5 Wonderful Cruelty Free Beauty Products To Try

A while back I decided that the beauty products I bought and used would be cruelty free. I’ve never been comfortable with purchasing make up that was tested on animals but I was also unsure how to find out which brand was cruelty free. However, this had become easier to identify and more discussed and so there was definitely no excuse not to start being more conscious about this.

The first thing I did was google a recent eyeshadow palette I had purchased and was delighted to find out it was cruelty free. The next thing I did was contact the spa I buy my skin care from and was told they are cruelty free as well. Bonus because I love their skin care and have a ton of their products. And that was that for a while. Until I needed a new mascara. Mascara is something I am never quite happy with it. They just don’t give me the length or curl or volume I desire and I have tried so so many brands and types.

Since I needed that mascara I started looking into brands that were cruelty free and I thought I would share my findings with you today.

Pur

Pur was recommended by my local cosmetic employee when I went mascara shopping.It wasn’t a company that I’d ever heard of before since cosmetic brands come in and out of my local pharmacy where I mostly buy my makeup. The product seemed like a good one and I was willing to try it out and was quite pleased with the results of the mascara. It’s probably one I will buy again. What’s great about this company is that cruelty free, free of animal testing, environmentally responsible, and formulated in the United States. So they are as committed to minimizing waste as they are to creating quality products. And the products are quality–I liked the mascara enough to try out a eyeshadow palette and I totally love the velvety feel of it and the gorgeous colours.

Smashbox

Smashbox has long been a fav brand of mine because I love pigmented shadows and lipsticks, and I was delighted to find that they are cruelty free. It was a new purchase I had just made around the time I decided I was only going to buy cruelty free, so this made me very happy. There is also a vegan collection, which is something else many consumers are interested in and I really love the eyeshadow palette I bought by Smasbox. The colours blend nicely together, there’s a nice variety of natural and more glamorous shimmers and a few colours of pop too. What every girls needs in my opinion. I couldn’t find out much more on the website sadly but at least I know anything I buy from Smashbox was not tested on some poor bunny.

Burt’s Bees

I have been eyeing this brand for years, and have used a few of their products. However, the line has expanded a lot and I recently picked up a BB cream from Burt’s Bees as well a a lipstick and I love both. The lipstick goes on so smooth and creamy and the colour is lovely. The BB cream is extremely light weight and I love the way I can just apply it with my hands without streaks. The brand is cruelty free, and although they were acquired by Clorox they remain true to their vision of being a company that reduces waste, and their production is now carbon neutral. Clorox has also created an Eco Team since acquiring Burt’s Bees, which to me is a great move forward for that company. Burt’s Bees remains true to the vision of it’s founders and I feel very comfortable purchasing from this brand. They don’t pretend to be vegan but openly state that they use animal sourced ingredients like lanolin.

Pacificia

I recently picked up another mascara–like I said, I am never quite happy–and it happened to be from Pacifica which had the cruelty free logo and I am blown away by this brand. They are vegan, cruelty free, use no toxins, are paraben free, and use sustainable packaging. Plus, they have a huge line–from skin care to hair care. And, they are pretty darn affordable in comparison to other brands that aren’t even cruelty free. The most amazing thing? You can send them back your empties so that they can be recycled. Pacifica sorts them and re-makes them into toothbrushes and razors you can purchase from the site. I find this absolutely incredible. This is a company that truly cares about our planet.

Essence

Essence is a European company and does not test on animals as in the EU animal testing has been prohibited in the cosmetic market. Essence itself feels confident that even if this was not the law, they could make “good and safe products” without testing on animals. The website is very detailed about how EU law works around animal testing and we can rest assured that Essence does not test their products at all on animals. Essence also gives back to the community in a variety of ways, such as Operation Prom and Feeding America. Essence’s products have impressed me because they are flirty, fun and affordable. I have a few different eyeshadow palettes and love to play around with the colours and looks I can achieve.

Final Thoughts

I have always loved animals and the thought of something as innocent and unable to help itself as an animal in a cage breaks my heart. I am so glad that these brands stand against this cruelty, and that they are products I’m happy to buy because they are high quality. Some of them are super friendly to my pocketbook too. If you were thinking of going cruelty free, making the switch has been completely painless for me as I’ve found wonderful brands and alternatives to products that I’ve used for years that I discovered were not cruelty free. I wish I had done it sooner and feel a lot better now that I’m not supporting brands that test on animals.

Do you use any of these brands? Share your thoughts in the comments below.