The Best Eco-Friendly Makeup Brushes (They're Vegan Too!)

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10 Best Vegan and Eco-Friendly Makeup Brushes

You take your time to find the best natural and eco-friendly makeup because you care about the environment and what goes on your skin. But have you considered how you apply your makeup? After all, choosing the best eco-friendly makeup brushes is just as important!

If you’re wondering why it’s so vital to use an eco-friendly makeup brush, and which one is right for you, read on! You’ll soon discover everything you need to know about sustainable skincare products and how they can help everyone live a more eco-conscious life.

Why Choose Eco-Friendly Makeup Brushes?

Many times, living an eco-friendly life also means living an ethical one. For example, we choose to purchase sustainable chocolate not just because it’s better for the environment, but also because it’s better for our health and the health of the farmers.

The same is true when we shop for eco-friendly clothing for the entire family and ethical jewelry for all occasions.

Not only are a lot of conventional makeup brushes made from plastic, but they’re also made with natural hairs. There are no standards in the fur industry on how animals should be treated in order to collect their hair, which means they’re often kept in cramped cages just for breeding and slaughtering.

Once those makeup brushes wear out, there’s no way to recycle the plastic, so they end up tossed out in the trash and accumulating in landfills or clogging up our waterways.

Fortunately, cruelty-free, eco-friendly makeup brushes work just as well as those made with animal hair. Even better, you can often find these brushes at reasonable prices, so you don’t have to spend a fortune to live more sustainably!

Makeup Brushes That Are Actually Eco-Friendly

Now that you know why it’s so important to choose ethical and eco-friendly makeup brushes, you’re likely ready to pick out a few great options. So how do you know which brushes will suit your needs?

We tested out a variety of different sustainable makeup brushes to find the best ones. We took note of their size, quality, and ease of use to put together this list of the best eco-friendly makeup brushes.

Whether you’re looking for an angled brush to get those perfect smoky eyes or a powder brush for easier makeup application, you’ll find exactly what you want with these top cruelty-free and vegan brushes.

1. LastObject

LastObject is on a mission to disrupt the single-use industry with high quality reusable products that outlast and outperform their single-use counterparts. Their LastRound is one of the best reusable cotton rounds because they feel just like natural cotton rounds when wet.

In addition to using the rounds to apply foundation, they also make fantastic makeup removers. You can even get them in black to help remove dark makeup or your non-toxic nail polish without worrying about stains.

While their original LastSwab is a fantastic alternative to cotton swabs, their LastSwab Beauty is specially designed for applying and touching up makeup. One side has an angled tip and the other side has a rounded tip, so you always have the tool you need.

The tips are made from medical-grade silicone and feel just as soft and smooth as cotton swabs. However, these swabs will last up to 1,000 uses. They also come with their own case to keep them safe and secure whether you’re storing them in your bathroom or bringing them along when you travel.

2. Elate Cosmetics

Elate Cosmetics has an outstanding selection of zero waste beauty products, so it should come as no surprise that they also offer excellent eco-friendly makeup brushes. No matter what type of makeup brush you need, Elate Cosmetics is sure to have it.

The blending brush is great for applying eye shadow, and the multi-use brush flawlessly blends powders, creams, and liquids.

No matter which style you choose, you know you’re getting vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable makeup brushes that have bamboo handles and Taklon bristles, which are a cruelty-free alternative to animal fur.

Taklon is naturally anti-bacterial, hypoallergenic, and non-porous. It distributes your beauty products just like real animal hair — but without any cruelty! It also dries faster than conventional brushes.

Best of all, these brushes come from one of the best zero waste online stores. This means you know everything you purchase will arrive at your home without any excess plastic waste!

3. EcoTools

EcoTools has a truly outstanding selection of makeup brushes that can suit everyone from professional makeup artists to those of us just needing something for our daily routine.

If you simply need some individual brushes, you can find everything from a concealer brush and an eyeshadow brush to a blush brush and different sized foundation brushes. On the other hand, if you need more than one brush, this vegan makeup brush set is an excellent option.

It includes an angled foundation brush, blurring brush, define crease brush, angled liner brush, and full blush brush. Additionally, everything comes in a reusable tin storage tray that makes it easy to store your brushes and keep your beauty space clean and uncluttered.

No matter which brushes you choose, you know you’re getting a cruelty-free, vegan, and sustainable product. Plus, Eco Tools doesn’t take part in any animal testing.

The vegan bristles are made from synthetic Taklon, the handles are made from lightweight bamboo, and the company believes in reducing waste as much as possible by using recycled aluminum for the ferrules.

4. Trestique

Trestique has an ingenious way to help reduce waste in the cosmetic industry: fully refillable, sustainable makeup. Since all of their refillable products come with the sponge or brush on the applicator, you have everything you need in one convenient tool.

For example, the Foundation Stick comes with a lightweight, smooth foundation stick on one side and a blending sponge on the other. Simply apply the foundation to your face and use the sponge to blend everything in.

Once the foundation runs out, just pull out the cartridge, recycle it, pop in a new refill cartridge, and enjoy! You can also get replacement sponges if the one in your Forever Case wears out.

In addition to the foundation blending sponge, Trestique also has a concealer blending sponge, a highlighter blending sponge, and a shadow blending brush that’s made from nylon and other recycled materials.

Once you pick out your favorite makeup items, don’t forget to grab a sustainable makeup bag. These lightweight, compact bags are made with post-consumer recycled materials, and can easily fit everything you need for your full makeup routine.

The bags even feature a built-in mirror in the lid so you can quickly and effortlessly touch-up or apply your makeup when you’re on the go!

5. River Organics

River Organics is another outstanding option for natural, zero waste makeup that can help you get rid of those wasteful plastic bottles. That means they also have some of the best makeup brushes.

For example, this mascara and brow bamboo brush will help you apply mascara and get those perfectly arched brows. It has a renewable bamboo handle and soft, synthetic bristles.

Another excellent option from River Organics is this bamboo concealer brush. It can help you spread concealer evenly and uniformly for a smooth, natural look. It’s made with a bamboo handle and cruelty-free synthetic fibers.

Since these brushes have wooden handles, they’re compostable at the end of their useful life. Simply remove the metal and vegan synthetic bristles before tossing the handle into your compost.

6. Vapour

If you’re interested in getting high-quality eco-friendly makeup brushes that will stand the test of time, take a look at the impressive collection from Vapour. The company has just about every type of brush you need.

The foundation brush has ultra-soft, vegan, hand-tied fibers that do a great job of applying and blending makeup. The crease brush has tapered bristles for more precise application.

Vapour also has a shadow brush, powder brush, and blush brush. Every option is consciously made with cruelty-free fibers and an FSC-certified birch handle.

Additionally, not only is Vapour committed to using only natural, clean, and non-toxic ingredients in their products, they also do so in headquarters, manufacturing, warehouse, and research facilities that run on 100% daytime solar power.

7. MakeUp Eraser

Yes, MakeUp Eraser makes an incredible reusable and machine washable makeup removing cloth that can wipe away all makeup using just water. However, they also make a great tool that will help you cut down on waste when you apply makeup.

The Sponge is the first-ever machine washable makeup sponge. You can use it to apply cream foundations, concealers, bronzers, highlighters, and more. The reusable sponge has different angles for different purposes.

You can use it wet or dry, and it’s uniquely designed to be non-absorbent, which means you waste less of your makeup! Additionally, it’s hypoallergenic, latex-free, non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free.

About once a week, you stick the sponge in its washball and toss it in the washing machine and dryer to clean it.

8. Everyday Minerals

Everyday Minerals has a fine collection of bamboo brushes that can help with all of your makeup and beauty needs. This collection includes everything from large blending and buffing brushes for covering big areas to smudge brushes for smaller, more detailed work.

Every vegan brush is made with renewable bamboo handles and synthetic nylon and Taklon fiber bristles. The handles are smooth, easy to grip, and provide the right length for any type of makeup you’re applying.

Even though the bristles are densely packed, they’re still very easy to clean. Plus, the bristles are designed to pick up just the right amount of powder makeup, which ensures you waste less product.

9. SHANY

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly makeup brush set, SHANY has you covered. This set comes with 7 brushes: a powder foundation brush, concealer brush, blush brush, bronzer brush, eyelash and eyebrow brush, angled liner brush, and sponge applicator brush.

You also get a natural cotton pouch with a spot for each brush so you have a convenient place to store everything. The brushes feature thick, real wood handles and laser cut premium synthetic bristles.

They’re designed in the United States by professional makeup artists. SHANY is a proud member of PETA and all of its products are cruelty free.

10. The Body Shop

You might be familiar with The Body Shop because of its bath and beauty products. But did you know the company also makes vegan makeup brushes?

Although the facial mask brush was designed to help you apply an even layer of face mask product, it also works great for applying liquid foundation and other types of face makeup. The 100% cruelty-free synthetic bristles are slanted for easier application around the corners of your face.

The brush also features a wooden handle made from FSC-certified elm.

Another great option to consider is this foundation brush. Its ultra-soft nylon bristles provide a lightweight, natural-looking finish.

Simply dot the foundation around your face and use the brush to get an even application. Best of all, like the facial mask brush, the foundation brush is also cruelty-free.

Cruelty-Free Beauty With the Best Eco-Friendly Makeup Brushes

Don’t be fooled by makeup brushes that advertise themselves as being “natural.” Sometimes, this can also mean they’re made with real animal hair that could be cruelly sourced.

To ensure your brushes are better for the planet and the animals we share it with, you can choose one of these best vegan and eco-friendly makeup brushes.

More Helpful Eco-Friendly Living Tips

Did you enjoy learning more about the best sustainable makeup brushes. Are you interested in discovering even more tips that can help you live an eco-friendly life? Then please be sure to take a look at some of our other popular posts: