Compassionate beauty lover know: It can be really hard to shop for vegan beauty products at the drugstore.
From conflicting information to brands that hide ingredient lists, buying vegan beauty on a budget can be confusing.
Not anymore. I've put together a list of 15 fantastic (and fantastically cheap) drugstore beauty products that you never, ever knew were vegan. They'll blow your mind, transform your beauty game, and make your wallet happy.
e.l.f. Cosmetics' Beauty Shield lipsticks.
Good news, everyone! E.l.f. Cosmetics, makers of the most affordable and awesome makeup at the drugstore, is totally cruelty-free and vegan! Per the brand, "We do NOT test on animals or endorse such practices. Our products do not contain animal derived ingredients. Beeswax has been replaced by synthetic beeswax and lanolin has been replaced by Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladinpale-2."
And it gets even better. Not only are these Beauty Shield lipsticks ($6, e.l.f. Cosmetics) smooth, hydrating, and totally vegan, they're also hypoallergenic. Talk about a great deal!
Ardell lashes (and lash glue).
Long, luxurious lashes that aren't insanely expensive, and are cruelty free and 100% vegan? Ardell, you've done it again. All of Ardell's false lashes are vegan, and — even better — so is the brand's lash glue. Try Ardell's faux mink wispies ($6, Ulta) for a gloriously doe-eyed look.
EcoTools brushes.
At this point, we all know that synthetic makeup brushes are JUST as good as animal-derived ones — and if you're looking for cheap vegan brushes that last FOREVER, look no further than EcoTools. All of the brand's brushes — including the five-piece cheek and lip beauty kit ($17, Ulta) — are vegan and cruelty-free. Go forth and blend, my beauties!
Milani Cosmetics baked blushes.
There's quite a lot of conflicting information online about Milani's vegan status — some say it's a vegan brand, some say it's cruelty-free with some vegan products. Confusing! The truth is, Milani does have vegan products… you just have to dig for them. According to Vegan Beauty Review, which has the only list of vegan Milani cosmetics anymore, the Baked Blushes ($8, Ulta) are vegan and totally stunning — so buy with confidence.
NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Metallic lip creams.
Not all of NYX's legendarily budget-friendly beauty products are vegan — but a surprising number are, including the Soft Matte Metallic lip creams ($7, NYX Cosmetics). Even better: the NYX website makes it incredibly easy to search for vegan-only products… simply type "vegan" in the search bar, narrow by product type, and shop away.
Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer.
Yep — turns out one of the best bronzers at the drugstore ($15, Ulta) is vegan. The PF Butter Butter bronzer comes in four shades, and is totally cruelty-free, so you can fake a sun-kissed glow compassionately.
ORLY nail polish.
In 22 shades and several different finishes, ORLY's bestselling lacquer ($8.50, Ulta) is totally vegan on top of being long-wearing and awesome.
Wet n Wild MegaLength Mascara.
Wet n Wild remains cruelty-free, but doesn't have a 100% vegan ingredient list (the brand uses beeswax and carmine in some of its products). Luckily, the brand provides a handy vegan-friendly product list, and even more luckily, it's iconic MegaLength mascara ($3, Wet n Wild) is on the vegan list. With no beeswax, it's a solid drugstore vegan option.
Batiste's entire line of dry shampoo.
Rejoice! The best dry shampoo at the drugstore is vegan! All scents of Batiste dry shampoo ($8, Ulta) are, according to the brand, vegan and cruelty-free.
Real Techniques' makeup brushes.
Essence Cosmetics Strobing Highlighter Stick.
Many — but not all — of essence Cosmetics' products are vegan. This includes the brands cult classic Strobing Highlighter Stick ($4, Ulta). Glow up, babies.
Pixi by Petra H20 Skin Tint.
According to Pixi's website, many of the brand's products — including the best-selling Skin Tint ($24, Target) are vegan and cruelty-free!
Morphe 209 vegan brush set.
OK, so Morphe isn't in every drugstore — but a nine-piece vegan brush set ($39, Ulta) that's this affordable? We'll definitely head to our local Ulta to pick THAT up.
Pacifica Beauty vegan nail polish.
If you need a cruelty-free nail polish that's bright, bold, and beautiful? Look at Pacifica's line of 7-free polishes ($9, Ulta). Not only are the colors gorgeous, they stay unchipped and perfect forEVER. PS — Pacifica's entire makeup line is 100% vegan. What are you waiting for?
