There’s a shelf in my bathroom that’s taken a long time to let go. For years it held NARS β the powders, the blushes, the lipsticks. Then the news landed: since 2017, NARS has sold in mainland China, where animal testing can still be required for imported cosmetics, and the brand has not been cruelty free since. I kept a few products out of habit, the way you keep a coat in the closet you only wear twice.
Here’s the part that surprised me: replacing them never felt like a compromise. I’ve refreshed every swap on that list against what I actually wear today, on my fair neutral cool olive, dry, sensitive skin β and the new versions outperform the originals, not just on ethics.
The quick answer
Every NARS category has a strong cruelty free alternative in 2026. My top swaps: Lisa Eldridge The Foundation for NARS foundations, Huda Beauty Easy Bake powder for the Light Reflecting Setting Powder, Haus Labs Triclone for the Radiant Creamy Concealer, and Em Cosmetics Heaven’s Glow blushes for the iconic NARS blushes β yes, there’s an Orgasm replacement in there too.
If you love NARS foundations
Try Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin The Foundation, the Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint, or the LYS Beauty Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick.
Lisa Eldridge The Foundation in shade 2.5 is the best foundation match I’ve found in over 30 years of wearing makeup. The shade range is a masterclass in undertone inclusivity β true olive shades even at the fairest depths. The Enhancing Tint in T1.5 Olive is my exact skin tone match for lighter coverage days. And the LYS Triple Fix stick in LN1 is my favorite stick foundation: a blurring, hydrating formula that blends beautifully with fingertips and is a steal for the price.
If you love the Light Reflecting Setting Powder
Try the Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder.
Sugar Cookie is my new shade for setting the under eyes and t-zone β I’ve also used Poundcake. It sets without looking powdery, doesn’t emphasize fine lines, and it survived a 12 hour wear test through an Amsterdam heat wave.
If you love the Radiant Creamy Concealer
Try the Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Concealer or the Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener.
Haus Labs 01 Fair Neutral is my current favorite concealer β skincare-adjacent ingredients, a natural finish, and no creasing on my dry skin. The Rare Beauty positive light brightener in Light does what it says: it brightens rather than fully conceals, which is often all my under eyes actually need.
If you love NARS blushes
Try Em Cosmetics Heaven’s Glow blushes, Huda Beauty Blush Filter liquid blushes, Aromaleigh loose mineral blushes, or Silk Naturals cream blush sticks.
Em Cosmetics Heaven’s Glow has the most beautiful luminous finish I’ve found. Seraph is a bright pink with lilac iridescence, and Baroque is a soft neutral beige with pearlescent champagne. The Huda liquid blushes in Ube Cream and Cotton Candy blend seamlessly and last all day. Aromaleigh’s loose mineral blushes come in unique shades, and Silk Naturals cream blush does wonderful favors for dry skin. Code CORDELIA saves you at both Aromaleigh and Silk Naturals.
If you love NARS eye paints
Try VE Cosmetics or P Louise. Both are cruelty free indie brands from the UK β VE Cosmetics makes bold, great eye paints, and P Louise is famous for its eye bases and paints.
If you love NARS Audacious lipsticks
Try Peripera Ink Velvets, Black Moon Cosmetics liquid lipsticks, Lisa Eldridge velvet and liquid lipsticks, Haus Labs Le Monster lip crayons, Buxom Power Line lip pencils, or Kaleidos lip clays.
The Peripera Ink Velvets are an incredible budget find with a genuine velvet finish β my #18 Star Plum Pink is on heavy rotation. Black Moon makes my favorite liquid lipsticks, including Sleepwalker, which I wore to my wedding. Lisa Eldridge’s velvet lipsticks are legendary for a reason, especially the reds. Haus Labs Le Monster lip crayon is my favorite non-liquid formula: it stays put and never migrates onto my teeth. Buxom Power Line pencils wear like armor, and Kaleidos lip clays give a soft blurred lip in unusual shades.
If you love NARS glosses
Try Kaleidos Lipgloss Sticks, Silk Naturals Lipgloss Sticks, or Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Stix.
Gloss sticks are the better format, in my opinion β all the shine, none of the sticky mess. Silk Naturals shades like Hex and Potion give moisture and shine without migrating (code CORDELIA saves you there), and Fenty Blaz’d Donut is my perfect glossy pink beige MLBB for very fair skin.
If you love NARS eyeshadows
Try Bellabeautebar, Devinah, Black Moon Cosmetics, Silk Naturals, Aromaleigh, Clionadh, Kaleidos, or Nabla.
Indie eyeshadow brands have left NARS in the dust. Bellabeautebar is my #1 eyeshadow brand right now β buildable mattes and multichromes with actual range. Devinah makes gorgeous cool toned mattes, Clionadh’s multichromes are a fixture on beauty desks, Kaleidos has the most unusual finishes in the game, and Nabla’s mattes are beautifully smooth. Code CORDELIA works at Bellabeautebar, Devinah, Silk Naturals, and Aromaleigh.
If you love the Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Primer
Try the Sigma Beauty Bubbly Eyeshadow Stick, the Canmake Lasting Multi Eye Base, the Danessa Myricks Universal Beauty Balm, the Kaleidos Eye Primer, or the Karla Cosmetics Fix Potion Primer.
My go-to is the Sigma primer pencil in Bubbly β a primer in stick form is genius for hooded and deepset eyes. Canmake’s Lasting Multi Eye Base keeps eye makeup in place all day, and it’s a budget hero. The Karla Fix Potion is an aloe based primer that plays nicely with sensitive eyes, and their Mist Potion spray settles shadows for a more intense payoff.
If you love NARS nail polish
Try Daily Charme, F.U.N. Lacquer, Vettsy, iGel, or ILNP.
My nail game has gone mostly gel and indie these days. Daily Charme and Vettsy are my go-tos for supplies and colors, F.U.N. Lacquer has strong holographic shades, iGel carries a large gel color range, and ILNP remains an indie polish fixer from the original list.
FAQ
Is NARS cruelty free in 2026?
No. NARS has not been cruelty free since 2017, when it began selling in mainland China, where animal testing can still be required for imported cosmetics. The brand is not certified by Leaping Bunny or PETA.
Who owns NARS?
NARS is owned by Shiseido, which is also not a cruelty free company. If parent company policies matter to you, that’s a second strike.
Is NARS vegan?
Some individual NARS products have vegan formulas, but the brand itself is not vegan β and vegan formulas alone don’t make a brand an ethical choice for cruelty free shoppers.
What’s the best cruelty free dupe for NARS Orgasm?
For that famous peachy pink glow, my pick is Em Cosmetics Heaven’s Glow blush in Magic Hour β a similar lit-from-within luminosity in a cruelty free formula. Aromaleigh also has loose mineral blushes in peachy pink shimmer that scratch the same itch.
The Edit
When I first swapped this list out, losing NARS felt like a real sacrifice. Now, it honestly doesn’t. Between the shade inclusivity, the formulas, and the indie eyeshadow renaissance, every NARS product has a cruelty free alternative that’s better in performance, not just in principle. Your makeup bag is where you vote every day.
a note from Margot: I spent a decade recommending products on deadline, and this is one edit I never had to walk back. That’s rarer than it should be.
