Walking the Pride Parade is one way to show your support for the LGBTQ+ community, but it's not the only thing you can do. Perhaps you'd like to donate to a worthy cause, but don't think you have the cash to spare. Luckily, if you can afford a beauty product or two, you can actually help fund various LGBTQ+ organisations that support education, human rights, and youth empowerment. From major drugstore lines like Burt's Bees to smaller startups such as Fluide, these are the brands that make it easy to make a difference.
Pride Burt's Bees Rainbow Assorted Lip Balm
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't have a Burt's Bees lip balm in their stash — especially considering one tube is sold every three seconds [1]. Stock up and give back this month with this Pride Burt's Bees Rainbow Assorted Lip Balm [2] ($17). Proceeds go to The Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network [3], a non-profit that strives to make public schools safer places for LGBTQ+ students.
Milk Makeup Limited Edition Pride Pack
You never need a reason to add more glitter into your life, but Milk Makeup's offering you a damn good one, anyway. The cult-favourite brand has released a Limited Edition Pride Pack [4] ($28), that contains a rainbow-flecked, non-sticky lip gloss and tattoo liner that stamps an equal rights sign on your cheekbones. Not only will you look ready to party at Pride with this festive duo on, but you'll also be donating 50% of proceeds to The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Centre (The Centre) [5] in NYC.
Soapwalla
Violinist and law student Rachel Winard founded Soapwalla [6] out of her NYC kitchen in an effort to create products that wouldn't hurt her skin, which was made sensitive by chronic lupus. Years later, the vegan and cruelty-free brand produces small batch soaps that are free of parabens, pthalates, petrochemical byproducts, and other synthetic ingredients. What's more, 50 percent of Soapwalla's employees identify as queer, and the brand always donates 10 percent of its profits to LGBTQ+-supporting organisations, including the Astraea Foundation [7], the Ali Forney Centre [8], and SAGE [9].
Fluide
This new, non-binary beauty brand's motto is, "Makeup for him, her, them, everyone," and creates universal, cruelty-free products for all expressions, identities, and skin tones. The startup sends five percent of its profits to Callen Lorde [10] health centre and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project [11], which ensures members of the LGBTQ+ community get proper legal help. We love Fluide's bold lipstick colours [12], which are all named after safe spaces and gay bars such as Poodle Beach, Halfway to Heaven, and Rosemont, and the brand's Lip Gloss in Wet [13] ($12) for its sheer, non-sticky finish.
Make Up For Ever
Make Up For Ever's new Artist Colour Pencil [14] ($18) comes in a rainbow of 39 colours, which can be used on along your waterline, smudged onto your lids as shadow, or applied to your brows, cheeks, and lips. For the pencil's launch, MUFE teamed up with NYC's Hetrick-Martin Institute [15], which advocates for LGBTQ+ youth.
Harry's
One hundred percent — yes, every last dime — of proceeds of this Shave With Pride Set [16] ($25) will be donated to LGBTQ+ causes. Not only is the cute packageing designed by Craig & Karl [17], a dup known for their whimsical work, it also contains an iridescent, engravable razor, three blade refills, a foaming shave gel, and a travel cover.
Formula Z Cosmetics
Though Florida-born Zach Dishinger describes himself as a "typical theatre kid," he was bullied in middle school for his sexual orientation. Fuelled by his passion for the transformative powers of makeup, the 12-year-old began mixing lipstick ingredients in his kitchen. Three years later, Dishinger founded Formula Z Cosmetics in an effort to create a universal makeup line that looked amazing on everyone. The lipsticks are superpigmented and long-lasting, and proceeds of the chestnut-mauve shade (think Kat Von D's Lolita [18]) called Mission Z [19] ($18) go toward funding The Trevor Project [20], which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention to LGBTQ+ youth.
Real Her
We've long been fans of Real Her, a beauty brand founded by a father hoping to empower his daughter [21]. Every item in the lineup comes stamped with a self-affirmation. Eye Am Outstanding [22] ($16) is part of RealHer's Pride Collection, which donates 20 percent of its proceeds to the LGBT Centre of Orange County [23].