Highlighter’s are perfect to make your makeup look pop.
However, vegans need to be careful as many highlighters contain animal ingredients. the most common ingredient that can be found is Guanine. It is an ingredient obtained from the scales of fish, and it gives makeup products that pearly shine. If you would like to find out more about non vegan animal ingredients found in your products, then click here.
Luckily for us, there are now so many cruelty-free and vegan highlighters available from kind beauty brands. I’ve short-listed a few epic cruelty-free brands and their top vegan highlighters available right now on Amazon.
Check them all out down below, or if your in a hurry, just click on my top pick!
Top Cruelty-Free & Vegan Highlighter Brands:
Here is my Top Pick!
If you're in a hurry...
Click below to buy now!
Get Ready, Get Set...Highlight
Pretty Vulgar
Before you apply any highlight make sure your ready to keep it in place!
Don’t let all that highlight leave your face. Check out these cruelty-free setting spray and powder beauties.
The cruelty-free beauty brand Pretty Vulgar do some of the best, and most gorgeously packaged setting sprays and powders on Amazon.
Check them out!
Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free brand.
This brand is obsessed with creating natural products, meaning this highlighter is free from parabens, gluten, talc, synthetic dyes or fragrances and many more.
Best applied, according to the brand, with your fingertips. Swirl to pick up product, then tap onto the area.
It’s labelled a highlighter for your highlighter. It can be used alone, but it also works wonderful as a topper for any other highlighter you wish to apply before.
Why I love it!
- 100% natural formula
- Super pigmented, with intense shine
- Dewy finish
- Easy application with fingertips is all that's needed
- Versatile; can be used with other highlighters
- Smells of lavender
Cons...
- Might be too shimmery for some
- Attention grabbing, not for the shy types
This highlight is luxurious and versatile. This product has received lots of hype from the beauty influencer community across social media. Try it for yourself and discover why.
This Jouer Highlighter (Skinny Dip) is vegan, along with being paraben free and gluten free too!
Why I love it!
- Creamy texture
- Long lasting; a little goes a long way
- Buildable; soft glow to heavier highlight
- Suits almost all skin tones
Con...
- Fragile, product can shatter easily
This all vegan, Leaping Bunny certified, brand is a pro when it comes to anything involving serious pops of color. The Blossoms palette is based around flowers, hence the name. This palette comes in three shades:
- Warm Gold
- Lavender
- Sunset
Being a mix of warm and cool tones, this palette will help you create that dreamy, iridescent, dewy highlighted look.
Why I love it!
- Blinding highlight
- Gorgeous shimmery shades
- 100% vegan brand
- Long lasting
- Highly pigmented
- Cult following
- Versatile; often used on the eye lids too
- Extra beautiful on medium to deep skin tones.
Con...
- Cool and very pale skin tones might find these shades too harsh
Want to achieve a natural highlighter look? Well then this combo is perfect for you. It’s a two in one glow stick, Wander Beauty have combined a facial primer and a light, natural highlighter. It means you get that shimmery highlight while also keeping your skin well hydrated.
It is paraben free, along with being free from mineral oil, phthalates and synthetic fragrance.
Aloe leaf extract (Korea) which will soothe the skin, and Safflower Oil (Netherlands) keeps skin moisture locked in. This product can be used with or without makeup, to give that natural, dewy glow.
Why I love it!
- Hydrating formula
- Light weight
- Natural looking
- Perfect for a no makeup look
- Everyday makeup item
Con...
- Might be too natural for some
Milani
Trio Bargain Highlight Palettes
This is the best deal on this list. Super affordable, and for three shades! Also this Milani product can be used as an all over highlight, and also as a shimmery eyeshadow too. You get plenty of highly pigmented product, so you really can’t go wrong purchasing this pallete.
Why I love them!
- Very affordable
- Great for those after a shimmery highlight
- Highly pigmented
- Buildable color
- Versatile, as any of the three shades can be used as a highlight or even as an eyeshadow
Con...
- Fragile, does not travel well
** this brand is owned by a parent company who is not cruelty-free
This one from Hourglass is a bit of a wildcard, as these aren’t really highlighters, but instead finishing powders.
However, hear me out. Or hear Wayne Goss out, the beauty guru, in the video above. It’s an oldie (but very much a goldie) video. He explains how these powders should be used, and why they are a must have investment!
The trio palette includes:
- Dim Light: Natural peach beige
- Incandescent Light: Opalescent pearl
- Radiant Light: Sun-kissed golden beige
Why I love it!
- Natural glow
- Perfect for those who want to avoid a heavy shimmer
- High quality, luxury
- A timeless product, won't go out of style
- Makeup bag staple
Con...
- Not really considered a highlighter, but a finishing powder instead
This 100% vegan cruelty-free brand has brought an icey cool highlighter shade with pink hues to it. This shade is almost like a cross between a blush and a highlighter, which some of you may love or hate.
It is a sheer consistency with a shimmer. However, it can seriously stand out and look popping on those with deeper skin tones.
Its a mineral highlighter and is infused with coconut water, which gives it that light, yummy coconut scent.
Why I love it!
- Cool pink hues
- Almost a cross between a blush and a highlight
- Free from parabens
- 100% vegan brand
- Coconunt scent
- Affordable
Con...
- May not suit very deep skin tones, or those with red undertones
Need More Cruelty-Free Inspiration?
Check out these articles to get more ideas for new cruelty-free and vegan beauty brands: