It takes more than slapping a rainbow flag on a product and declaring yourself a Pride ally to make a real difference to LGBTQ+ lives. While support for the community has never been more apparent across shop fronts and product packaging, for many, tokenistic brands that are all show and no trousers are simply cashing in on a movement that they’re not tangibly helping.
But, there’s a regiment of beauty brands truly putting their money where their mouth is to aid the LGBTQ+ community in the ongoing fight for acceptance and equal rights, providing funding for legal aid, support lines and safe spaces to those who need it. Like Pride itself, these are the loud, proud, celebratory and inclusive brands we can really get behind.
Revolution
Makeup brand Revolution has launched a new Pride Collection featuring three bold palettes: the 32-shade strong Proud Of My Life eyeshadow palette, £10, the Express Myself face paint palette, £8, and the Spirit Of Pride glitter eyeshadow palette, £8. Regardless of sales, the brand will be donating £25,000 to The Human Dignity Trust, an international organisation using the law to defend the human rights of LGBTQ+ people.
Morphe
To celebrate Pride, Morphe has launched its 25L Live In Colour Artistry Palette, £20 and Live In Colour Brush Set, £26 in rainbow colours, with 100% of the net proceeds going to The Trevor Project throughout June and July. The world’s largest crisis intervention and suicide prevention organisation for LGBTQ+ young people, it provides chat lines and safe spaces for the community internationally.
MAC
Since launching its first Viva Glam campaign in 1994, MAC has used its impact to raise over $500 million for the global fight against HIV/Aids, funding 9,713 grants to over 1,800 ground-breaking and innovative programs and organisations around the globe. Now, to celebrate twenty five years of its life-saving work, MAC are expanding its efforts further into supporting marginalised populations, particularly young women and girls and the LGBTQ community, with the full price of its Viva Glam lipsticks, £17.50, going to help initiatives which support them.
Kiehl’s
For the fifth year in a row, Kiehl’s are teaming up with the MTV Staying Alive Foundation which funds global HIV/Aids prevention projects and LGBTQ+ initiatives across the globe, by donating £5 from the sales of its limited edition Pride Ultra Facial Cream, £24.50. So far, the brand has raised £310,000 to support the LGBTQ+ community. Available from 1st July.
Harry’s
One hundred percent of the profits from Harry’s mega colourful Shave With Pride Set, £28, and campaign will go to the Albert Kennedy Trust, a voluntary organisation created to serve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people who are homeless, living in a hostile environment or homeless.
Urban Decay
To coincide with Pride, Urban Decay has launched its Sparkle Out Loud glitter collection. Created, because “we believe in celebrating your true self and loving whomever the f**k you want,” the brand wrote of the launch. It features sequinned glitter eye gels, shimmery eye pencils, high shine lip glosses and a range of new Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliners. Plus, one hundred percent of the sales from the ruby red shade, Stonewall, £17, is going to its namesake charity, Stonewall, which campaigns for the equality of the LGBTQ+ community in institutions across Britain.
