I switched all my makeup to cruelty-free. Here’s what I use.

I’ll be honest: I thought testing products on animals was harmless. I thought it was just mice and rats. Unfortunately, I was really, really wrong.

I came across the Beagle Freedom Project, and my heart broke. And that’s just the beginning. I’m not going to fill this post with sad pictures, but if you want to look into that more, I encourage you to follow the Beagle Freedom Project on Instagram. If I don’t influence you to switch to cruelty-free products, I bet following them will.

Instead, I’m going to tell you how I went cruelty-free and exactly what I use.

If you want to check out the products you already use and see if they are testing on animals, check out CrueltyFreeKitty.com. She does an incredible job of constantly updating her database with brands that do/do not test on animals. I also learned from her, that many products can say they are cruelty-free but they actually aren’t. For example, ANY product that is made in China is automatically tested on animals. So while the makeup brand you see on the shelves at Sephora may claim to be cruelty-free, if you look at where their product is manufactured, and it says China, it is indeed tested on animals.Although, China says they plan to stop this practice. Here’s the latest on that.

I was so sad to learn most luxury brands test on animals. Chanel, Dior, Fenty, Bobbi Brown, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, MAC, Kiehl’s, Makeup Forever, Pat McGrath, Versace, NARS, Estee Lauder and Lancome to name a few.

And brands that we have all used for so long and most likely have in your cabinet that surprised me: Almay, Aveeno, Chapstick, Clarions, Clinique, L’Oreal, Neutrogena, Olay, Wet & Wild, Maybelline, etc. Here’s a full list of products that test on animals.

And here’s’ a list of brands that are cruelty-free.

The good news is there are so many options out there that don’t test on animals, and you don’t have to sacrifice quality makeup to get the results you want.

I get asked all the time about my makeup routine - probably because I have to put on a full face every day and I have perfected this routine to 10 minutes or less. Trust me, if you had to get up at 2:30am you would streamline your routine, too.

I’m going to focus on makeup for this post, I’ll do a skincare one soon.

PRIMER: Tarte’s Timeless Smoothing primer is absolutely a dream. It goes on so perfectly and helps my makeup glide on and really stick to my face.

FOUNDATION: This has been probably one of my favorite finds since switching to cruelty-free. Tarte is the absolute best foundation and they’ve always been cruelty-free. They’re also affordable. I use Tarte’s Shape Tape foundation every day. It’s buildable, so when I want to just put a little on to hide dark circles, it works. Or for work, I can layer it up and it doesn’t look caked-on. I have a LOT of acne scars, so if it works for me it will for you too! Tarte’s website also has a foundation finder which I really like, it helped me find the right shade for me when I couldn’t get to a store.

CONCEALER: Shape Tape for this one, too! This is the holy grail of concealer. There’s a reason it has a cult following. (Sign up for Tarte’s reward program, they have sales all the time!)

CONTOUR: Tarte’s contour palette is an easy one to use. Even for those unsure about contouring, this is a good one to start with. I just use the dark shade under my cheekbones for a more defined look. Here’s another good one.

BLUSH: Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush: It lasts ALL DAY and gives that perfect pop of pink.

If you want to skip the separate blush/contour set, go for this one that has it all together.

BRONZER: I know some people turn their noses up at bronzers but I use it every day. It gives me more color and just sets the overall ‘smooth’ look of my makeup. I don’t use a lot, and I have really been loving Kosas The Sun Show Bronzer.

SETTING POWDER: If you need extra coverage or want to use a setting powder on top of it all, I also love Tarte’s setting powder. For me, I am not always the best at blending and this helps make my face look more cohesive. If I use this, I don’t use bronzer.

MASCARA: I am a mascara junkie and have several in the arsenal at all times. I love Tarte’s Man-eater mascara. But my absolute favorite mascara is from Thrive Causmetics. It’s unlike any mascara I’ve ever used. I only need a coat—-maybe two of the mascara. It goes on like lash extensions and truly makes my lashes longer than anything. I also love this company because they donate a portion of their sales to several different charities. One heads up about this mascara: When you wash your face, the mascara comes off in clumps. It’s weird at first but you will learn to love it, (at least I did) because it’s kind of satisfying. I don’t even need makeup remover, water works!

EYELINER: I also use Thrive Causmetics for eyeliner. I like to put a thin black line on my water line, and this eyeliner just stays put all day and its’s really smooth going on. On days I look extra tired or don’t want heavily-defined eyes, I use the bright-white eye

BROWS: I am pretty lucky to have good, full brows… But on days when I want a little more, I like Thrive Causmetics Infinity waterproof brow pencil.

EYESHADOW: Lately I’ve been keeping my eyeshadow simply, with nudes and an eye shimmer in the corners of my lids. So I sometimes just use my Tarte contour palette. I also love this palette from Thrive and this one from Tarte.

I also love Thrive Causmetics Brilliant eye-brightener. I dab it in the corner of my eyes and it makes me look more awake.

LIPS: Lipliner - I like Tarte’s Lip Architect liner. I try to keep my lip liner pretty neutral. If I’m at work or really want a bold lip, I LOVE KVD Vegan Beauty Everlasting Liquid lipstick. I love the color “MOTHER.” It’s bright pink, but can be subdued with a nude color on top. It’s also very matte, so I usually top it with a gloss. I used to use Charlotte Tilbury’s lipliner and lipstick, but their cruelty-free status is not clear, so I’ve stopped using them.

I also LOVE Winky Lux’s Flower Balm for every day wear. Or, I put it on top of a matte lipstick to bring more color. I have several tubes of this because I go through it like crazy.

GLOSS: If I only want to wear gloss, I’ll put on Tarte’s Maracuja Glossy lip oil. My lips feel amazing when I’m wearing it.

SETTING SPRAY: Tarte Maracuja Miracle Mist. It feels refreshing and not sticky, which I have found to be the case with most other setting sprays.

That’s about it! I will tell you it was hard at first letting go of my favorites. I was a big fan of Laura Mercier, Estee Lauder, NARS, FENTY, Makeup Forever and Dior. But it’s 2020, and if all these other companies have figured out how to be cruelty free, why can’t they? There are more than 700 brands that are cruelty-free. There is truly no excuse. If we all stop supporting companies that test on animals, we’ll see real change.

What are you favorite cruelty-free brands? Share them with me! All products linked here.