Is Charlotte Tilbury Cruelty-Free?

Is Charlotte Tilbury cruelty-free? Find out now! Logical Harmony helps make cruelty-free easy!

Charlotte Tilbury is a beloved brand for many. Their Filmstar Bronze and Glow, Pillowtalk lipstick, and Hollywood Flawless Filter are a staple in the makeup collections of many. There has been a lot of buzz about the cruelty-free status of Charlotte Tibury lately. It’s something I have been keeping an eye on and talking to the brand about. I wanted to bring you up to speed and share the information that I have with you.

Curious to know what’s currently going on with Charlotte Tilbury? Are they cruelty-free? Do they have any vegan options? Find out what their current stance on animal testing is in this post.

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Image via Charlotte Tilbury.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. I only recommend products and brands that align with my values and that I genuinely believe in. Your support through these links helps me to be able to create valuable content for you. Thank you for your support!

Is Charlotte Tilbury cruelty-free? Yes! Charlotte Tilbury is cruelty-free.

Charlotte Tilbury is a cruelty-free brand based on the Logical Harmony criteria for determining if a brand is Logical Harmony approved. There is no animal testing being done on Charlotte Tilbury products at any point or on any ingredients used to make Charlotte Tilbury products. They also do not sell in situations where they would be subject to required by law animal testing. There are also lots of Charlotte Tilbury vegan products to choose from too.

  • Are the ingredients used in Charlotte Tilbury products tested on animals? No. Charlotte Tilbury does not use ingredients that are tested on animals.
  • Are Charlotte Tilbury products tested on animals during production? No. Charlotte Tilbury products are not tested on animals during production.
  • Are Charlotte Tilbury finished products tested on animals? No. Charlotte Tilbury finished products are not tested on animals.
  • Is Charlotte Tilbury vegan? No. Charlotte Tilbury has vegan options but is not a fully vegan brand. You can find a list of the Charlotte Tilbury vegan options here.
  • Are Charlotte Tilbury products sold in markets that require animal testing? Yes, but they can remain cruelty-free. Charlotte Tilbury products are sold in stores in Mainland China. Normally animal testing would be required. However, the brand is part of the Cruelty-Free International cruelty-free pilot program there and able to avoid testing on animals. More details are below.
  • Do any third party groups test Charlotte Tilbury products on animals? No. Charlotte Tilbury products are not tested on animals by any third party groups.
  • Is Charlotte Tilbury certified cruelty-free by any organizations? Yes. Charlotte Tilbury is certified as cruelty-free through the Cruelty-Free International Leaping Bunny program.
  • Is Charlotte Tilbury owned by a parent company that tests on animals? No. Charlotte Tilbury is owned by Puig. Puig does not test on animals. They do own other brands that are not cruelty-free.
  • Where is Charlotte Tilbury sold? On their own websiteFeel Unique, Sephora, Nordstrom, Beautylish, Cult Beauty, ASOS, Selfridges, Space NK, and others.

Does Charlotte Tilbury sell in Mainland China? Yes. Charlotte Tilbury sells in China, but through methods that allow them to stay cruelty-free.

Charlotte Tilbury does sell in stores in Mainland China as part of the Cruelty-Free International Leaping Bunny pilot program and through e-commerce. This is currently the only way that brands can sell in stores in China and remain cruelty-free.

By partnering with Knudsen & Co and Fengpu Industrial Park our project will help remove the remaining barriers of entry for cruelty free cosmetics brands looking to manufacture and market their products in China. International brands will be able to avoid testing on animals by producing cosmetics in China that don’t need post-market testing.

– Cruelty-Free International

E-commerce means that people can place an order online and have it shipped to them. Brands are able to sell in China via methods like e-commerce and remain cruelty-free. They are not subject to required by law animal testing by selling in this way.

What about selling in stores in China? Doesn’t that mean that Charlotte Tilbury is subject to post-market animal testing laws in place in China?

While normally claiming to sell in stores in China and be cruelty-free is a reg flag. In this case, it’s the real deal. Because they are part of the Cruelty-Free International pilot program, Charlotte Tilbury really is allowed to sell in stores and avoid any post-market animal testing.

We have created our own new production and distribution model in order to sell in mainland China, whilst also taking the critical steps with the Cruelty-Free International Leaping Bunny programme to ensure we can retain our cruelty-free status everywhere.

– Charlotte Tilbury team

I had an in-depth talk with the Charlotte Tilbury team about selling in China and avoiding animal testing.

I was able to get answers to questions I knew cruelty-free consumers would have about the situation.

Logical Harmony: Getting the Leaping Bunny seal through Cruelty-Free International is huge! What does this mean for Charlotte Tilbury?

Charlotte Tilbury Team: We are incredibly proud that we have achieved Cruelty-Free International’s Leaping
Bunny approval. It means so much to the brand as it is a crucial industry benchmark for cruelty-free beauty. The partnership marks a huge leap forward in our innovative and disruptive global expansion plan – with a strategic partner that aligns our purpose, positive values, and disruptive way of doing business.

Logical Harmony: Where will the new store be located? Are there plans to open more?

Charlotte Tilbury Team: We have continued to expand our distribution into new markets such as Korea, Australia, and mainland China and want to give everyone the confidence that we do so in keeping with our cruelty-free values.

We currently have three stores in mainland China at Shanghai Grand Gateway, Chengdu IFS, and Hangzhou YinTai. Beijing APM will be opening on Thursday, Nov 11th, 2021 . There are plans to expand further in the future.

Logical Harmony: With a store opening in Mainland China, how will products be sold to customers? Will it be via e-commerce like in the past?

Charlotte Tilbury Team: Charlotte Tilbury is the first Leaping Bunny approved luxury make-up brand to launch in mainland China, bringing our makeup and skincare magic in a way that maintains our brand values and purpose.

Products can be purchased directly in-store, as well as through international and domestic e-commerce channels. We have created our own new production and distribution model in order to sell in mainland China, whilst also taking the critical steps with the Cruelty-Free International Leaping Bunny programme to ensure we can retain our cruelty-free status everywhere.

Logical Harmony: With a store opening in Mainland China, how will Charlotte Tilbury avoid post-market animal testing?

Charlotte Tilbury Team: Charlotte Tilbury has worked closely in partnership with Cruelty-Free International to maintain our cruelty-free position. Post-market testing takes place during the rare occurrence of a serious consumer safety concern and involves the process of local authorities testing cosmetics after products have been sold in market. In China, the authorities are legally required to notify brands of any concerns and provide the brand with the option to undertake a quick recall in the rare instances where there may be suspected public health issues or concerns raised, and therefore avoid animal testing.

The authorities are normally not required to notify the brands of concerns and let them do a recall. That said, through the tight controls of the pilot program, the brands taking part do have this option.

What exactly happened with Charlotte Tilbury in the past? Why is there confusion about their cruelty-free status? Did Charlotte Tilbury test on animals?

While Charlotte Tilbury has always been a Logical Harmony Approved cruelty-free brand, not all cruelty-free resources considered them as such. These sources now also consider Charlotte Tilbury to be cruelty-free. What happened to cause this?

Photos of in-store displays of Charlotte Tilbury products first appeared on Instagram in December 2019 in Shanghai, China. The photos were from a Little B Pop-Up shop. Little B has been running them for years as short-term pop-ups with a different focus each time and in each location. It was unclear from the photos how the products were being sold.

What happened after the Charlotte Tilbury product display photos appeared online?

I reached out to the brand immediately when these photos surfaced. The brand was quick to respond, which I appreciated, and they provided a lot of detail.

This specific Little B pop-up was just for the holiday season. Charlotte Tilbury did have displays there. These displays did have sample products, much like the ones at Sephora or Ulta, so people could swatch products or shade-match themselves.

However, there was no inventory for sale in the stores.

If a customer wanted to purchase an item, they could not leave the store with it as they can in Sephora or Ulta. The customer could purchase in-store, but through online e-commerce methods only. Once the customer would order the product, it would be shipped to them. This is a method that allows brands to avoid required by law animal testing.

This is different from how many brands with store displays in mainland China sell their products. I think this is how a lot of people got confused about what was going on with Charlotte Tilbury. I saw rumors that the brand had opened its own stores in China (not true) and was being sold in many chains in China (also not true).

With brands like Wet n Wild, NARS, MAC, First Aid Beauty, or Physicians Formula, the brand has entered the market in mainland China with store displays where customers can not only swatch things but also purchase the product in stores. They walk out with the product in hand that day. It is not shipped to them.

So what’s the issue here? How could this have impacted the Charlottle Tilbury cruelty-free status?

Even though the method that Charlotte Tilbury was using to sell there was different, there was still the potential for animal testing.

The stores did have a very small inventory available to replace the testers in the display. These products were not for retail sale. However, there was still potential for post-market animal testing. Post-market animal testing is when the finished products are tested after they have been approved to be placed in the consumer market.

If a customer reported a reaction to one of the display testers, there was a chance that it could be pulled for animal testing. This would impact the Charlotte Tilbury cruelty-free status.

What action did Charlotte Tilbury take?

When I talked to the brand in December 2020, they had already become aware of the potential issue with post-market animal testing and had already taken action.

From what they told me, they did not realize that display samples could put them at risk for post-market animal testing since the products are only sold via e-commerce and not physically in stores for sale. They had the sample testers pulled from the displays. While they had a contract in place with Little B to be in the pop-up store, the sample testers stopped being available in the stores.

The pop-up shop closed at the end of December 2020,, as it was scheduled to do. This means that the Charlotte Tilbury display also closed.

Charlotte Tilbury confirmed that they did not plan to try to sell via this method in the future due to the risk of animal testing. They would be selling only via e-commerce, which would allow them to avoid any required by law animal testing and remain cruelty-free.

October 2020 update: The brand is now stating that it may sell through pop-up shops in China this holiday season. I was told that if they do, product testers will not be available and the product will be shipped via e-commerce as in the past. The product will not be available for sale in the pop-up shops in a manner that would allow for animal testing to occur. If testers are used that is a concern for post-market testing. Hopefully, they do not have product testers available as they have said. Of course, I will keep an eye on the situation and will update should anything change. Until the pop-up shops are open it is hard to know what will actually happen.

January 2021 update: Charlotte Tilbury has confirmed that while they did take part in the Little B pop-up shops in the 2020 holiday season, no product testers were available and products were not available for purchase in the shops. Product packaging was used in displays but it did not contain the product. Products could be purchased only via e-commerce. This allowed them to avoid any potential post-market animal testing. The pop-up shops run for part of November and part of December only.

How do I feel about it?

Charlotte Tilbury is a cruelty-free brand and remains on the Logical Harmony Approved Cruelty-Free Brand List.

In this case, I do think it’s understandable that the brand would think they could provide products to customers without the risk of animal testing. I believe that they truly did not realize there was a risk, no matter how small, since sales were made through a channel that allowed them to bypass the animal testing laws in mainland China. I appreciate that they took action so quickly on the matter. It’s clear that their cruelty-free status is important to them.

I do think that they struggled with how to communicate this to customers who reached out. Especially since most of that customer outreach took place after the pop-up was already closed. I can see how this probably made it tough for them to know how to address it, and I do think they handled it in a rather clumsy manner as a result. It’s a very nuanced situation in this case, and I think trying to communicate that clearly and effectively would be a struggle for any brand.

Looking for more cruelty-free brands?

Here on Logical Harmony, you can find a full list of cruelty-free brands as well as shopping guides to help you find the cruelty-free brands at Dermstore, Ulta, Nordstrom, Sephora, Beauty Bay, Beautylish, Cult Beauty, and tons more. There are also lots of vegan product lists for cruelty-free brands too.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. I only recommend products and brands that align with my values and that I genuinely believe in. Your support through these links helps me to be able to create valuable content for you. Thank you for your support!

17 Comments

  1. Hi, I just discovered today that Charlotte Tilbury are owned by Puig, a parent company that tests on animals. As someone who avoids PCs, it’d be nice to have that marked on the list, as they as shown as independent at the moment : )

      1. I can’t believe you self-promote as an up to date “cruelty free” website, yet think that a brand being owned by an animal-testing umbrella brand isn’t an issue.
        That’s absolutely disgusting shilling for global Corps while trying to monetise this blog.

        1. My goal is to give people information so that they can do what’s best for them. I don’t want anyone to feel like there’s one right way to shop cruelty-free. Any effort is better than nothing, and we all have different degrees of accessibility to brands.

  2. Hi! I just read cruelty free kitty’’s stance as on 14 Jan 2021 who stated that CT isn’t cruelty free because of this same issue. Just wanted to check in with you that as of today you still think CT is cruelty free? Asking because I am running low on the pressed powder but won’t buy till I hear your take, as it has been 3 months since the last update (still very recent!) a thanks a ton as always!

    1. Hi did you get a response? I’d be really interested because I read the same article and definitely don’t want to buy if what Cruelty Free Kitty said is correct. Thank you

  3. Hey!
    First I wanna thank you for all the in-depth information about this issue. I read on Ethical Elephant that the brand were planning on doing the pop-up shops in China again this year. Do you have information about this? I still don’t know how to feel about it and I want to have all the info before I buy any CT products

    Thanks 🙂
    Marine

    1. Hi! I was told that if they do the shops again, testers will not be available. This was the issue with potential animal testing before as no product was for sale in the stores – it was all done via e-commerce. I hope this helps!

  4. So, what’s the final verdict?
    I hope CT truly is cruelty-free, for a variety of reasons.
    One of those reasons is the fact that I dearly LOVE their Rock ‘n’ Kohl eyeliner pencil in “Barbarella Brown.”
    It’s unlike any other eyeliner I have ever used, and that’s saying a LOT. It features the easy application of a pencil, the intensity, opacity, and “flow” of a liquid, and the soft effect of kohl.
    And it’s the perfect dark brown, and it wears like steel on my insanely oily skin.
    But, if it turns out that CT is not cruelty-free, I’ll quit buying it. ?

  5. Just communicated with Charlotte Charlotte tilbury and they said they still distribute products via partners. I felt they were deceptive and tried to hide the truth. If their actions are really ok, why are they not more forthcoming. I think its because they know its deceptive and want to avoid the consequences of their decision to expand into china. Personally i want nothing to do with a beauty company that puts aminals at risk for profit.

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