Morphe US

Morphe doesn't claim to be a sustainable brand and can't reasonably be classed as one. In addition to its use of mica, palm oil, shea butter, and animal products, the brand also relies heavily on petrochemicals. Look for paraffin—an actual fossil fuel—and you will find it in dozens of Morphe products alongside unidentified fragrance and a laundry list of other unpronounceable chemical ingredients.

Morphe might have a robust range of vegan formulas, but that doesn't make them clean, per se. The mineral mica has a history of child labor and poor working conditions, and it tops the list of countless Morphe products' ingredients lists. The company does not publicly disclose where it comes from and is not a member of the Responsible Mica Initiative. Neither is its parent company, General Atlantic.

So, yes, Morphe's vibrant color cosmetics guarantee drama—the good kind—but at what cost? Morphe has no cruelty free certifications even though it claims not to test on animals. It uses animal hair in many of its signature brushes and controversial ingredients like mica and palm oil in just about every makeup product. Never mind that the brand has partnered with one of the world's biggest plastic polluters, Coca-Cola.

Although being cruelty free is central to Morphe's brand philosophy, the company has never published its animal testing policy or been certified cruelty free by a reputable accreditation organization like Leaping Bunny or PETA.

Sustainable: Morphe makeup is made largely of petrochemicals and packaged in plastic.

Cruelty Free: Claims to be cruelty free but has no certifications.

Morphe is not fully vegan and uses ingredients like beeswax (labeled as "cera alba"), honey, carmine (an insect-derived red coloring), and lanolin (oil from sheep's wool). Of the roughly 110 brushes it sells, about half are natural—i.e., made with animal hair.

Makeup brand Morphe may be facing a boycott over its continued association with James Charles, who has been accused by more than 15 men and boys of sexual harassment and sexting minors. He released a video addressing some of the allegations on April 1 and said "these conversations should have never happened."

Morphe has separated from controversial creators in the past year

Ethical: Uses questionable ingredients without disclosing their sources.

Vegan: The Morphe 2 collection is fully vegan.

Morphe "believes in inclusivity, community, and creating safe spaces for people to express themselves," it says. The brand regularly partners with nonprofits through its Morphe Gives Back initiative and has so far donated almost $1 million to civil rights organizations.