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The best vegan lip products to try now...

With the demand for vegan products higher than ever, many beauty brands have increased their vegan offering and we've seen a rise in vegan-specific brands. According to research by Mintel, launches of vegan beauty products have more than doubled in the last five years.

While vegan skincare products saw the highest rise in supply and demand, all cosmetic areas are expanding. Vegan lip products can now be found in a wide variety of shades and finishes, to meet the growing needs of the industry. We tried out 20 products to help you buy the best.

Vegan beauty refers to products that do not contain any animal-derived ingredients, such as beeswax and lanolin. Many brands have found animal-friendly alternatives that provide comparable quality to their animal-derived counterparts.

You’ll often see the terms ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘vegan’ used together or interchangeably, but they don’t mean the same thing. Cruelty-free means that no animal testing occurred in the development of the product, whereas vegan tells consumers that the products don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or byproducts. Look out for the Peta and Vegan Society logos (bear in mind that a brand may be going through the accreditation process or be refining their vegan lines – if in doubt, check with the company what ingredients they use). The Leaping Bunny logo is an internationally recognised symbol for products not tested on animals.

They aren't always listed together, so if you want to ensure that something hasn't been tested on animals, or derived from animals, look out for both. Some brands will also state 'vegan and cruelty-free' under one logo. While a few of the brands in this test do not claim to be fully vegan (just yet), each product that we have tested here has been checked to ensure it is vegan. All the products in our roundup are cruelty-free.

Yes, there's no reason why the ingredients in vegan lip products would be any less effective than in non-vegan alternatives. And there's a wide range of products available, from lipsticks to glosses.

We invited an expert make-up artist to assess 20 lip products (lipsticks, glosses, liquid lips and stains), looking at a range of factors such as texture, coverage, finish and packaging. Each lipstick was given a score based on the overall performance in relation to its claims.

390 women also took part in the test, trialling the products at home. They were asked to consider its properties over a week-long period, including application, how comfortable it felt, overall finish and how long it lasted before reapplication.

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Rich in nourishing minerals, this lipstick aims to be smudge, budge and transfer-free. Our expert makeup artist gave it full marks for its strong colour deposition and creamy texture, which dried quickly to give an even, soft-matte finish. Testers were impressed with how comfortable it felt, with the majority commenting that it ‘glided nicely’ onto the lips. Most also noticed that it gave full coverage in just one swipe. On average, testers claimed that it had a staying power of approximately two to three hours.

Key Specifications: Stick format Soft-matte finish Available in 20 shades, ranging from neutral to bright

bareMinerals BAREPRO Longwear Lipstick Review

This nourishing lipstick offers lips a hydrating burst of colour with a smooth, sheer yet buildable sheen. The majority of testers loved the soft finish, mentioning how hydrated their lips felt throughout the day. It last around two to three hours, and our testers were pleased to see that it didn’t bleed or flake, making re-application a breeze. Our expert makeup artist gave it a strong 4/5 based on its super smooth, moisturising texture and buildable coverage. All in all, it's a very wearable day-to-day lipstick.

Key Specifications: Stick format Soft/satin finish Available in eight natural-looking shades

Tropic Kiss Me Quick Lipstick Review

Enclosed in a smooth, matte-black case, this lipstick delivers a highly-pigmented creamy formula with a satin-matte finish. It uses mostly organic ingredients including avocado, jojoba and argan oils, and offers long-lasting hydration. Our makeup artist scored it 4/5 for its soft formula, which delivers a high-impact colour in just one swipe. Testers were pleasantly surprised with how well it lasted, giving an overall impressive staying power time of four to five hours. The lipstick provides a comfortable, full-coverage satin finish that our at-home testers enjoyed wearing throughout the day.

Key Specifications: Stick format Satin finish Available in 12 shades

Inika Certified Organic Vegan Lipstick Review

This range features four neutral shades with a sweet cake-like vanilla scent. With sunflower seed and rosehip oils, it aims to keep lips soft with a full-coverage colour that doesn’t cake or crack. Our expert makeup artist scored it 5/5 for its creamy texture that dries to a subtle matte, describing it as a ‘good daytime product’. The large majority (84%) of testers were impressed with how comfortable it felt. They liked its coverage and overall finish, with 88% adding that it didn’t bleed or feather. Testers did feel that it transferred easily, so would've liked a stronger staying power.

Key Specifications: Liquid lipstick format Matte finish Available in four natural shades

Tarte Sugar Rush Sugar Coat Velvet Liquid Lipstick Review

Made with fruit extracts, plant extracts and seed oil, this lipstick offers lips a smooth, nourishing feel with a highly-pigmented satin finish. Our makeup artist described the lipstick as soft and moisturising, which 88% of testers agreed with, mentioning how easily it deposited pigment onto the lips. Our testers were pleased with the finish and appreciated that it didn’t bleed or feather, noting that it had a strong staying power. On average, testers found that it lasted around four to five hours before it needed reapplying.

Key Specifications: Stick format Satin-glossy finish Available in 16 shades 

Arbonne Smoothed Over Lipstick Review

Enriched with jojoba oil, marula oil and argan oil, this lip liquid delivers a nourishing dose of moisture with a high-shine finish. Our MUA gave it 5/5 for its light, non-sticky, smooth texture which added a glossy hint of shimmer to the lips. Our testers found its heart-shaped wand applicator easy to control. Although the gloss didn't have a strong colour, testers liked its light-reflecting finish which added shine and felt comfortable.

Key Specifications: Lip gloss format Glossy/Shiny finish Available in 10 shades

The Body Shop Shine Lip Liquid Review

This lipstick is infused with argan oil, rose and vitamin E to help condition, replenish, and soothe the lips. Our testers were pleasantly surprised with how well it deposited colour, giving strong coverage of the lips. They were happy with its overall matte-yet-comfortable finish, adding that it did not bleed or feather, staying put for a good two to three hours. Our makeup artist found it hard to achieve uniform coverage, saying it tended to move around on the lips while it was applied.

Key Specifications: Stick format Matte finish Available in 7 bold shades

e.l.f. Velvet Matte Lipstick Review

This lipstick range is plastic-free and cruelty-free, with a refillable lipstick case made from partially recycled aluminium. The refills come in a protective wax casing which can be peeled away to be inserted into the case. Our expert makeup artist scored it full marks for its natural feel and compact design. Testers loved how easily it glided onto the lips, saying that it gave a smooth, wearable and comfortable finish. Most testers noted that it didn't bleed or feather, lasting approximately two to three hours before it needed reapplying. 

Key Specifications: Refillable stick format Satin, demi-matte & sheer finish Available shades: 20 satin, 18 demi-matte, six sheer 

Lush Vegan Lipstick Review

This lip paint is a creamy, full-coverage liquid lip with a lightweight mousse-like formula. It scored top marks with our makeup artist, who loved its matte yet soft finish. Most testers were impressed with its pigmented, rich colour. Some did report finding it difficult to achieve a neat lip line and therefore found the results slightly messy. Most said the colour didn't settle in any lines yet a few noticed that it transferred slightly while drinking.

Key Specifications: Lip paint format Matte finish Available in 14 shades

Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint Review

This lip gloss is infused with hyaluronic acid, shea butter and avocado oil to give lips instant hydration and volume. It has an easy to use and slim design and a custom wand applicator, which our testers loved. Most testers said they appreciated the thick texture which glided onto lips, giving full coverage. It also lasted around two to three hours before it needed reapplying. Our expert makeup artist gave it a 3/5 for its thick wand, glossy finish and good coverage.

Key Specifications: Lip gloss format Glossy finish Available in 18 shades

Hourglass Unreal High Shine Volumizing Lip Gloss Review