This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
You can find black Up’s cruelty-free products at Sephora.
Black Up is Cruelty-Free
Black Up has confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf. Their suppliers also do not test on animals, nor do they allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law. And finally, their products are not sold in stores in mainland China or any other country that may require animal testing.
By our standards, we would consider Black Up to be Cruelty-Free.
Below is a snippet of the response I received from black Up when I emailed them to ask about their animal testing policy:
“None of black|Up’s products have been tested on animals. black|Up is a French based brand and the European cosmetic regulation (Réglement Cosmétique 1223/2009) bans animal testing on cosmetic products. Hence, in accordance with European regulations and the brand’s value, no black|Up products have been tested on animals. Moreover, our products are not available for sale on the Chinese Market.“
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
As of May 1, 2021, some imported ordinary cosmetics can be exempt from animal testing under certain conditions. However, for the most part, animal testing is still legally required for most imported cosmetics in 2021.
But Black Up has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
Cruelty-Free Policies
Note that there is no legal definition for the label ‘Cruelty-Free.‘ It can mean different things to different people. But Cruelty-Free is generally used to imply no animal testing. More specifically, the ingredients, formulation, or finished product are not tested on animals at any stage of product development.
At ethical elephant, we always assess a company’s cruelty-free policy using our Cruelty-Free Checklist. This ensures no animal testing was performed by the brand itself, its suppliers, and by any third parties.
Also, note that Cruelty-Free and Vegan don’t always mean the same thing.
Black Up is Not 100% Vegan
‘Vegan’ in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand that is 100% Vegan or a specific product is vegan.
In the case of Black Up, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
How to know which of Black Up products are vegan?
Black Up clearly marks all of its vegan products on its website.
When I asked Black Up if any of their products were vegan, they responded stating:
“A lot of our products are vegan but others may contain animal ingredients. These ingredients are lanolin, beeswax and carmine. The complete list of ingredients are always listed on our product pages.“
You can also find out which of their products are vegan as they’re marked accordingly on their website under each product description. See below for an example.
black Up’s Vegan Product List
As of 2021, I will no longer be regularly updating this list of black Up’s vegan products as all of their vegan products are now clearly marked. Check their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information on which products are vegan or not.
The following black Up’s products are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
Complexion Makeup – Black Up Vegan
- Anti-Shine Loose Powder
- Blush
- CC Cream Multi-Action
- Colour Correcting Loose Powder
- Contouring Powder
- Correcting & Radiance Primer
- Full Coverage Cream Foundation
- Highlighting Palette
- Mat Definition Foundation
- Matte Definition Powder
- Matifying Fluid Foundation
- Mattifying Primer 8H
- New Contouring Stick
- No Transfer Concealer
- Radiance Concealer
- Skin Illuminating Pressed Powder
- Smoothing Primer
- Strobing Primer
- Strobing Stick
- Sublime Light Powder
- Sublime Powder
- The Matnifique 24H Matte Foundation
- Two Way Cake
Eyes – Black Up Vegan
Lips – Black Up Vegan
- black|Up x Shy’m Demi Matte Liquid Lipstick
- Glossy Liquid Lipcolor
- Lip Tint Dissolving Gel
- Top Coat Metallic Matte Liquid Lipcolor
Skincare – Black Up Vegan
- Bamboo Scrub – Exfoliating Gel
- Daily Face Purifying Gel
- Dark Spot Correcting Night Cream
- Hydration Generator Fluid
- Lip Tint Dissolving Gel
- Micro Dermabrasion – Deep Pore Cleanser
- Oxygen Mask – Matifying Fresh Mask
- Ultra Matifying Rebalancing Fluid
Vegan Policies
Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it’s usually used in the context to describe something that doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
Some common animal products used in cosmetics include carmine, lanolin, snail mucus, beeswax, honey, pearl or silk-derived ingredients, animal-based glycerin, keratin, and squalene.
There are plant-based and synthetic alternatives to animal-derived ingredients. But it’s sometimes difficult to know with certainty whether a product is vegan just by reading the ingredient list.
So it’s best to ask the company and manufacturers to ensure the ingredients they’ve chosen to use were from non-animal sources.
Where are Black Up products made?
“Almost all our formulas are produced in Europe and we pay a special attention to keep a part of our production in France.”
Ethical Mica Mining Policy
Mica is a mineral that’s used in cosmetics to add a shimmery effect. But the mining of natural mica has been linked to child labor and human rights violations.
Unless a company publicly addresses its mica mining policy, we have no way of knowing whether its mica is ethically sourced without child or forced labor.
So I asked Black Up if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor, but they never responded to any of my emails or messages.
