Embracing a compassionate lifestyle extends beyond dietary choices – it encompasses every aspect of our daily lives, including the beauty products we use.
As conscious consumers, we have the power to make a positive impact by supporting ethical and sustainable brands.
In this guide, we’ll explore the best vegan makeup brands in the UK, offering high-quality, cruelty-free alternatives that align with your values without compromising on performance.
Ethical Beauty: A Growing Trend
The demand for vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics has skyrocketed in recent years, driven by a heightened awareness of animal welfare and environmental concerns. London, in particular, has emerged as a hub for plant-based living, with an ever-increasing number of vegan-friendly restaurants and beauty brands catering to this conscious community.
Switching to vegan makeup and skincare products not only aligns with your ethical principles but also offers numerous benefits. These products are free from animal-derived ingredients and harmful chemicals, making them gentler on your skin and better for your overall health. Additionally, by choosing cruelty-free brands, you’re contributing to a kinder world for our furry friends and supporting sustainable practices that reduce the environmental impact of the beauty industry.
S’Able Labs: A Celebration of African Ingredients
Founded by the power couple Idris and Sabrina Elba, S’Able Labs is a game-changer in the world of ethical skincare. Their mission is to highlight the efficacy of ethically-sourced African ingredients through a range of genderless products. The core collection features a qasil cleanser, black seed toner, and baobab moisturiser, creating a simplified yet effective routine that targets hyperpigmentation, dryness, and strengthens the skin’s barrier.
Flânerie: Transparent and Sustainable Beauty
Flânerie is a British beauty brand that embodies ethics and sustainability at its core. Approved by Leaping Bunny and verified by PETA International, their range of 18 everyday products caters to various skin concerns while prioritizing scent and texture for a luxurious experience. Transparent labelling demystifies the shopping process, ensuring you know exactly what you’re putting on your skin. One standout product is the Purifying Green Clay Mask, a multi-tasking lightly acidic mask that draws out impurities, exfoliates, and revives dull complexions.
Pai: Sensitive Skin-Friendly and Certified Vegan
Certified vegan by PETA and offering 100% organic formulations, Pai was founded by Sarah Brown to address the challenges of finding products that don’t irritate sensitive skin. Every product is independently patch-tested to ensure its suitability for eczema-prone skin while helping to repair the skin barrier, boost resilience, and protect against external aggressors. The Middlemist Seven Camellia & Rose Gentle Cream Cleanser, containing castor and sweet almond oil, is a gentle yet effective option for everyday cleansing and restoring the skin’s pH balance.
Floral Street: Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Fragrances
Floral Street is a London-based perfume and home fragrance brand founded by Michelle Feeney with a mission to address the wastefulness and unsustainable practices of the traditional fragrance industry. Working with the Robertet perfume house, which ensures transparency and traceability for all its ingredients, Floral Street is endorsed by FSC, World Land Trust, and PETA for its vegan and eco-friendly credentials. The London Poppy eau de parfum, a fresh and complex scent blending citrus and floral notes, is a stunning everyday fragrance that looks as good as it smells.
Ashe: Ethical Nail Colour with a Cause
Ashe is a London-based nail colour brand that promises each and every one of its chic colours is completely vegan. Founded by lawyer and former nail technician Ashleigh Alli in 2021, their shades are designed in-house and updated seasonally, with 10% of all profits donated to female-centric charities. The Mary + Mildred nail varnish, made from 74% plant origin ingredients and boasting an ultra-long-lasting and hard-wearing formula, is a sophisticated deep rose hue that’s as versatile as it is pretty.
Whamisa: Korean Organic Beauty Pioneers
K-beauty has taken the world by storm, and Whamisa is a pioneering brand leading the way in organic and natural skincare. As Korea’s first organic-certified facility, Whamisa invests heavily in research and development, resulting in groundbreaking innovations like natural organic fermentations for better absorption and plant-based, natural preservatives. Their Organic Flowers Refresh Toner, containing 100% organic and vegan ingredients like lotus flower, aloe extract, and chrysanthemum, is a soothing and refreshing serum that softens skin and minimizes pores for a bright, clear complexion.
Twelve Natural Skincare: Sensitive Skin Solutions
Formulated by cosmetologist and pharmacist Pedro Catalá, Twelve’s complete range is vegan and designed specifically for sensitive, stressed, and allergy-prone skin. The compact collection features nine hero facial products, each targeting specific concerns, along with body serums, shower gels, hand creams, and balms for a comprehensive skincare routine. The Essential Bio-Technological Moisturiser, infused with hydrating hyaluronic acid, effectively moisturizes and preps the skin for makeup application.
Tata Harper: Global Botanical Powerhouse
Tata Harper sources over 300 raw ingredients from 68 countries, showcasing its commitment to using only the purest, highest quality botanicals in its formulations. With a vast range encompassing cleansers, toners, moisturizers, eye creams, lip treatments, and body scrubs, Tata Harper’s products are certified natural and cruelty-free. The Resurfacing Serum, a lightweight formula blending hyaluronic acid and essential vitamins, is a quick pick-me-up for rejuvenating and revitalizing your complexion.
La Belle Lune: Small-Batch, Nature-Inspired Beauty
Based in Norwich, La Belle Lune creates its products in small batches, adhering to the philosophy that Mother Nature knows best. Their entire line is vegan and cruelty-free, blending nutrient-rich plant oils, botanicals, and extracts into powerful products designed to cleanse, hydrate, and protect. Packaged in gorgeous Miron glass bottles and recyclable tins, the Organic Skin Facial Oil is an ideal overnight treatment for most skin types, targeting fine lines, scars, and sun damage for a healthy, rested appearance.
Evolve: Eco-Friendly Haircare Solutions
Evolve is a UK-based brand that avoids all animal-derived ingredients, making its cruelty-free and eco-friendly formulas right here in Britain. Their commitment to the environment extends beyond their products, with the brand operating from an Eco Studio that uses 100% wind power and low-energy lighting. The Superfood Shine Shampoo, a winner at the Natural Health Beauty Awards, contains sugar and coconut to effectively cleanse the scalp while nourishing hair, making it an ideal choice for those struggling with winter weather woes.
Lily Lolo: Mineral Makeup Mastery
Due to customer demand for long-wearing, highly pigmented formulas, vegan makeup brands can be scarce. Lily Lolo, a UK-made mineral makeup range, is renowned for its eyeshadow palettes, which come in versatile combinations. However, their collection extends beyond that, offering foundations, mascaras, blushers, and concealers to cater to every makeup bag need. The Sculpt & Glow duo, designed to flatter and enhance every skin tone, promises glowing skin and sky-high cheekbones with pigments as strong as their non-vegan counterparts.
Ilia: Multi-Tasking Makeup with Skincare Benefits
Ilia takes the hassle out of beauty by combining powerful skincare ingredients with clean, sustainable makeup formulas, creating the ultimate multi-tasking products. Their foundations contain niacinamide and allantoin, while their vibrant lipsticks are made with hydrating organic castor oil, and practically every facial product offers SPF protection. The Color Block Lipstick, formulated without beeswax or carmine, features mango seed butter, castor seed oil, and apricot oil for a velvety smooth, moisture-sealing finish that stays put all day.
Antipodes: Natural Ingredients from New Zealand
Inspired by the abundance of healing and rejuvenating natural ingredients found in New Zealand, Antipodes has been offering vegan, toxin-free, and clean formulations for over 15 years. Using only responsibly-sourced, 100% natural ingredients, each product is independently tested to ensure the claims made on the packaging are backed up by real results. The Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream, packed with antioxidant vitamins and hydrating Manuka honey, promises a great night’s sleep and a glowing complexion come morning.
By embracing these cruelty-free and vegan makeup brands, you can elevate your beauty routine while staying true to your ethical values. From skincare to makeup and fragrance, these brands offer high-quality, sustainable alternatives that prioritize animal welfare, environmental consciousness, and your overall well-being. Embrace the power of conscious consumerism and let your beauty routine reflect your compassionate lifestyle.