How Beauty Brands Are Celebrating Pride Month

11/06/2021 Beauty & Balance

With most Pride festivities nationwide back on in the wake of the pandemic, beauty brands have a slew of activations, discounts and product offerings to celebrate Pride Month.

The Estée Lauder Cos. is hosting a roundtable discussion on genderless beauty, to take place on June 29. The event, which will be open to the public, will include panelists Rob Smith, chief executive officer and founder of the Phluid Project; and hairstylist David Lopez.

Smith, via his own brand, also has myriad initiatives. The Phluid Project is launching a campaign called Queertopia, focused on showcasing joy in the LGBTQ community. Throughout the month of June, Smith is focused on raising more than $200,000 to benefit the Phluid Phoundation, of which he is donating his speaking honorariums to, as well. Saks Off 5th will be donating 100 percent of the brands’ sales for the month to the foundation, which focuses on “channeling energy and resources primarily toward the BIPOC transgender community, as well as the growing homeless LGBTQ population,” per its website.

The Phluid Project is also opening pop-ups both in New York and Miami, and offering educational courses to corporations to make their services more gender expansive.

Lauder’s brands are also getting into the mix. MAC Cosmetics is debuting its Pride & Joy Liquidlast Liner Vault, an 11-shade collection of liners. One-hundred percent of the selling price — $125 on MAC’s website — will go to the Hetrick-Martin Institute, one of the country’s oldest advocacy organizations for LGBTQ youth, via the MAC Viva Glam fund.

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Hair care brand John Frieda has partnered with GLSEN, a charity whose mission is to make schools safe and inclusive for LGBTQ students. John Frieda Hair Care is devoting both brick-and-mortar retail and Amazon signage to the campaign, as well as a robust social media campaign (complete with a roster of influencers) to the initiative.

Skin care brand Peace Out is donating 10 percent of all sales on its website to the Trevor Project, from June 8 to June 16. The brand’s partnership with the Trevor Project started in 2020 with a shop-and-donate program on Peaceoutskincare.com.

The Art of Shaving, which has an ongoing relationship with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, will donate 25 percent of GilletteLabs Heated Razor sales during Pride Month to the organization, up to $25,000.

Jean Paul Gaultier is releasing a Pride limited edition of Le Male, complete with rainbow printing across the torso, and are donating an undisclosed portion of proceeds to The Center, an LGBTQ community center based in New York.

Clean beauty brand Noto Botanics is also accompanying its Pride campaign with a giveback program. An undisclosed portion of sales from its hero Agender Oil will be going toward the Trans Defense Fund L.A. for the month of June.