I have been buying cruelty-free products for almost two years now. I can’t pinpoint what exactly sparked my transition, but I’ve always had a deep love for animals, and you don’t want to bring harm to something you love, right? These cruelty-free Target makeup brands have saved my life since I made the switch.
In a nutshell, cruelty-free means that the product you’re buying was never tested on a furry friend in any stage of production. Some brands even go as far as being vegan, meaning that there are straight-up no animal products in the makeup, even if the animal wouldn’t have been harmed when the company harvested the product (think harvesting beeswax from a hive).
Read on for the top cruelty-free Target makeup brands to find beauty with no ugly background.
1. E.L.F
E.L.F (which stands for eyes, lips, face) prides themselves on quality beauty products, starting at just one dollar a piece, that are 100% cruelty-free and available at your local Target. They offer everything you need from a beauty company, from brushes to lip liners to false lashes.
I have been an avid E.L.F lover for years, and my transition to cruelty-free products two years ago was easier than I’d ever imagined, thanks to them.
I wouldn’t even be able to pick my favorite E.L.F product. I have lip colors, BB cream, face masks, and everything else possible…and so should you.
2. Pixi by Petra
First off, can we talk about Pixi products just in terms of aesthetics? Mint green, rose gold, no bunnies involved…yes, please.
I don’t have too many Pixi products, but I can vouch whole-heartedly for the ones that I do have. The Moisturizing Cleansing Cloths (which come 40 in a pack instead of the standard 30!) saved my life while I was getting my certification to teach yoga, and the Glow Mud Mask is an unbeatable spot treatment.
3. NYX
May the cruelty-free makeup gods forever bless Target for expanding their NYX product line. Amen.
Target carries the most popular NYX products, such as Lip Lingerie, pictured above, and Micro-Brow pencils, which are a cheaper dupe of the Anastasia Beverly Hills pencils (although ABH is also cruelty-free!). I’ve never seen a company with a bigger selection of lip colors. Soft mattes, glosses, liquid lips…and all cruelty-free.
4. Pacifica
Again…these aesthetics. Pacifica is all-natural, vegan, and 100% cruelty-free. Target’s collection is on the smaller side, but they carry the most popular items: mascara, lip products, and roll-on perfumes.
All of Pacifica’s products smell amazing, even the things that aren’t technically meant to be sniffed…the mascara wand was really close to my nose, okay?
5. Burt’s Bees
Burt’s Bees was the first brand of lip balm I ever fell in love with. I remember using the original Beeswax Balm as far back as 6th grade.
Now that Burt’s Bees has put feelers out into the beauty world, I couldn’t be happier. Their lipsticks pack different types of moisturizing oils into a tube that is made of 60% PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic. 100% cruelty-free, and available at your local Target.
6. Yes To...
Yes To… features several different product lines: Yes to Carrots, Tomatoes, Cotton, Cucumbers, Coconut, Grapefruit, Blueberries, and Miracle Oil. Each line is tailored to a separate skin concern, like dryness, aging, or breakouts, so Yes To… has something for everyone!
I use the Yes to Tomatoes Charcoal Soap on my whole body during the summer to prevent breakouts from the thick sunscreen I wear when I’m working (and sweating non-stop) as a lifeguard.
The brand doesn’t technically sell makeup, but their products still go on your face. It counts. 100% cruelty-free and 100% pug-approved.
7. Alba Botanica
(Again, not makeup, but totally meant for your face, and totally cruelty-free.)
Alba Botanica has a wide product range available at Target, which I browse religiously. The Honey Mango Bath & Shower Gel (pictured above) has been my go-to shaving soap for several months, and always leaves my legs feeling silky smooth and smelling like a smoothie bowl. Win/win.
Alba also offers sheet masks and facials in the traditional jar or tube forms, and even my extra-macho boyfriend likes those.
8. Shea Moisture
Shea Moisture has been tested “on family for four generations, never on animals.” They also offer a pretty impressive range of foundation shades, meaning cruelty-free ladies (and gents) of all skin colors can find something that works. If that’s not enough to get you excited, here’s some other cool stuff.
The African Black Soap Problem Skin line saved my face last summer. I had cystic acne, and I’d tried everything. Literally, everything. I picked up a trial-sized box, contents pictured above, from Target and I haven’t looked back since.
My favorite thing about Shea Moisture is that all of their product lines expand across the entire beauty spectrum. For example, in addition to the stuff pictured above, Shea Moisture also offers a body wash, facial mask packs, and bubble bath in the same African Black Soap formula.
9. Wet ‘n’ Wild
Wet ‘n’ Wild has been around since before I can remember. This brand was always the go-to when I did makeup for theater in high school, because they have such a huge range of colors in all of their products, and they are CHEAP. I’m talkin’ just as cheap as E.L.F., and still 100% cruelty-free.
My favorite Wet ‘n’ Wild product is actually their Under the Sheets Makeup Removing Towelettes. I always have an issue with my makeup wipes not staying wet after I open the package, but these always stay just as fresh as the day I opened them, all the way down to the last wipe. And they’re damn effective, even on waterproof makeup.
So the next time you wander into Target when you don’t really need anything in particular, head on over to the beauty section and check out these gems. Your skin, conscience, and furry friends will thank you.