Makeup. Just that one word can bring up giggles of joy and make some of us jump up and down or make us cringe with fear. This is why we dedicate ourselves to giving you the best information in one place.

The makeup industry was found to be worth $532 billion in 2017 and it will only keep growing with the changing trends of customization and new technology trends to always bring exactly what the customer wants and needs. And that customer is you!

One thing we can say about the makeup industry is that it is limitless and always changing. Whether you are just getting into makeup and want to learn the basics or you're an expert, you'll never be bored or run out of the ever-changing information and new cosmetic brands coming out each year.

Then we have the seasonal colors that will come out several times a year that will also keep us on our toes.

Although we can't possibly cover everything in one article, we're going to give you some good information here about different types of makeup products and the best brands out there from top makeup brands to all-natural makeup to add to your makeup must-haves.

Vegan Makeup Brands

You would have to live under a rock if you haven't heard the term "vegan" being thrown around nowadays. However, it's important to know exactly what this means. Vegan products do not contain any animal ingredients or animal-derived ingredients.

Some of these are honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, albumen, carmine, cholesterol, gelatin, and others. The term “vegan” can also mean that a product is free from animal testing.

Pacifica Cosmetics is a makeup line that is 100% vegan AND all natural. They are most known for their rich eyeshadow palettes. Their incredible shades are blendable and the formula is comparable to many more expensive brands. They have 312K followers on their Instagram account and you can follow them @pacificabeauty

Cover Fx Who doesn't love MAC Cosmetics? Their former dermatologist and chief chemist and MD created Cover FX. Their entire line of products is cruelty-free and vegan (except for 2: MintTint FX & MintGlaze FX). On Instagram, Cover Fx is about to hit 1M followers! That right there says so much. You can find them @coverfx

Kat von D Beauty The recent decision from Kat, herself, was to reformulate her entire cosmetics line to become vegan. The Kat von D Beauty line is now undergoing the process of becoming vegan.

Kat von D is known to empower her customer to be bold and unlimited. The brand is known for it's long-lasting, high pigment, cruelty-free products. Kat already had her fame as a famous tattoo artist but her Instagram just for her makeup has risen beyond 5.1M fans! Check her out at @katvondbeauty.

Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands

How can we not love those sweet-eyed, furry friends of ours and not want harm to come to them? With compassion for animals growing daily, many of us want to look for companies that are on the same wavelength as us.

Burt's Bees is a certified cruelty-free company by PETA's Caring Consumer Program. I think most of us know them by their yummy all-natural lip balms that we grew up with but now they have a full skincare line and makeup products to go with them.

There is no testing on animals at all. The brand also donates and supports the British Beekeepers Association which raises funds to support research and education around saving the precious honeybee. Find them on Instagram @burtsbees with 370K followers. 

Hourglass does not partake in any kind of animal testing in their development or production of their beauty products line. They also go one step farther by not selling their products to countries known for animal testing, either. It takes a company with a big heart to cut their profits for morals and beliefs! They have 1.4M followers on Instagram @hourglasscosmetics 

Lush defines cruelty-free as "only using vegetarian ingredients and adhering to a strict anti-animal testing policy.

We never test our finished products on animals and won’t buy ingredients from suppliers who conduct or commission animal tests either. In this way, we’re using our buying power to support like-minded suppliers which results in fabulous cruelty-free cosmetics.

Anything you buy from Lush is 100 percent vegetarian and never tested on animals." This is a company you can respect. They have over 4M followers on Instagram @lushcosmetics

High-End Makeup Brands

We see ads for them and all of the high fashion magazines and they make us crave the luxury that they display. Who can’t resist walking through the cosmetics department in the big department stores or through Sephora to get the newest spritz or try the new seasonal colors for lipsticks?

Well if you can afford them and they make you feel good, why not use high-end makeup brands?

High-end makeup has better technology backed formulations and fewer fillers than your cheaper drugstore brands. The pigments are denser and more long-lasting. You often have more choices of shades and colors or of formulas with high-end department store brands.

These brands are easy to find at Sephora, high-end department stores such as Saks or Macy’s and, of course, online on their sites.

Estee Lauder has been around since 1946!  The company is known for its luxury and high-end skincare and makeup. Their signature blue with gold box is renown around the world. This may even be a line that our grandmothers used! You can find them in most any high-end department store and of course online. They are on the cusp of 3M followers on Instagram @esteelauder.

Chanel Coco Chanel was a fashion icon in her day and still is. Her fragrances are world famous. The Chanel name carries a lot of weight and can make you feel on top of the world just by pulling a Chanel packaged product out of your purse. The feel of the products makes you emit an extra elegance from creamy lip glosses to the season's best eye colors.

Chanel is known for its classic shades and pigments and old school glamour feel. Their Instagram is @chanel.beauty and you can join their 1.8M followers there.

Too Faced You might want to buy this brand just for its packaging which makes you happy just to look at it! It's bright, young, and trendy look is a favorite with its younger customers. Just because it hasn't hit "classic" status doesn't mean the quality isn't in there!

They do have a stellar mascara called “Better Than Sex”, although it doesn’t come with a guarantee, their formula is one of the pillars in the industry!  Find them and their 12.2M followers on Instagram at @toofaced.

Cheap Makeup Brands

This category often is found in your neighborhood drug stores, such as CVS, Walmart, Walgreens or Target.

Drugstore makeup brands are great if you don't have the money to spend on the luxury brands and also if you want to experiment with new colors and products without breaking your wallet.

If you do enough investigation, you'll find out that many drugstore brand companies are owned by the larger high-end companies so you will find some more products at a cheaper price but they are not the same necessarily formula wise.

Wet ‘n Wild You probably remember this company from high school. It's still around and it has actually revamped its line with excellent colors and shades.

They are on the map for their pigments and also their Photo Focus Foundation that has been compared to $100+ luxury labels but it's under $8! They have 2.7M fans on their Instagram @wetnwildbeauty. 

NYX Affordability with professional qualities, this line won't make you feel like you went the economic route. A long menu of lip colors and textures will let you have a makeup drawer worthy of a famous makeup artist.

Their eyeliners that can be applied with ease.  They even have fun roll-on glitter powder. Their highest product which is a primer is only $17 and their liquid liners have a price point of about $7! Join their 13.5M fans on Instagram at @nyxcosmetics.

LA Girl Known for their concealer that's just $3 concealer (a must for your makeup essentials), this line doesn't get enough attention. They are home to a wide range of products and formulas for eyes, lips, and nails which are long wearing. 

They have an array of shades and colors that reflect the higher end department store brands. Even the packaging would fool you that this line is a lower price brand. You can create a look that no one would guess you bought at a drugstore. Follow them on Instagram @lagirlcosmetics (2.4M followers).

Natural Makeup Brands

To begin we want to clarify between natural and organic, which will be our next category. Natural makeup products can be derived or based in plant origins. Organic products are more regulated and have stricter restrictions before being able to put the organic name on the label.

For example, the products must come from a strict agricultural organic farm. Where the term natural will have plant products such as aloe vera, in them but may also still have preservatives and chemicals.

Ilia begins your love affair with their products beginning with their luxurious packaging made from recyclable aluminum. Each product will make you feel more health-conscious with their high-quality natural ingredients. 

Neutral to bright shades will entice you to try new looks from natural to bold. By being natural, you will have a new love for makeup and your skin a new love for you! Find out more about this brand on Instagram (121K followers) @ iliabeauty 

Kjaer Weis The chic packaging of this line coverts natural products to pure elegance. Kirsten Kjaer Weis spent years as an artist and had nothing to offer to her sensitive skinned clients. She came to her own rescue and theirs by creating sophisticated and high-performing organic products.

She only uses the highest quality ingredients to care for your skin while you look stunning in daily life or at a special event. There are no parabens, silicones, petrochemical emulsifiers, or synthetic fragrances found in this line! Follow her @ kjaerweis (62.7K followers)

Alima Pure This brand is a mineral-based makeup line. Its ingredients are free of toxins, irritants, and preservatives. They succeeded in creating a full shade range of satin matte foundation, for which they are known because it's so rare in the natural makeup brand arena. @alimapure is their Instagram with 34.9K fans.

Organic Makeup Brands

This category of makeup has to be regulated by the USDA and FDA to their standards of what organic means. The best organic makeup companies are under a microscope to bring you exactly what they say, organic ingredients.

Juice Beauty's goal is to create organic products that will give conventional beauty products a run for their money. All products meet the USDA organic regulations. To top it off, they use alternative energy such as, solar and wind power!

They created sustainable containers that reflect their dedication to the environment with labels that are printed with soy ink. Follow them along with their 143K followers on their Instagram account @juicebeauty.

RMS Beauty You will find raw, food grade, and organic ingredients in this line that are free of harmful chemicals, synthetics, preservatives. The bonuses are they also have vitamins and genetically altered ingredients. They continue their efforts with biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable packaging. Thumbs up! Check out their line on Instagram at @rmsbeauty with 210K followers. 

Antonym This organic makeup line is a triple threat because it is gentle on your skin, the environment, and is cruelty-free. You will find its formulation of certified organic ingredients soothing to the skin and soul. And you will be impressed with its intense pigments. Again, they follow through with using sustainable materials for packaging and even for their bamboo brushes. They have 30.2K followers on their Instagram @antonymcosmetics

Indie Makeup Brands

These newer independent brands often get left to fall through the cracks. It's always a good idea when you're looking for something new to check these out on the internet because there are lots of treasures out there!

Makeup Geek (MUG) This is a company that you should definitely look up.  The brand started small with just brushes and eyeshadows (which they say 'are just as good, if not better, than MAC shadows and only $5.99 each!") 

Now they have graduated to gel liners, pigments, lipsticks, and blushes! Its superior quality and service put it on the map and it is a perfect example of why you should be checking out these independent companies! @makeupgeekcosmetics on Instagram has over 2.5M followers, join them!

Sigma Beauty This line got noticed because of the high-quality makeup brushes that were compared to MAC's but at a significantly cheaper price. Their expanded line grew into makeup (well duh!) with eyeshadow palettes, gel liners, lip glosses, blushes, and more.

They have ongoing new ideas to keep their line exciting and innovative. They are found on the internet but also have a freestanding store in the Mall of America, the largest mall in the United States.

Because they’re an indie brand, they are always looking to be featured by influencers, and vloggers on YouTube and Instagram!  Find them at @sigmabeauty (3.7M followers).

Melt Cosmetics Remember the stacking eyeshadows back when you were a teenager?  Well, we've got some here for you with Melt Cosmetics! Also known for their deep, rich matte lipsticks, Melt Cosmetics is getting out there more but they deserve more kudos!

Most known for their lipsticks they are also providing their more risqué customers with different and brighter colors that are more avant-garde. Their matte lip colors come in a wide variety ranging from red tones to black to green!

The line is very new but the more we get people to check it out the more newer fun products will have to explore with them! 

Melt has 2.7M followers on their Instagram account @meltcosmetics.

We haven’t been able to even touch the tip of the makeup brush with these suggestions for the best makeup products but we hope that we accomplished bringing to light some companies you may not have heard of in the past. Makeup does not define us but it can literally add color to our lives.

Some of us may be more makeup addicts than others but even for our simple makeup using sisters, the information is important. Just as every one of us is unique and looking for something that fits our specific needs, there is a makeup brand or brands out there to give us what we crave.

Don’t be afraid to mix brands. Many believe skincare and foundation are worth the investment with high technology used in their formulas to better take care of our skin. While colors for lips, cheeks, and eyes can be bought in the lower-end lines. This helps anyone on any budget still look their best.

Now if you can afford the high-end products, you still have a vast array to choose from and feel as luxurious as Coco Chanel herself!

A very important P.S. As always, remember the MOST important step to skin care is the removal of makeup! How can your newly applied makeup look fresh and new if you do not remove fully the previous layer? Plus, the more you take care of your skin, the better the makeup will enhance your natural features. 

The Kiki & Josie Makeup Remover Glove is the easiest solution to this. This reusable and chemical-free glove design only needs water to remove even waterproof makeup which makes it the best makeup remover for even sensitive skin! Plus, have you seen the material designs?

They are adorable! They are simple to clean, just throw them in the washing machine once a week and they can last up to 3-5 years! And if you like to use your favorite product to take away the day’s residue, these gloves can be used with your beloved facial cleanser too!

What is its secret? Microfiber Technology! But what the heck is microfiber technology? Kiki & Josie’s site defines it as…

“Microfiber technology baby!  Fibers in our makeup remover glove are made with advanced micro-technology. They are 30 times thinner than cotton fiber and up to 100 times thinner than a human hair! These tiny loops manage to break the surface tension that binds oil and makeup to the skin's surface, gently hooking the oil and removing debris.

All you need to do is add water  to the glove and let the fibers hook the dirt/makeup from the pores.”

And for our traveling it's perfect. You will already have all of your makeup gear to carry, why worry about more makeup removing and cleansing products to carry with you too?

It is the perfect makeup eraser.

The Makeup Remover Glove is a great alternative to facecloths, which harbor bacteria, and cotton pads which can contain irritating silicone/wood fibers. Not to mention makeup wipes which are made with chemicals harmful to the skin. 

We hope that you enjoyed this article and that you will now be able to find your best makeup line at any price and formula

Now it’s your turn...which is your favorite line of cosmetics and why? Are you loyal to one line or do you like to pick and choose from different ones? Which ones do you want to try? What is your all-time favorite product? Let us know in the comments below

Happy Makeup-ing and makeup removing!