Laura Mercier Cosmetics is an American and French cosmetics and skincare brand. It was founded in 1996 by Laura Mercier, the famous celebrity makeup artist.
Mercier’s goal was to create her own makeup brand that would help people achieve a natural but glamorous look with high-quality products. The brand focuses on creating flawless skin and face. This isn’t a surprise, as Mercier is famous for her naturalistic approach to makeup.
Today, Laura Mercier’s products are sold only in the USA. In 2012, it became the official brand of the second season of Project Runway All-Stars.
Is Laura Mercier Cruelty-Free?
| Not sold in China? | Yes |
| PETA Certified | No |
| Leaping Bunny Certified | No |
| Has vegan products | No |
| Not owned by a Parent Company that does Animal Testing? | No |
This is a bit unclear.
The official statement from the company says that Laura Mercier is cruelty-free. The company doesn’t conduct any animal testing, and none of its final products, as well as ingredients, are tested on animals. At the same time, it doesn’t pay a third party to conduct tests on its behalf. The claims are that all tests are done using several alternative testing methods, and some are done in clinical settings on volunteers.
However, there is no statement about whether or not Laura Mercier’s suppliers test on animals.
Laura Mercier isn’t certified by PETA and therefore it isn’t a part of its Beauty Without Bunnies program. It also doesn’t have the Leaping Bunny label either.
Alternative Cruelty-Free Eye Liners
Amazon.com
Alternative Cruelty-Free Primers
Amazon.com
Are Laura Mercier products sold in China?
No, Laura Mercier doesn’t sell in mainland China. In fact, they don’t sell anywhere except in the USA.
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What is the Deal with China?
Even though animal testing is proven to be an unnecessary and unethical practice, some countries still require it by law. This is the case with the second-biggest market in the world, China.
China requires any beauty product to be tested on animals before allowing importation and being sold in Chinese stores. Any company or brand that makes the decision to sell in China has also decided to test on animals – either by themselves or, usually, by paying a third-party company to test on their behalf. This is the main reason why a lot of brands can’t achieve a true cruelty-free status. After growing public outrage, China did lift some regulations in 2014, which allowed certain beauty products, such as shampoos and other skincare items, to be imported without testing, but this is still a small percentage.
A lot of brands that claim to be cruelty-free are being misleading thanks to these laws. Even if a brand doesn’t conduct animal testing on its own, by deciding to take the opportunity and sell in countries such as China, it is allowing a third-party to test the final product on animals. This is why PETA and the Leaping Bunny Program have forbidden brands that they certify to expand their market in this direction – and rightfully so.
A lot of companies are working with the Chinese government on lifting these regulations, and legislation was proposed in 2019 that should stop mandatory animal testing. However until today, no substantial progress has been made in this regard, we continue to wait patiently.
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Is Laura Mercier Vegan?
Laura Mercier didn’t make any statements about its products being vegan. Therefore, it’s better to conclude that they aren’t. You could probably find some items that aren’t made with animal by-products, but overall, if you are a vegan, I don’t recommend using this brand. In fact, Laura Mercier is not even claiming to be organic.
Who owns Laura Mercier and does the parent company test on animals?
Laura Mercier was acquired by The Shiseido Group in 2006. The Shiseido Group is a beauty conglomerate from Japan that is not cruelty-free, as they sell in mainland China. This, however, doesn’t instantly mean that Laura Mercier isn’t cruelty-free, as most companies allow their brands to choose their own policies. This seems to be the case with Laura Mercier as well – although there is no proof of this really being the case.
What products does Laura Mercier sell?
Laura Mercier is famous for its high-quality and expensive skincare and cosmetics items. It’s most famous for its powders and foundations, although there are other items that have also received various praises, such as its concealers, stick eyeshadows, and lip glosses.
Alternative Cruelty-Free Eye Liners
Amazon.com
Alternative Cruelty-Free Primers
Amazon.com
You say “they don’t sell anywhere except in the USA” – that is wrong though, as they definitely sell in the U.K.!