NARS IS A hugely popular luxury makeup brand, famed for their super flattering and cheekily-named Orgasm blush.

However, makeup lovers are calling on consumers to boycott the brand after news broke that it was no longer cruelty free. Here’s the full story.

What’s going on with NARS?

Earlier this week, it was announced that NARS was entering the Chinese market, where it is required by law for products by foreign brands to be tested on animals.

This spelled the end of NARS as a cruelty-free brand, leading angry fans to call on makeup lovers to boycott the brand.

Yesterday, NARS posted a statement on Instagram explaining why they had chosen to start selling in China:

We want you to know that we hear you. The global elimination of animal testing needs to happen. We firmly believe that product and ingredient safety can be proven by non-animal methods, but we must comply with the local laws of the markets in which we operate, including in China.

“We have decided to make NARS available in China because we feel it is important to bring our vision of beauty and artistry to fans in the region,” they said, noting that they were working on finding alternatives to animal testing.

However, this hasn’t done much to convince former fans, who are disappointed that NARS has joined the long list of cosmetics companies selling in China.

Which other companies are not cruelty free?

Get ready, this is going to be disappointing. Benefit, Rimmel, L’Oréal, Maybelline, Bobbi Brown, and MAC all test on animals in countries where they are required to by law (here’s a big list). Many of these brands will have a (rather confusing) disclaimer like this on their websites:

L’Oréal no longer tests any of its products or any of its ingredients on animals, anywhere in the world nor does L’Oréal delegate this task to others. An exception could only be made if regulatory authorities demanded it for safety or regulatory purposes.

Big parent companies like L’Oréal and Estée Lauder have the same policy, but that doesn’t mean that the brands within agree – NYX Cosmetics and Urban Decay are both owned by L’Oréal, and both refuse to sell in countries that require animal testing.

What brands can I rely on to not test on animals?

NYX and Urban Decay, as we’ve mentioned, but brands like Kat Von D, Too Faced, Wet’n'Wild, and e.l.f. are also proudly cruelty free.

There’s a full list here if you want to check and see if your favourites are all good.

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