Whether lipstick is a part of your everyday grooming ritual or a once-in-a-while chance to indulge in some self-care, there’s no denying it holds major transformational power. A slick of bold colour can boost our confidence, lift our spirits, and at times, give us the strength to persevere against the odds.
It’s also holds a uniquely powerful way to unite across cultural divides, which is what Charlotte Tilbury discovered when she heard the stories of women living in conflict zones, who wore lipstick as a symbol of their womanhood and defiance. Those stories marked the beginning of her work with Women for Women International, an organisation that helps women living in countries affected by war and violence rebuild their lives. Inspired by the women’s remarkable strength, she created a bestselling lipstick collection, Hot Lips, which proved that beauty really could change lives.
Three years later, Tilbury is raising the stakes in her role as Global Ambassador for Women for Women, with a generous pledge to donate £1 million from the sales of this year’s collection to the charity. The donation will support even more women to enrol in Women for Women’s year-long training programme, which empowers women to manage their finances, improve their family’s health, and make their voices heard at home and in their communities.
“I have seen the most incredible, heart-warming change from our work with the charity so far,” Tilbury explained in a press release. “To date, we have raised enough to fund over 350 women through Women for Women International’s training programme. I hope that with this magical £1 million donation, we will reach even more women and change even more lives across the world.”
Much like the original collection, which “bottled the beauty DNA” of 12 of the makeup mogul’s most inspirational celebrities, such as Emily Ratajkowski, Kim Kardashian and Miranda Kerr, Hot Lips 2.0 pays homage to the “inspiring beauty and lives” of 11 iconic men and women.
“When I created this range, I was looking for gaps in the colour spectrum and mixing the most nuanced, super-flattering, super-wearable shades,” Tilbury said of the new range. “These shades have superpowers and look incredible on everyone.”
To date, Charlotte Tilbury’s collection has raised £190,526 to support over 350 women living in some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones through a year-long training programme.
“From the very beginning, our partnership has been grounded in a mutual and immense desire to create transformational change,” says Brita Fernandez Schmidt, executive director and senior vice president for global partnerships at Women for Women International. “Our partnership has helped to inspire hope for the future for the women we serve, empowering them to become leaders and role models in their communities.”
There’s no word yet on the inspirations behind the new collection, but we can expect rich colours to complement every skin tone, as per Tilbury’s delicious offerings.
Hot Lips 2 launches June 20 on CharlotteTilbury.com and June 27 at select retailers.
