8 Lipsticks You Can Feel Good About Using

Bold red lipstick has been a makeup bag staple for decades, but if you've chosen to live a vegan lifestyle, finding one can quickly become frustrating.

The majority of lipsticks, particularly those with ruby hues, are made from a red dye called carmine. For those who aren’t aware, some 70,000 cochineal insects are crushed and boiled to make just one pound of the stuff and, to make matters worse, it’s only the females that are killed. Sexism is rife everywhere, folks.

It’s not just carmine that vegans have to look out for, either. The cosmetics industry’s trusty pal beeswax is the base of most lipsticks, so make sure yours uses an alternative (plant-based candelilla and sunflower seed waxes are popular).

It can be tricky to find a lipstick that is totally free of these animal by-products, especially when some shades in a particular range are and others aren’t. If in doubt, stick to brands that have declared their full lip range vegan – as we have done here – so you can focus on choosing the right color instead of fretting over the ingredients list.