As supply meets demand for a more conscientious approach to our consumer lifestyles, we see cosmetic lines adopting new attitudes towards the use of animal products.

The term ‘Vegan’ is one that beauty lovers will be becoming increasingly familiar with when making their Makeup choices, but what does it actually mean in the cosmetic context?

It basically comes down to content. A product that is vegan does not contain any animal ingredients or animal-derived ingredients. This includes, but is not limited to, honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, albumen, carmine, cholesterol, gelatin, and many others.

Confusingly this does not necessarily mean that the product is cruelty free as the term is not yet officially regulated however most brands using the former will also adopt the latter in their policy. If in doubt, do your research!

A good first step to converting your personal stash is to start with your brushes. Fenty and Zoeva in particular do great vegan brushes which use synthetic products in place of animal hair.

As to product content – Lines with completely vegan ingredients include MECCA Max, Cover FX and my personal favourite, Kat Von D Beauty (both available at Sephora!). And whilst those remaining may not be quite there yet, most major ranges (including Marc Jacobs Beauty, Fenty, Armani, Becca, Charlotte Tilbury and MANY more) now offer multiple products within their range that DO identify as vegan so look into it further before disregarding them if it’s a topic close to your heart!