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With the warmer weather ahead, we are getting excited for nights under the stars, dewier skin, and supershiny lips that reflect the sun. If you're looking for a vegan lip gloss to help you with the latter, you might have noticed that picking up the right formula requires a little extra legwork. To make it easier, we've asked celebrity makeup artist Lisa Aharon how to find the best cruelty-free option.
First, you should consider the ingredients on the back of the label. According to Aharon, you want to choose products with emollients like avocado oil, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, or fruit oils since those trap in moisture and give your lips a dose of hydration. In order to make sure the brand you're using is vegan, the first step is to check for the Leaping Bunny label, which indicates a product is cruelty-free. Still, though: "Just because a brand is cruelty free doesn't mean that they are fully vegan," said Aharon. "If you see ingredients like gelatin, retinol or collagen, beware. There are plant based and vegan options for ingredients like collagen but it's worth looking into further to be sure."
Check out a few of Aharon's favourites from Hourglass, Tower 28, and Ere Perez, plus some of our vegan lip gloss picks ahead.