First off is Urban Decay Cosmetics. While not every single product they make is vegan, they truly have a huge line to choose from. I've used a lot of products from Urban Decay over the years and have been impressed with all of them. I love their eyeshadows, most of which are vegan-friendly and come in a very wide array of colors and finishes. They also have lipsticks, lip glosses, eyeliners, and powders that are vegan-friendly. Urban Decay is great line for people who really like intense, colorful makeup and like to play with their looks.
One of my very favorite brands I've ever used is Lush Cosmetics. There was one in Macy's at Water Tower Mall in Chicago, which I lived next to, so I had easy access to their products and I've been in love with them ever since. They have some of the neatest products I've ever seen, from their Bath Bombs and Caca Hair Dye to their Shower Gels and Shower Smoothies. They are all completely handmade, all-natural products that aren't tested on animal. Not every single product is vegan, but you can tell which ones are on their website by the green 'V' beside them. The Bath Bombs are these scented balls of wonderfulness you drop in your bathtub and let melt and they truly smell amazing and they help soften and soothe your skin, and some of them change the color of your bathwater and have glitter in them (cool for kids, or just the kid in you). My favorite scents that I've tried are the Sex Bomb which has jasmine, sage, and ylang ylang, and the Sicilian Bomb that has orange, tangerine, and mandarin oils in it. They also have these great Shower Jellies (my favorite being Joy of Jelly, a lily and rose scented jelly) that are like solid jellies in recyclable containers. The Caca Hair Dye I mentioned is this really neat solid henna hair dye (and it's called caca, aka shit, which I think is hilarious). The red is really lustrous and radiant and gives your hair a great, fiery glow. I've used the dark brown one, too, and it was really gorgeous. All-natural hair dye sounds pretty great to me, considering all the awful, harsh chemicals in most hair dyes these days. Anyway, all around, I absolutely love Lush products and have been fully satisfied with every single one I've ever purchased.
This is what the Sex Bomb looks like. Not too fancy, but it smells amazing.
This is what the Caca Hair Dye looks like. Again, nothing fancy, but it works really well.
A display of Bath Bombs at Lush in Chicago.
Manic Panic is a 100% vegan line of cosmetics that is super inexpensive. The only thing I've tried from their line is the Lip Locked Lipstick in Vampire's Kiss, which is a deep, dark blood red. I love how creamy it is and how long it stays on without bleeding. Manic Panic could be considered an 'alternative' makeup line because they offer black lipstick and a lot of more gothic trends, and have a very small selection, but some of their stuff would be great for Halloween or special occasions.
Another great brand is Ecco Bella, which makes skincare, body care, cosmetics, hair products, fragrances, and home frangrances. I've not used any of their cosmetics, but I have their Green Tea and Neem shampoo, which doesn't strip hair color (something I need big time because I'm a redhead right now), and it also is great for dandruff problems because of the essential oils in it. Another thing I love about it is that the ingredient list is all things I've at least heard of, and if I haven't, it actually explains what the ingredients are. Another product I love is the Ecco Mist room spray, and I've used the Summer Fruit scent and I love how fresh and tropical it smells. The scent lingers without being too heavy or flowery.
FACE atelier (which was the official makeup sponsor for Madonna's Confessions World Tour) offers a great line of vegan-friendly cosmetics. I've tried numerous eyeshadows from their line and I like how versatile and wearable they are, even for people who don't wear a lot of makeup. I've used several of their lipsticks, too, and really liked their Cool Coral shade that was a perfect, slightly coral nude.
Another line I've been hooked on since I first tried it is Josie Maran Cosmetics. The model and actress created her all-natural, organic, cruelty-free line of cosmetics several years ago and the first thing I purchased from the line was the Argan Oil. It comes from organically grown Argan trees in Morocco and is a soothing, healing moisturizer that can be used as a quick-drying serum on your face, or even on cuticles and split ends. I've used it on burns, scratches, and dry patches on my skin and it helps deeply moisturize without feeling greasy. When I had my tragus pierced a few years ago (that little part of your ear that sticks out over the ear canal), it simply wouldn't heal, even though I used triple antibiotic ointment and alcohol to clean it, among other things. Finally, after months of pain and redness and draining, I started putting the Argan Oil on it and within a few days, it healed up. I've been hooked ever since. Josie Maran uses Argan Oil in many of her products, including lipstick, cream makeup, and her Bear Naked face wipes that can be used to clean makeup off). I've used face wipes from many different brands and a lot of them leave a film on my face or there are traces of makeup residue left behind, but the Bear Naked ones really clean extremely well (plus, a portion of the sales of each package goes toward helping the endangered polar bear).
Because I'm so into makeup, I'm also very into having high quality brushes. A lot of the fluffy powder and eyeshadow brushes are made from horsehair, which is something I'm obviously not going to be using. I've had some brushes from Sevi for a few years and they're completely synthetic brushes that work incredibly well. I also have a few of their eyeshadows that I really like. I've not used any of their other products, but I do know they make a lot of men's products that have gotten some really great reviews. They also have hair products, skincare, and they even have a line of products for your pet (which I'm going to be investing in).
Some of the pretty eyeshadows from Sevi.
A line that a friend in Chicago introduced to me a few years ago is Jason. They have over 200 vegan-friendly products, ranging from skincare, sun care, men's products, and children's products, though I should warn you that there are a few products that have beeswax, which isn't considered a vegan product. I've used their Shea Nut Butter for a few years and I absolutely adore it. In Chicago when the winters were bitterly cold, it was the only thing that saved my elbows, knees, and feet from being so dry they'd crack. It has a very faint scent that you can still wear perfume with so it's not overbearing and dries without a greasy finish. I also love the Lavender Body Scrub that polishes and sloughs off dry skin and smells so good - the calming lavender scent makes doing a body scrub before bedtime perfect.
For several years, I've been a big fan of Yves Rocher cosmetics and skincare products. The company has been around for 50 years, and they make very reasonably priced all-natural products that are really great quality. I received a bottle of the Tendre Jasmin perfume as a gift and fell in love with the soft, floral fragrance, which is a big deal because I'm not a big fan of floral perfumes - I'd prefer to not smell like a funeral home. But Tendre Jasmin is light and girly without being overbearing. I also love Yves Rocher's Demaquilliant Douceur, a chamomile-infused eye makeup remover that gently gets rid of all mascara and impurities. It's great for people who wear contacts and have sensitive eyes.
I know there are a million other lines that are vegan-friendly, and there are even a lot of lines that aren't completely vegan but they offer vegan products, but these are just a few that I've tried out and really loved. Even Lancome, the amazing line I've been with the last several years, offers great products that I know are vegan-friendly without even being intentional. Hard Candy has a page on their website listing all the vegan products they offer, and obviously Origins has been around for years and offers great products, too. Clinique offers product information on what products of theirs are vegan, and Smashbox has released a whole line of vegan eyeshadows. Aveda has great vegan hair products, and Garden Botanika has a list of vegan products on their sights. As for skincare, Kiss My Face and Boscia offer a lot of really impressive vegan products. Plus, I found a fantastic website, Vegan Essentials, that gives you access to a ton of vegan products (and not just cosmetics, but clothes, shoes, candles, food, and more). My friend Danielle over at Trauma Mama is a slave to MAC cosmetics (and I admit, I have a TON of their stuff, too), and after a little research, I've found out you can stop by their counter to fill out a contact form so they can mail you a list of all their vegan-friendly products, or you can call their customer service (1-800-588-0070) and they can e-mail you a list, as well. I called the customer service and received an e-mail within an hour of speaking to the representative (who was very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable). Unfortunately, I can't print the list here because the lists are designed for 'individual use only,' but at least you know where you can get the information.
So even if you aren't a vegan, you can still use products from all of these great lines that don't have all the awful chemicals in them that are ruining our bodies and the Earth. There are great colors in some of the lines even for the most fashion-forward makeup diva (such as myself), and amazing skincare products for the more natural girl. There's a ton of products to choose from, and these are just a few that I happen to love. Let me know if there are any other lines you've tried and what products you loved or hated!
