Ever since middle school when our moms let us upgrade from Lip Smackers chapstick to tubes of lipgloss, the love-hate relationship with makeup was born and settled a little too comfortably into our lives. If there's one thing that is more stressful than an 8:00 a.m. final, it's navigating the makeup aisle. We've all felt overwhelmed and torn on several occasions while having to weigh the endless options in front of us. Which foundation lasts longer? Which has a matte finish? The questions shouldn't stop there.
A major factor in your decision-making process should be whether the brands you're buying are cruelty-free and if they're using animal testing in the making of their products. After you realize how many big brand names are using animal testing, it's hard not to wonder whether testing was used for what's on your face. But wonder no more!
Below is a list of parent companies that are currently not cruelty-free.
1. Estee Lauder
Bobbi Brown
Buxom
Clinique
M.A.C.
Too Faced
Becca
Smashbox
2. L'Oreal
Giorgio Armani
Lancôme
Maybelline
NYX
Urban Decay
YSL
3. Shiseido
Bare Minerals
Dolce & Gabbana
Laura Mercier
NARS
4. LVMH
Benefit
Dior
Givenchy
Make Up For Ever
5. Revlon
Elizabeth Arden
6. Rimmel London
Large beauty conglomerates such as Estee Lauder and L'Oreal, who are currently not cruelty-free, have corporate ownership of most high-end makeup brands. Even though these smaller companies may stick to their stance against animal testing, that doesn't mean their parent company is doing the same. It doesn't help that if a brand wants to sell to the Chinese market, it is required by Chinese law that animal testing must be used before their products hit the shelves.
But there's good news! You just narrowed down what seemed like an endless amount of makeup options. Now, time to talk alternatives if your go-to products were on the list above.
Here's a list of brands that are committed to staying cruelty-free:
1. Afterglow Cosmetics
2. Anastasia Beverly Hills
3. Colourpop
4. Hourglass
5. Marc Jacobs
6. Milk Makeup
7. Kylie Cosmetics
8. Kat Von D
