Before I actually managed to go pescatarian, I stopped buying makeup from brands that were not cruelty free. I found the transition a bit challenging at first: almost all of the makeup I owned was from companies that are well known for testing on animals, and I preferred to go down the tried-and-tested route, especially with foundation. The first changes I made were expensive, though they were products I’d been eyeing up for a while so I thought they would be a good place to start. My first purchase was a £19 tube of mascara, which is certainly a bit excessive, though I’m still in love with the product two years later.
almost all of the makeup I owned was from companies that are well known for testing on animals
Given my shock at the state of my bank account after just one purchase, I decided to research cruelty free make up companies that have a lower price point, and was pleasantly surprised to find several recommendations online. Most brands are owned by a larger company that often isn’t cruelty free, but I made the decision to continue to buy from brands with a parent company that tests on animals, partially because refusing to do so made purchasing from brands I could actually find outlets of on the high street very challenging. A brand I’ve been a fan of for a long time is Barry M, most famous for their nail varnishes, but I’ve since become a fan of both their eye shadow palettes and the Get Up and Glow contour, blush and highlighter palette, which seems to have since been discontinued, but I have my eyes on the Feeling Cheeky Sculpting Palette for when my current one starts running low.
Superdrug’s own range of products are also cruelty free, and I’m a particular fan of their Tea Tree range of skin care products and their hair styling products. I now tend to buy most of my basic things from the Superdrug own range because of their affordability and quality, and my range of Tea Tree skin products is almost big enough to open a Superdrug store out of my bathroom, as my housemates can attest to.
These first steps towards buying cruelty free makeup taught me that while it certainly could be a rather expensive lifestyle change, it didn’t have to be if I didn’t want it to be, and while it is harder to find brands on the high street that don’t test on animals, there’s plenty of information online to guide purchases.
