I like playing with makeup and changing my look. In the past, I’ve written about vegan makeup, but I happened to list brands that are pricy. For most of my life (and still today), I’ve been more of a bargain hunter. That’s why I’m happy to share with you some inexpensive brands that don’t test on animals!
Eyes, Lips, Face, or e.l.f, is a brand of cosmetics with a great price point. They sell loads of fun makeup and synthetic brushes too! Last holiday season, I treated myself to a 100-color eyeshadow palette. It’s a lot of fun. The pigment isn’t super intense so even the bold colors are wearable.
I found it at a drug store for $10, which is well worth it for some makeup fun. The e.l.f. website specifically states, “We do NOT test on animals or endorse such practices. Our products do not contain animal derived ingredients.”
Jordana makes my favorite eyeliner in any price range. There’s a range of colors (the dark brown is my go-to, but I’ll branch out with brights sometimes). Their liners are self sharpening too, so you’ll always have a nice tip (without slivers–ouch!). I think these are less than $5 each. They sell lip liners too, as well as nail polish and other cosmetics, such as shadows. They’re made in the USA and available at your local drug store. Jordana’s website states that they do not test on animals or buy ingredients that were tested on animals. Some of their products contain animal ingredients, so read the labels!
Wet n Wild is another drug store brand that doesn’t test on animals. Thanks to Luminous Vegans for that tip! Wet n Wild sells formaldehyde-free nail polish, which is great news for a lot of us! The Wet n Wild website states, “As a Peta-certified, cruelty-free brand, we’re proud to say we have never and will never test on animals. We also make it a point to work with cruelty-free, third-party vendors. Wet n Wild loves our furry, scaly, and feathery friends!” Some of their makeup does contain carmine (a dye derived from insects). You can see which items are vegan and which aren’t on their FAQ.
It’s true that these aren’t vegan-owned companies, but for those of us on a budget, or who want to try out a makeup trend without spending a fortune, we have options. You can see PETA’s complete list for the latest info.
Do you know of other cruelty-free makeup for people on a budget?
Sunshine and Slaughter 
Thanks for the beauty tips, I need some new eyeliner, so I’ll try Jordana. Having taken a course in aesthetics, I found out that cosmetics have a huge markup and that inexpensive products are just as good as their overpriced competitors. So for me, the importance is that they are not tested on animals. 🙂
I just bought more eyeliner last night! I found it at Walgreens but I’m sure you can find it in Canada. It was less than $3. Like you said, there’s a huge markup and if the product works, why spend more? I also bought an eyebrow pencil. It’s made in Germany!
I love that you mention brands that are affordable and accessible. I don’t wear much makeup these days but I think Everyday Minerals is pretty affordable and carry a lot of vegan stuff (they might be all vegan these days). They only sell online though :-(.
Wow! I just checked and Everyday Minerals is all-vegan! They’re really affordable and have brushes too (a hidden source of fur, usually). Thanks for the tip! I like affordable and I’m glad you liked the post!