem positive, it's a little messy though apparently. From what I’ve seen I would gravitate towards their cream contours and highlights.
Makeup Geek – A
So cheap and highly rated, one of the best things about this brand is that their eye-shadows are separate and can be customised into a palette. I love their nude individual eye-shadows like Cocoa Bear, Crème Brulee, Moondust (but there are so many fantastic ones) and their loose pigments. They literally make me salivate.
Makeup Revolution – E
A great brand for dupes and you can pick them up in Superdrug! Definitely pick up the collaboration collections like the SophX palettes, they are so great and so affordable! I bought mine for £10 and it has 24 shades, one of my best buys.
Milani – A
Cardi B’s makeup artist’s favourite. Luxurious and affordable, their Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation + Concealer won the Best-of-Beauty award and the Rose Powder Blush is also worth picking up. I want to try them very badly.
NYX – A
They were sadly recently bought by L’Oréal so bare that in mind, but their products are fantastic! I have their eye primer and their face primer; both are rated as some of the best and with good reason. They are a branded towards people who want to experiment and get creative with makeup without draining their savings. The only products that I have tried and don’t like from them are their liquid lipsticks, but many absolutely adore them.
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics – A
Known for their LipTar, which is a matte liquid lipstick, this brand has a lot of potential and some great prices. I haven't seen it in the shops but it is available on Amazon if you want to give it a try!
Find it here: https://amzn.to/39FPS8j
Pur Cosmetics – A
This is a great brand. They have a foundation with 100 shades and the only product that I've tried and wouldn't recommend was their lip-gloss. Like most glosses it was sadly sticky, but they have beautiful travel palettes with stunning blushes and a great BB cream (at least great for dry skin). Their skin products are also packed with nutrients and SPF.
Real Techniques – E
Real Techniques are a little pricier than what I am willing to pay for brushes, but they are high-end quality and very highly rated. Worth the investment if you need new brushes.
Smashbox – A
Another highly rated brand that is award winning and easy to find. The photo finish primer is a big rival to the Benefit Porefessional and the NYX Angel Veil and is not the only product of theirs to have won awards. However, it has been bought by Estée Lauder.
Superdrug – E
B. Cosmetics
To be honest I don’t know much about B. Cosmetics so this one is a stab in the dark. Sorry.
The Body Shop – E
Yes they have a makeup line, but I haven’t tried it and it’s owned by L’Oréal. It seems hit and miss so a site like beautypedia may give you some more insight than me from their reviews.
WetnWild – A
The epitome of drugstore makeup but such high quality. Products to look out for: the PhotoFocus Foundation, the pressed powders and highlighters and their seasonal releases.
And now onto some brands that are affordable but that you should probably avoid if you don't like animal testing. Some of these brands test directly and some sell their products in China, where products must be tested on animals before being released onto the market by law.
The Non-Cruelty-Free counterparts
Bourjois
Essie
L’Oréal
Max Factor
Maybelline
Morphe
OPI
Physicians Formula
Revlon
Rimmel
Sally Hanson
There are so many more I'm sure and if I'm missed some gems then please do tell me. As I say, these are fantastic brands to gift to people (or to yourself of course) if your bank account is looking a little sad.
I really hope you learned something new and that you enjoyed this entry.
See you soon for another blog post x
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