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8 best cruelty-free lipsticks for autumn

Update your make-up bag with a new season, ethical shade

Jess Denham
Friday 22 September 2017 12:01 BST

If there’s one thing that can cheer us up now that summer’s been and gone it’s the swathes of fabulous new lipsticks hitting shelves to mark the start of autumn. Shiny and creamy textures are back with a bang this season, which also brings with it rich jewel and berry tones, soft nudes and sprinklings of summer in the form of pretty pinks, peaches and corals. But what do your options look like if your make-up bag is firmly cruelty-free?

Despite animal testing being banned in the EU for nearly 15 years and the sale of cosmetics newly tested on animals being banned in the EU since March 2013, the “cruelty-free” label can be incredibly misleading. Sneaky marketing often buries the fact that a brand tests on animals “if required by law” deep inside their website. This means that they sell or are open to selling in China, where animal testing on imported cosmetics is a legal requirement. With many brands hoping to cash in on the rise of ethical consumerism, it can be hard to know which ones are genuine in their proclaimed ethos.

To confirm that a brand’s cruelty-free claim was legitimate, we asked for proof of a certificate from a trusted body such as Cruelty Free International (denoted by the Leaping Bunny logo) or animal rights organisation Peta. If the company had not yet been certified, we asked for a statement declaring that it does not test on animals at any stage of production and is not on sale in China.

But these lipsticks (and one liner) had to do more than tick our ethical boxes to make the cut. They are all fuss-free to apply, strong on colour impact, moisturising, good value for money and won’t budge for hours.

1. bareMinerals Luxe-Shine Lipstick in NSFW: £18, bareMinerals

The nights are drawing in, meaning it’s time your going out lipstick matched the sky. Our favourite shade from bareMinerals’ gorgeous new Statement lip collection is the darkly dramatic NSFW (that’s Not Suitable For Work, though it totally could be). It comes in a sleek black bullet and is one of ten daring shades all designed to look stunning on every skin tone. It is light and smooth to apply yet proved firm enough to resist feathering, with infused primer for long-lasting colour. Tried and tested at a drinks do, you can expect a high-shine finish that demands attention and stays glimmering for hours, even after drinking - the perfect party season lippy.

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2. M&S Autograph Lasting Colour Matte Lipstick in Pink Parfait: £10, M&S

If lipsticks tend to leave your lips feeling itchy and irritated after use, try this new hypoallergenic option from M&S’ Autograph range, specially formulated for those with sensitive skin. There are six nude, pink and red shades on offer but we tried Pink Parfait, an elegant dusty pink suitable for vegans and infused with hydrating vitamin E. One of the most smudge-proof lippies on the list, it covered our lips in satin-finish colour with one swipe and left them feeling velvety. This bullet’s matte black casing looks classy and the lid snaps on magnetically, making handbag accidents unlikely. Certified by Cruelty Free International.

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3. Lord & Berry 20100 Matte Crayon Lipstick in Enigme: £12, Lord & Berry

These crayons by boutique Milanese brand Lord & Berry are rightful cult classics. Don’t be put off by the fat pencil format - make-up artists love it as it gives you more control over the shape and allows for precise touch-ups. Enigme is a new natural-pinkish shade with a delicate orange blossom fragrance. It launches later this month before Blackout, a true noir black, follows in October just in time for Halloween. The formula is creamy and long-lasting, acting as both a balm and a lippy, while the classy black and white packaging makes it look more expensive than it is. Lord & Berry promises that their colours stay strong even after months of non-usage - unfortunately we can’t attest to this as we’ve been using ours every day, it’s that lovely.

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4. Collection Intense Shine Lipstick in Movie Star Red: £4.99, Superdrug

In most cases the well-worn saying “you get what you pay for” rings true, but with budget beauty brand Collection, the quality far exceeds the low expectation set by the price tag. The latest arrivals are these handbag heroes that drench your lips in attention-grabbing colour and shine. They glide on lightly in just one stroke, evenly covering your lips with colour and are hard-wearing against eating, drinking and kissing. The aptly named Movie Star Red will help you steal the spotlight and make an effortless power statement. For under a fiver, this is a treat you can justify.

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5. Neek Satin Nourishing Lipstick in Kiss Me Kiss Me: £15, Neek

Fair-skinned lipstick lovers who will adore this new bright fuchsia shade that mixes pink and blue tones to perk up pale complexions. Like the rest of Neek’s ethical range, Kiss Me Kiss Me it is 100 per cent natural and vegan, with an organic shea butter, jojoba and avocado oil base that battles to stop your lips from drying out on cold, dry days. It can be layered depending on whether you want a subtle colour pop for the office or a bolder look for the evening and it can also be used as a gloss over your other favourite lippies. It can be tricky to pack a high-pigment punch without the use of synthetic dyes or chemicals, making this product a rare gem. The bullet is cased in attractive recycled wood packaging to reflect this Aussie brand’s earth-friendly ethos and its tag-line, “tested on sisters not animals”, reassures buyers that no bunnies have been harmed in the name of beauty.

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6. Ilamasqua Lava Lipstick in Rebirth: £20, Illamasqua

Illamasqua’s Lava Lips range was a sell-out success and now three new two-tone shades have been introduced - the pinky Tectonic, the earthy Emanate and our pick of the bunch, the spectacular blood-red Rebirth. The joy of this lippy is that no two applications will look the same, giving you a unique look each time (hint: turn the bullet as you apply to switch up the marbled effect). Ethical to its core, Illamasqua’s tagline is “beauty not brutality” and it displays a detailed statement about its firm cruelty-free stance online. Certified by Peta.

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7. Inika Certified Organic Lip Glaze in Coral: £17, Inika

Organic makeup brand Inika launched this shimmery lip glaze earlier this month. There are no harsh, toxic nasties lurking in the ingredients list but rest assured that neither the colour, feel or quality have been compromised. Coral was our favourite of the seven shades (they range from nudes to jewel tones) and would look particularly vibrant on darker skin tones. It feels moisturising on the lips thanks to a nutrient-rich non-sticky formula that is easily applied with the soft doe foot applicator without glooping. The yummy orange flavour is an unexpected bonus. Try combining this gloss with a lipstick for a more intense look, or leave it as it is for subtly sparkling lips. Certified by Australia’s Choose Cruelty Free organisation.

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8. Kat Von D Everlasting Lip Liner in Bloodmilk: £14.50, Debenhams

It’s not a lipstick, but as good lip liner is essential for making your pout look catwalk ready and this one’s a winner, we thought we’d include it. Newly released by cult US brand Kat Von D, this liner comes in 30 shades from understated nudes, pinks and reds right through to electric purples, blues and greens so that you can always find a close match for your lippy: the vampy Bloodmilk is the ideal companion for the deep berry tones dominating catwalks this season. This formula is impressively water-resistant and holds for up to 24 hours, so expect it to take a little longer to rub off when cleansing. There is no need to make mess with a sharpener as the pencil winds up and its slimline shape will fit easily into your clutch bag. Goodbye bleeding and feathering, hello supremely defined lips. Certified by Peta.

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The Verdict: Cruelty-free lipstick for autumn

Ilamasqua's two-tone Lava Lips selection triumphs in the fun stakes by offering a different style with each application and Collection's new Intense Shine range is brilliant value for money at under a fiver, but our favourite on this list has to be bareMinerals' Luxe Shine selection, with the empowering NSFW now a staple in our handbags. Couple it with Kat Von D's Bloodmilk liner for an unbeatable lip combo.

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