5 best cruelty-free makeup brands in 2023

Since vegan and cruelty-free makeup brands are currently dominating the beauty arena, the list of cruelty-free beauty brands has increased exponentially over recent years. This has given makeup lovers variety and the option to consciously choose what they apply to their faces.

Moreover, people have been swapping their favorite makeup products for clean, cruelty-free makeup formulations as they render the same benefits without harming animals. As such, cruelty-free brands prohibit animal testing in the entire production process of a product.

With so many cruelty-free brands in the market, the choice can become overwhelming. Thus, this listicle consists of the five best cruelty-free makeup brands of 2023 for one to add to their beauty collection.

Florence By Mills to Made By Mitchell: 5 best cruelty-free makeup brands of 2023

1) Florence By Mills

Millie Bobbie Brown of Stranger Things fame launched Florence By Mills as a clean beauty brand with a range of products, from skincare to makeup and their recently launched fragrance. The ideology behind the brand is to promote self-expression in its simplest form. Florence By Mills rolls out cruelty-free makeup formulations by not using unsafe skin and environmental ingredients.

Some of the brand’s best-selling makeup products include:

Florence By Mills Self Reflecting Highlighter ($17): Available in three shades, these are oil-free, multitasking sticks with a creamy formulation.
Florence By Mills Cosmic Shadows ($18.75): These are loose eyeshadows by the brand, ideal for creating glam to everyday makeup looks. Available in four shades, they are accompanied by a vegan applicator.
Florence By Mills Work It Out Pout Plumping Lip Gloss ($15): This shimmer lip gloss infused with lip-plumping ingredients is available in two glossy, high-shine shades.

2) E.L.F Cosmetics

E.L.F Cosmetics is a household name for a high-quality range of eye, lips, and skin makeup products. An easy and trusted swap for sustainability, e.l.f cosmetics have been doing its part through environmentally friendly, cruelty-free makeup products under a budget.

Some of the cruelty-free products to try from this brand are:

E.L.F. Cosmetics Stay All Night Micro Fine Setting Mist (€10.00): This setting spray locks in makeup for up to sixteen hours. It is infused with skin-loving ingredients like aloe, green tea leaf extract, and cucumber to soothe and hydrate the skin.
E.L.F Cosmetics 16-Hour Camo Concealer ($7): This crease-resistant, liquid concealer formulation offers full coverage with a matte finish and sixteen hours of wear time. The concealer comes with a doe foot applicator for ease and precision.
E.L.F Cosmetics Camo Pressed Powder Foundation ($11): This is a pressed powder foundation with a primer-infused formulation offering an airbrushed finish and buildable coverage.

3) Jeffree Star Cosmetics

One of the internet’s favorite makeup artists, Jeffree Star launched his eponymous cosmetics brand to ensure all its product formulations are cruelty-free without compromising quality. The brand offers some of the best products for creative makeup looks, such as highly pigmented eyeshadows, colorful powders, and bold lipstick shades.

Some of the brand’s cruelty-free makeup for those who don’t shy away from standing out include:

Jeffree Star Cosmetics Repair and Revive Lip Mask ($16): This is an intensely hydrating lip mask consisting of active ingredients that soften and hydrate the lips. It is infused with olive-derived squalene, Linefill™, Maxilip™, & Volulip™.
Jeffree Star Cosmetics F*ck Proof Mascara ($25): The F*cuk Proof Mascara comes with a unique brush that wraps itself around each lash providing instant volume and length. It is smudge-resistant and water-resistant.
Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipsticks ($18): This liquid lipsticker is opaque on application and becomes matte when dry. The liquid lipstick formulation lasts for hours and is available in varied shades.

4) By Beauty Bay

By Beauty Bay has a range of PETA-certified, vegan, and cruelty-free makeup. The brand offers budget makeup products with amazing formulations. Their range of products comprises pigmented eyeshadow palettes, powder blushes, and long-lasting lip liners.

Some of By Beauty Bay’s best-selling makeup products include:

BY BEAUTY BAY BRIGHT 2.0 42 COLOUR PALETTE ($26): This forty-two color palette features shades of blue, pink, yellow, purple, and many more with a rich pigment payoff. Consisting of matte and shimmer shades, the palette offers easy blendability and long wear.
BY BEAUTY BAY POWDER BRONZER ($9): A budget hack to get sun-kissed skin year round, this powder bronzer is an ultra-blendable formula that provides definition and dimension to the skin. Available in eight shades, it can be worn alone or layered with other makeup products.
BY BEAUTY BAY SUPER PLUMP LIP GLOSS ($9): The super plump lip gloss provides visibly plump lips and results in moisturized, fuller-looking lips. It is infused with Vitamin E, Avocado oil, and capsicum frutescens as a plumping agent.

5) Made By Mitchell

Created by TikTok’s famous makeup artist influencer Mitchell Haliday, this is a one hundred percent cruelty-free makeup brand. Beneficial for one’s skin and the environment, the brand’s range of products includes:

Made By Mitchell Graph-Ink Liquid Liner ($12.55): This liner has a smooth formula and comes with a brush applicator tip that helps create the perfect winged liner look.
Made By Mitchell Milk Palette ($46.50): This is a 25-shade eyeshadow palette from the brand’s MILK Collection. It consists of pressed pigments in matte, pearl, and 3D shimmer shades.
Made By Mitchell BLURSH PRESS'D BLUSHER ($18.55): This pressed blush is a buttery formula with a velvet-like texture. It is the perfect mix of a regular powder blush and TikTok viral blush.

The abovementioned cruelty-free makeup brands are a part of many beauty lovers' arsenal and are a must-try for those who want to swap conscious beauty with animal-tested products.

Edited by Priya Majumdar