Last Updated on April 9, 2021 by Eco Elsie
Charlotte Tilbury MBE is known for creating looks for an array of A-listers and has put her 20 years of makeup artistry into a luxury beauty brand that has resulted in award-winning makeup and skincare.
However, for those new to the brand: is Charlotte Tilbury cruelty-free? Yes, in 2021 Charlotte Tilbury is considered to be a cruelty-free brand.
However, following the news that Charlotte Tilbury had a pop-up store in China with testers available to try, their cruelty-free status came under scrutiny.
Under China’s animal testing laws, all imported cosmetics that are sold in retail stores in mainland China must be tested on animals.
In an attempt to bypass China’s animal testing requirements, Charlotte Tilbury offered its customers to test and try out their products in a pop-up store in China, followed by customers being directed to purchase the products online.
As their testers could have been at risk of being tested on animals, Charlotte Tilbury made the decision to pull their testers from the Chinese pop-up store display.
As a result, then, Charlotte Tilbury remains a cruelty-free brand, and its action to pull its testers in retail stores in mainland China displays its commitment to producing cruelty-free beauty and skincare products.
Is Charlotte Tilbury vegan?
No, Charlotte Tilbury does not market itself as a vegan brand.
However, although Charlotte Tilbury isn’t an entirely vegan brand, they do offer a vegan-friendly range that you can browse if you live a vegan lifestyle. You can locate their vegan products on their vegan makeup products page.
According to the Charlotte Tilbury website, they offer a variety of their iconic ‘beauty products, from fluttering mascara to complexion perfecting foundation in a vegan-friendly formula’ without animal by-products.
Whether you support brands that aren’t entirely vegan is down to you and your personal ethics.
If customers show that the demand for vegan beauty products is higher, then it is likely that the beauty world will continue to make these changes and strive for making products that are vegan and cruelty-free, or in other words don’t involve the harm of any animals at any stage in production.
While this process is taking some time, Charlotte Tilbury is an example of a brand that has a variety of vegan-friendly options to choose from.
So, for a high-quality makeup look with no animal by-products, they offer some excellent vegan alternatives for your favorite beauty products.
Is Charlotte Tilbury an ethical company?
The answer to this question will depend on what you deem as ethical. If you consider a brand being entirely cruelty-free, then yes, Charlotte Tilbury is an ethical company.
However, there are some factors you’ll need to take into account before making your decision.
Due to the controversy that occurred because of Charlotte Tilbury’s decision to allow testers in stores in mainland China, which subsequently raised the potential for their products to be tested on animals by law, you could argue that they haven’t always been as ethical as they appear to be now.
Although they have since rectified this decision by pulling the testers out of Chinese stores, some consumers might argue that there are other cruelty-free brands available to buy that are more ethical than Charlotte Tilbury.
That being said, brands are able to sell in China via methods like e-commerce and remain cruelty-free. They are not required by law to subject animals to testing by selling their products in this way.
As a result, there are two sides to the coin that you’ll need to weigh up as the consumer.
Although Charlotte Tilbury has confirmed that they are 100% cruelty-free, where you stand on the debate will depend on you as a person and what you deem as ethical.
Does Charlotte Tilbury test on animals?
No, Charlotte Tilbury doesn’t test on animals. Charlotte Tilbury Beauty is now sold through the e-commerce website, Tmall Global.
As a result, their products are available under the cross-border e-commerce model which allows the importation and sale of foreign cosmetic brands to Chinese consumers without pre-market approvals – a process which would usually involve animal testing for cosmetics manufactured overseas.
As its products don’t need pre-market approvals, then, Charlotte Tilbury as a brand continues to not test its products on animals, nor require others to test on animals on their behalf, including manufacturers.
That being said, Charlotte Tilbury isn’t currently certified cruelty-free by any official cruelty-free organizations. As a result, whether you buy its beauty products will depend on your personal ethics.
As “cruelty-free” is an unregulated term that brands often take advantage of, when a brand is certified cruelty-free by organizations such as PETA, this certification provides another level of reassurance that they are an ethical brand.
There are plenty of brands out there that are certified cruelty-free that you may feel more confident in purchasing. I recommend that you do your own research and see where you stand regarding Charlotte Tilbury.
Are Charlotte Tilbury’s products toxic?
One of the main messages behind Charlotte Tilbury is enhancing natural beauty. Parabens are a family of related chemicals that are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetic products.
Charlotte Tilbury takes pride in their paraben-free makeup and skincare products such as the award-winning Charlotte’s Magic Cream paraben-free moisturiser, the dreamy Cheek to Chic blush shades, and the Color Chameleon eyeshadow pencils that instantly enhance your eye colour and makes them pop and sparkle.
The brand is known for their effortless, Instagram model looks that seem easy to achieve at home.
However, according to the Good Face Project, there are a few irritants in a variety of Charlotte Tilbury that you should be mindful of.
That being said, there are also great products that the Good Face Project have also reviewed of Charlotte Tilbury and thus, there are two sides to every story.
Which products you decide to buy depends on you and your preferences as the consumer. I recommend doing your own research on the products that you are looking to buy to be on the safe side.
