More and more people are becoming aware of the importance of eco-friendly products and how they are a lot better for the skin and environment. Makeup is something enjoyed by many people. It’s used for many different purposes like enhancing your appearance or just being creative. Let’s start by describing each individual makeup category.
Makeup basics
Primer: this product is applied under foundation or concealer to create a smooth, even base. It also helps minimize the appearance of pores and controls oily skin. Primer primer will keep your makeup in place all day.
Foundation: used for evening out the skin tone and covering imperfections. It creates a smooth base under all other makeup. There are many foundations available for every skin type, from matte, to hydrating formulas. The coverage of foundations can also vary from natural to full coverage.
Concealer: the point of concealer is to hide blemishes, redness, dark spots and under eye bags. It can come in a cream or liquid formula. Liquid formulas are mostly for the under eye area, while cream, thick formulas are meant for problematic blemishes.
Powder: used for setting face products in place. It can come in a loose or pressed form. Powder can also for many different purposes: highlighting, mattifying or brightening. It gives the skin a blurred effect.
Blush: blush is used to give the cheeks some colour and a healthy, fresh glow. The shades typically come in pink and peach colours.
Bronzer: warms up the complexion and gives the skin a nice “summer glow”. It can be used all year long on the parts of the face where you’d like to deepen facial features.
Highlighter: enhances the high points of the face and the skin a glowing, illuminated look. It softens facial features and is applied to the tops of cheekbones, nose, sides of the forehead and the cupid’s bow.
Eyeshadow: it comes in a lot of colours and formulas – there are thousands to choose from. It’s applied to the eyelids and brings out your eye shape and colour. You can create any look you imagine with eyeshadow – from glittery, to matte or sheer.
Mascara: it’s used to thicken and elongate lashes. Tiny fibres are applied onto eyelashes which thicken and elongate them. Mascara typically opens up the eyes, brings out their color and awakens the way your face looks.
Eyeliner: this product defines and shapes the eyes. It’s used to define the eyes, open them up and create different looks such as a cat eye. It usually comes in black or dark brown, but can be found in other colours.
Lipstick: lipstick is a favorite step of many. It comes in different formulas and finishes (matte, sheer, creamy). The iconic red lipstick has been around for decades and continues to be popular as the years go by.
Lip gloss: it is used just like lipstick, the only difference is that is always gives a glossy finish. Lip gloss makes the lips appear bigger and fuller.
Why go vegan?
Vegan makeup has been a hot topic for a while now. People are becoming aware of the mistreatment of animals and harsh testing that they go through in the beauty industry. Common animal-derived ingredients found in beauty products include honey, beeswax, lanolin (wool grease), squalene (shark liver oil), carmine (crushed-up beetles), gelatin (cow or pig bones, tendons or ligaments), allantoin (cow urine), ambergris (whale vomit) and placenta (sheep organs).
Using vegan makeup has many benefits:
- They are better for those who have sensitive skin since they contain fewer harmful ingredients than some non-vegan cosmetics. These toxic ingredients can increase your chances of developing a rash, acne, dry skin and other issues
- The majority of vegan cosmetics contain all natural, chemical-free ingredients and are full of vitamins and healthy minerals. Some ingredients you can typically find are essential oils, seaweed, chamomile, aloe vera and many more. All of these ingredients do wonders for the skin and will only improve the texture and health of your skin. Vegan companies know how important natural ingredients are in cosmetics.
- A main goal of vegan cosmetics is to prevent animal experimentation and their mistreatment. No animals are harmed during the creation of vegan makeup which is what makes them cruelty-free.
- Surprisingly, vegan cosmetics hydrate the skin, reduce acne and other skin conditions which give the skin a youthful appearance. Vegan cosmetics are known for their beneficial properties that improve uneven skin tones and reduce undereye bags. Thanks to all of the plant-based ingredients, the skin looks extremely healthy and glowy.
Animal ingredients
This can be anything that was directly or indirectly sourced from an animal. Animal ingredients used for beauty products can be obtained from both living or killed animals. Some ingredients came from the “leftovers” of slaughtered animals. Animal-derived ingredients can be obtained from living animals like beeswax, honey, shellac, and lanolin. Suppliers claim this as a “natural” process and “doesn’t hurt the animals” – vegan cosmetics avoid all these types of animal ingredients.
There is a difference between vegan and vegetarian beauty products. Vegetarian cosmetics contain zero ingredients that were part of an animal but they may contain ingredients that were made by an animal such as honey, beeswax, egg whites (albumen), milk substance, etc. Vegan cosmetics do not contain anything that was obtained or produced from living or killed animals.
Vegan brands
Au Naturale
They are both a brand and a cause – the line serving as physical evidence to the consumer that cleaner beauty is possible. All of their products are vegan, organic, paraben free and ethical. They open consumer’s minds to the importance of transparency and generating demand for continued change.
Sugar Venom
Sugar Venom is an ethically conscious south Australian mineral makeup brand that believes in treading lightly and loving animals. Their products are talc free, paraben free, heavy metals free, petrochemical free, palm oil free, sulfate free, nano-particles free, artificial fragrances free, gluten free, carmine free, ferric ferrocyanide free and bismuth oxychloride free. Their lip products contain the goodness of Organic Orange Peel Oil, Organic Jojoba Seed Oil and Organic Castor Seed Oil to nourish and protect your lips. Sugar Venom is also vegan and cruelty free.
Cover FX
Their products are enriched with good-for-you ingredients and without parabens, fragrance, gluten, mineral oil, and talc, making for a vegan formula that everyone can wear. They produce high-performing formulas with a dedication to delivering innovative and customizable products. A favorite among beauty influencers and professionals, they offer award-winning formulas and a diverse range of foundation in 40 shades and 3 undertones.
Juice Beauty
This brand takes special care to make sure that their ingredients are certified organic so that no toxins, pesticides, synthetics, or fertilizers make it into its products. Each product is packed with antioxidants and concentrated skin-care benefits without fillers of water or petroleum. Many people love the Juice Boost Illuminator + Bronzer Duo that contains finely micronized shimmer particles that add the perfect amount of highlighter. It can be used on the cupid’s bow, cheeks, inner eye corners, lids, shoulders and bridge of the nose. Every single product is multipurpose and universal. The majority of their products are 100% vegan.
Afterglow
A gluten-free makeup brand that offers many organic cosmetics that contain only pure, natural ingredients. They are great for those with sensitive skin or acne-prone types thanks to their delicate formulas. All products are uniquely blended with natural minerals and pigments. They’re gluten-free, soy-free, cruelty-free and fair trade as well as vegan.
Vegan makeup is something that should be getting more attention. It’s just as good, if not better, as regular makeup available on the market. It’s also fairly affordable and amazing for the environment. There are absolutely no cons to using these products and it won’t make a huge difference for us financially. You can only benefit from using this type of makeup and so can our planet.
