Is Fenty Beauty Cruelty-Free?

Fenty Beauty is undoubtedly the biggest, most influential in the beauty industry right now. It’s Rihanna’s brand known for their dreamy products, inclusivity and diverse shade range of 50+ for complexion products. Whenever they release something new it always creates excitement and a mad dash to get your hands on it immediately. So, we know Fenty Beauty is known for their shade range and inclusivity but what about their cruelty-free status?

Fenty Beauty states on their FAQ page that yes, they are cruelty-free. But, if you are 100% cruelty-free with your makeup, you may consider Fenty Beauty to be a brand that falls in the grey zone. Why? They claim to not test on animals but don’t have any certifications or paperwork to prove that.

Is Fenty Cruelty-Free?

Fenty states on their FAQ page that they do not test on animals.

“Never. Fenty Beauty + Fenty Skin are cruelty-free brands. We never test products or ingredients on animals, nor do we allow suppliers to conduct testing on our behalf.”

Unfortunately, Fenty does not provide any other information verifying that they are cruelty-free. This is why many who are strictly cruelty-free deem them as a ‘grey area’ of cruelty-free brands. When asked they give vague, nondescript answers that don’t verify their cruelty-free status. A certification from PETA or Leaping Bunny would be solid proof to their customers that they don’t test on animals.

Is Fenty Vegan?

Fenty Beauty is not completely vegan. They use some common, non-vegan ingredients like carmine and beeswax. But, they do have some vegan products (including the Gloss Bombs!!!) and Fenty Skin is completely vegan!

Here is the statement from their website.

“Fenty Beauty + Fenty Skin are cruelty-free and never test on animals, nor do we allow suppliers to conduct animal testing on our behalf. While many of the products are free of animal byproducts, Fenty Beauty is not considered a vegan line: A handful of our products may contain ingredients of animal origin, such as beeswax and carmine. For information on specific products, please refer to the Ingredients tab on the product pages. Fenty Skin is a fully vegan line.”

Their vegan products include:

  • Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation (all shades.)
  • Match Stix Matte Skinsticks
  • Invisimatte Blotting Powder
  • Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
  • Brushes & Tools (all are vegan)
  • Total Cleans’r Remove it All Cleanser
  • Fat Water Pore Refining Toner Seum
  • Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Is Fenty Organic?

No, Fenty is not organic nor do they claim to be. Being an organic brand is a lot of work and Fenty’s focus has always been creating diverse shade ranges.

Where is Fenty Made?

Fenty is manufactured in the US and Europe. It’s parent company is LVMH and their offices are based in San Francisco, CA. LVMH is not cruelty-free. They own brands like Benefit Cosmetics and Makeup Forever who do test on animals.

Is Fenty Sold in China?

Yes, Fenty is sold in China but not Mainland China. They are sold in Hong Kong and Macau which is outside of Mainland China and animal testing of any form is not required to be sold there. So in this instance, yes, Fenty is still cruelty-free and sold in China.

While Macau and Hong Kong don’t require testing, if you know about cruelty-free makeup, you know you cannot sell in China and claim to be cruelty-free. But, what many don’t know is Macau and Hong Kong aren’t considered Mainland China and have their own laws. This is yet another reason why Fenty would really benefit by having some type of cruelty-free certification.

Is Fenty Paraben-Free?

Yes, Fenty is paraben-free! Parabens face a lot of scrutiny because they are linked to endocrine disruption and fertility issues in women. Parabens are most commonly found as preservatives in products and are approved by the FDA in small amounts.

Ultimately you’ll never regret avoiding them in your products so it’s good to go paraben-free when possible. If Fenty can be paraben-free, and still create quality products, so can every other brand. There are effective preservatives you can use in place of parabens, so paraben-free does not mean a product will go bad quicker.

Is Fenty Gluten-Free?

Yes, Fenty is 100% gluten-free!

Is Fenty Phthalates-free?

Yes, Fenty is phthalates-free! Phthalates are highly debatable in beauty like parabens. They’re used to improve the texture of hair sprays and nail polishes but they’re pretty common in beauty products. Since Fenty is one of the biggest, most influential brands in the beauty space, I hope more brands walk away from using parabens and phthalates.

Is Fenty Non-comedogenic?

Yes, the foundations are. Fenty’s Matte Pro Filt’r Longwear foundation is non-comedogenic. So is their Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation!

Is Fenty PETA Cruelty-Free Approved?

No, Fenty is not PETA cruelty-free approved. This is why some call them the grey zone of cruelty-free brands. They state that they are but don’t have anything to back it up. Having a PETA or a Leaping Bunny certification would give Fenty much more credibility. It’s our hope that this is something they are working towards but they have not put any information like that out.

Where to Buy Fenty?

It’s super important to only buy Fenty from their authorized retailers since there’s lots of fakes. Their authorized retailers include:

Find Fenty instore at Sephora, JCPenney Sephora, Boots and Harvey Nichols.

Final Thoughts

Fenty Beauty has a lot of good things going for them! They’re vegan, paraben and phthalate-free and they have the most diverse shade range in beauty. The part that needs work is their cruelty-free certification, especially given that they sell in some parts of China. Simply stating that their cruelty-free is not enough.

A certification from PETA or Leaping Bunny would go a long way to show their credibility. If you’re strictly cruelty-free with your makeup, it’s ultimately up to you to decide if Fenty’s claims alone are enough! If you’re more relaxed with that, Fenty is a fabulous option and they make makeup fun. At the end of the day, Fenty creates makeup for everyone and that will always be their biggest feat!