The vegan and cruelty-free beauty brands at LOOKFANTASTIC, from Aesop to The Ordinary
These are the animal-freindly brands to browse online
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Vegan beauty remains a hot topic – in fact, The Vegan Society hit 30,000 vegan cosmetic products registrations in 2023. Whether it’s for skincare, haircare or make-up formulations, vegan and cruelty-free ingredients are now part of the mainstream.
From the flurry of new celebrity beauty brands with vegan line-ups (Rhode and Florence By Mills, to name a few) to some of the biggest names in beauty (think Charlotte Tilbury, Isle of Paradise) also happen to be vegan-friendly, there seems to be more choice than ever.
It’s worth bearing in mind that vegan cosmetic products aren’t necessarily cruelty-free. Vegan means the product doesn’t contain animal-derived materials (commonly used examples include collagen, beeswax and keratin), but cruelty-free tends to refer to a brand’s animal testing status.
Home to a whole host of IndyBest tried and tested cult buys, Lookfantastic is a key destination for anything that’s hot in the beauty world. Here, we’ve got the lowdown on the vegan and cruelty-free brands available to shop from the retailer, from The Ordinary to Aesop.
UpCircle
Specialising in vegan, planet-friendly beauty, Upcircle holds a B-corp certification and is certified by The Vegan Society. It’s also Leaping Bunny-approved cruelty-free but what’s especially great about UpCircle is its stance on waste. The formulas contain repurposed by-products of different industries – think face scrub made from left-over coffee grounds (£12.07, Lookfantastic.com), or a face mask using discarded olive stones £20.99, Lookfantastic.com). Plus, everything comes in plastic-free packaging.
Visit Upcircle at Lookfantastic.com
Pai Skincare
Pai is certified as vegan by The Vegan Society and is also certified by Cruelty Free International. One to have on your radar if you’re looking for products made with sensitive skin in mind, it relies on organic ingredients and everything comes from its London HQ, from cleansers and body creams to serums, hydrating masks and bronzing drops. Available at Lookfantastic, one of our favourites is the Pai rosehip bioregenerate oil (£16.99, Lookfantastic.com). In our review of the elixir, the luxurious and rich” formula came with a “warm, smokey scent”, and sank easily into the skin.
Visit Pai at Lookfantastic.com
Isle of Paradise
Featuring PETA’s Without Bunnies logo, which means everything it sells is vegan and cruelty-free, Isle of Paradise is a brand that does faux glows well. From mousses and drops to waters, gradual tans and tanning application tools, LOOKFANTASTIC stocks the lot. With a lightweight texture, its face tanning drops (£11.97, Lookfantastic.com) landed in our review of the best face tanners – just one drop of this will leave a slightly sunkissed finish. But we’re also a fan of its self-tanning oil mist (£13.97, Lookfantastic.com) which features colour-correcting technology to correspond with different skin undertones.
Visit Isle of Paradise at Lookfantastic.com
Aesop
Think of luxury skincare products and Aesop will probably spring to mind. Known for its sophisticated scents and elegant, minimalist packaging, the Melbourne-born brand is a certified B Corporation, while all of its formulations are vegan and certified as cruelty free. Skincare, haircare and fragrances can be found at LOOKFANTASTIC, including the exfoliator (£34.40, Lookfantastic.com), a hero find that immediately leaves skin “soft and visibly plumped after use”. Whether you’re looking for high-end skincare or a pampering gift (think, aromatic handwashes and body care), it’s a skincare maven’s must.
Visit Aesop at Lookfantastic.com
The Ordinary
Thanks to straight-forward formulations, pocket-friendly pricing and TikTok trending products (think, that “pink serum”), The Ordinary has caused quite the stir in the skincare sphere. And if you didn’t already know, it’s also certified as vegan and cruelty-free by PETA. You find everything from retinol and retinoid treatments to hyaluronic acid products, peptide-fuelled formulas and more at LOOKFANTASTIC. One of the newest launches, the reformulated version of the brand’s hyaluronic acid 2% + B5 serum (£8.80, Lookfantastic.com), was hailed by our reviewer as “an affordable hydration boost” that smoothes, brightens and offers a “plumped-up effect”.
Visit The Ordinary at Lookfantastic.com
Lime Crime
Pushing three million Instagram followers and more than 70 thousand likes on TikTok, it’s safe to say Lime Crime is a cult favourite brand. Big on bold, vivid shades, it’s also vegan, cruelty-free, and certified by both PETA and The Leaping Bunny Program. Its freckle pen (£15, Lookfantastic.com) is a tried and tested IndyBest find, having earned a spot in our review of the best. We praised its “felt-tip pen”, as it made “light work of creating the finest freckles with a light hand”, but was also able to make “more rounded pigment spots with more pressure – creating a natural asymmetrical real-looking finish”.
Visit Lime Crime at Lookfantastic.com
KVD Beauty
Founded in 2008 by its namesake and tattoo artist Kat Von D (although it’s now owned by Kendo Brands), KVD Beauty offers a vegan, cruelty-free line up which is recognised by Peta. Bright and bold is often the name of the game when it comes to the products, from pin-sharp eyeliners to dazzling eyeshadows, but perhaps one of its most cult formations has been the good apple foundation balm. It first went viral back in 2021 but the new version (£30, Lookfantastic.com) is even better, according to our reviewer, having been dubbed the best lightweight foundation for oily skin.
Visit KVD at Lookfantastic.com
Versed
If you’re looking for vegan skincare that doesn’t cost the earth, this environmentally conscious brand is Climate Neutral certified, certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny, and is nicely affordable. There’s a focus on dermatologist-tested, clean formulations (by this, the brand means products made without ingredients like parabens and sulfates), and while the range available at LOOKFANTASTIC is fairly limited, you can still select vegan buys like the cleansing balm (£16.50, Lookfantastic.com), the lip oil (£9, Lookfantastic.com), and the brightening serum (£18, Lookfantastic.com).
Visit Versed at Lookfantastic.com
Gallinée
The microbiome takes centre stage at Gallinée. Dr in pharmacy and founder Dr Marie Drago wrote her thesis on the subject, so it’s fair to say the team knows what it’s doing. All the products are vegan and the brand says it doesn’t test on animals. Formulated to promote the health of the microbiome, many of the products are also fragrance-free and suitable for sensitive skin. From supplements with probiotics said to lower inflammation and sensitivity, to topical skincare and haircare, head over to LOOKFANTASTIC to browse the range.
Visit Gallinée at Lookfantastic.com
Barry M
If you want a shock of colour on your claws, Barry M has you covered. Cruelty-free since it started brightening up the beauty industry in 1982, and since 2020 it’s also 100 per cent vegan, it goes beyond gelly hi shine polish (£2, Lookfantastic.com) and shimmery shades, to cheap and cheerful make-up too. Bestsellers you can pick up at LOOKFANTASTIC include the that’s swell XXL cooling lip plumper (£4,.99, Lookfantastic.com) and chisel cheeks contour cream sticks (£8.99, Lookfantastic.com).
Visit Barry M at Lookfantastic.com
Manucurist
With its vegan, cruelty-free nail polish, Manucurist is another name worth knowing. The green flash set took the top spot in our review of the best vegan nail polish, where it was dubbed the best alternative to shellac. Designed to dry immediately beneath the LED light, it gave our writer the most professional-looking “high-shine manicure at home that lasted for more than 10 days”. You won’t be short on shades (£19, Lookfantastic.com) of the green flash varnish, along with the brand’s vitamin-packed top coat (£16, Lookfantastic.com) and more to help your talons look tip-top without using animal-derived ingredients.
Visit Manucurist at Lookfantastic.com
For more beauty buff intel, read our review of the best vegan shampoo and conditioners