Using Beauty to Make an Impact

While we are all working on being more enlightened about the world that surrounds us, more mindful of how we use language and what impact the media is having on how we see beauty, that doesn’t stop us wanting to do certain things. From using teeth whitening strips to getting a full bikini wax. But, the truth is there is no one way to be a woman (or identify as a woman) in the world anymore. There is a balance to be found between the seemingly shallow Instagram world of showing off designer good and mani-pedis and the people who are out there fighting for causes close to their hearts. The balance is supporting beauty brands that support women’s causes that you should care about. Of course, you will need to do more research into each company to see if they align with your personal beliefs and overall supportive goals, nonetheless here they are:

Tatcha, opening up with a fantastic cause. For every full-sized Tatcha product that is sold, they fund a day of school for girls in need. The program is called Room to Read Girls’ Education Program.

Mary Kay, while it might sound like a bit of a throwback to the party your mom and her friends had in the living room, they have a solid background in providing for The Mary Kay Foundation. For each of the Beauty That Counts Baked Blush that they sell a whole $1 goes towards the cause. The foundation supports survivors of domestic abuse and women’s shelters.

Clove + Hallow are championing mental health. They give 15% of sales of their “Psych” lipstick to the Georgia Chapter of Mental Health of America. The donation goes towards outreach and education centred around mental health.

Jessica Alba has a makeup company called Honest Beauty, and their goal is to get more women into the tech industry. The brand Honesty Beauty partnered with Girls Who Code and donated a chunk of the proceeds from each of the products they sell to the organization.

Beautiful Rights, having product names like Politically Pout, Gloss Ceiling and Pantsuit Pink the range is aimed at women who are aiming high. What makes them even more refreshing as a company is that donate a whopping 20% of all proceeds to multiple organizations. At the check-out, you can select where you portion will go. From Emily’s List, Planned Parenthood or ACLU you can give your 20%. And cleverly it is a gentle reminder of the 20% wage gap that women are still experiencing.

There is a balance to be found, we can indulge ourselves and still ensure that the things we care about and support are being taken care of, aside from regular donations and volunteering when we can, even the joy of purchasing a new lipstick can bring double the pleasure by supporting women in other walks of life.

"I think the best role models for women are people who are fruitfully and confidently themselves, who bring light into the world." —Meryl Streep