Absolute New York
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About Absolute New York
Absolute New York operates within the competitive mass-market color cosmetics segment, positioning itself as an accessible beauty brand that prioritizes affordability and trend-driven formulations. The brand's sustainability profile reflects the broader challenges facing independent beauty companies in implementing comprehensive environmental and social responsibility programs without the resources of multinational corporations.
While Absolute New York has secured recognized cruelty-free certifications through multiple third-party verification programs, its broader sustainability framework shows significant gaps in disclosure and implementation. The brand's approach to environmental stewardship, supply chain transparency, and social impact remains largely undocumented, suggesting either nascent sustainability initiatives or limited resource allocation to these areas typical of smaller independent beauty brands operating in price-competitive market segments.
The Good Stuff
Where Absolute New York appears to be making meaningful progress. We cross-referenced these findings with multiple independent sources.
Multi-Verified Cruelty-Free Standards
Certified cruelty-free through multiple recognized programs with explicit policies prohibiting animal testing on both finished products and raw ingredients throughout development
Ingredient Safety Verification
Select products demonstrate low hazard ratings through independent safety database assessment, indicating attention to formulation safety in specific product lines
Accessible Beauty Positioning
Inclusive color cosmetics portfolio expands consumer access to trend-driven formulations at affordable price points, democratizing beauty without premium pricing barriers
The Reality Check
Areas where the publicly available data gets murky, incomplete, or concerning. We're transparent about the limitations of our analysis.
Supply Chain Opacity
No publicly available supplier lists, manufacturing audits, or labor practice certifications disclosed, limiting visibility into production conditions and worker welfare standards
Environmental Program Void
Absence of documented climate targets, water conservation initiatives, biodiversity partnerships, or sustainable packaging programs indicates minimal environmental management framework
Social Impact Documentation Gap
No evidence of community investment programs, social enterprise partnerships, or measurable impact initiatives that would demonstrate broader stakeholder value creation
Absolute New York's
Impact Aura
A visual representation of Absolute New York's positive impact
across People, Planet and Animals
Each colored area represents the brand's performance in that sustainability category. The size and intensity of each blob corresponds to their score—larger, more vibrant areas indicate stronger performance.
Our Research
Key findings from our comprehensive analysis of Absolute New York's sustainability performance across People, Planet & Animals impact.
Positive Impact on People
Research Highlights
- Ingredient safety assessment reveals select products achieve low hazard ratings through independent safety databases
- Labor practices across manufacturing facilities lack third-party verification or recognized certification programs
- Supply chain transparency remains undisclosed with no public supplier mapping or audit documentation
- Community investment programs show no documented social impact initiatives or measurable outcomes
- Marketing claims align with cruelty-free certification but broader sustainability messaging lacks verification
Evidence Strength
Limited documentation across social responsibility criteria with ingredient safety showing strongest third-party validation, while labor and supply chain practices remain unverified
Positive Impact on Planet
Research Highlights
- Climate action shows no documented emissions reduction targets or renewable energy commitments
- Biodiversity conservation lacks any documented habitat protection or sustainable sourcing partnerships
- Water stewardship programs absent with no facility-level metrics or reduction initiatives disclosed
- Packaging innovation shows no evidence of recycled content integration or refillable systems
- Chemical management demonstrates select product verification through safety databases without comprehensive green chemistry policies
Evidence Strength
Minimal environmental documentation with chemical safety showing partial third-party assessment, while climate, water, and biodiversity initiatives remain entirely undisclosed
Positive Impact on Animals
Research Highlights
- Cruelty-free commitment verified through multiple independent certification programs including recognized global standards
- Testing policies explicitly prohibit animal testing on both finished products and individual ingredients
- Vegan formulation status remains unverified with no comprehensive animal-free ingredient certification
- Wildlife conservation partnerships show no documented funding or habitat protection initiatives
- Animal-derived ingredient sourcing lacks documented welfare standards or traceability programs
Evidence Strength
Strong third-party verification for cruelty-free status through multiple recognized certification bodies, but gaps in vegan certification and conservation support documentation
See the Receipts
We don't just make claims—here are the official certifications that prove Absolute New York's sustainability commitments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Absolute New York cruelty-free?
Yes, Absolute New York maintains strong cruelty-free standards verified through multiple independent certification programs. The brand explicitly prohibits animal testing on both finished products and raw ingredients, with this commitment validated by recognized global certification bodies. Live By's assessment confirms comprehensive third-party verification of their cruelty-free policies.
Is Absolute New York sustainable?
Absolute New York demonstrates mixed sustainability performance based on Live By's comprehensive assessment. While the brand shows strong commitment to cruelty-free standards with multiple third-party certifications, significant gaps exist in environmental management and supply chain transparency. The brand lacks documented climate action, water conservation programs, and sustainable packaging initiatives that would indicate comprehensive sustainability integration.
Does Absolute New York use clean ingredients?
Absolute New York shows partial ingredient safety verification, with select products achieving low hazard ratings through independent safety database assessment. However, the brand lacks a comprehensive clean beauty policy or brand-wide ingredient screening standards. Live By's analysis indicates ingredient safety practices apply to specific product lines rather than comprehensive portfolio-wide standards.
Is Absolute New York vegan?
While Absolute New York maintains verified cruelty-free standards, the brand has not demonstrated comprehensive vegan certification across its product portfolio. Live By's assessment finds no evidence of complete animal-free formulation verification or vegan certification programs, suggesting some products may contain animal-derived ingredients despite the no-testing policy.
How does Absolute New York address labor practices?
Live By's research reveals minimal transparency regarding Absolute New York's labor practices and supply chain management. The brand provides no public disclosure of manufacturing audits, worker welfare programs, or recognized labor certification standards. This lack of documentation represents a significant gap in social responsibility verification typical of smaller independent beauty brands.
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The Bottom Line
Absolute New York demonstrates selective sustainability engagement with verified cruelty-free standards contrasting sharply against absent environmental programs and opaque supply chain practices. The brand's sustainability profile reflects the resource constraints facing independent beauty companies, suggesting significant opportunity for enhanced disclosure and program development across environmental and social dimensions.
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