Let’s Hear It For The Girls! The Big Beauty Brands Supporting International Women’s Day

Have you heard? Today is International Women’s Day.

In 2020, it’s not a bad time to be a lady. There are a whole host of women out there kicking ass in almost every industry – Jacinda Ardern, Pat McGrath, Sheryl Sandbery, Greta Gerwig, Charlotte Tilbury and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, we’re looking at you. 

Anecdotally speaking, camaraderie within the sisterhood is at an all time high. Women are finding their voice. More and more podcasts are gaining traction every day that champion womens’ success and call out their issues. (Have you listened to After Work Drinks, The Glow Journal, The High Low or Offline, The Podcast – if not, you should.) Not to mention the Facebook groups. And other online communities (ahem, Gritty Pretty). And then there are WhatsApp groups… In short, women are talking and sharing their stories.

However, we still have a way to go. The gender pay gap is a very real thing and as the Harvey Weinstein case points out, women are still being mistreated both at work and at home. According to White Ribbon Australia, 85 per cent of Australian women have been sexually harassed, one in four women have experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner, and on average, one woman per week is murdered by her partner.

So… what can you do? High five the nearest chick, tell her she’s doing a great job and ask if she needs a hand. And, importantly, you can support organisations that support women. 

Here, we round up the beauty brands that are supporting International Women’s Day:

The Body Shop Australia has pledged to support Plan International Australia’s Youth Activist Series (YAS) with a $120,000 donation. The objective? To arm the next generation of young Australian women with essential activism and leadership skills. 

This weekend, $1 from every purchase goes to Plan International Australia. From Tuesday March 17, $5 from every purchase of Nourishing Body Lotion will help fund the organisation’s YAS – this product is made using Community Fair Trade shea butter from Ghana, handcrafted by women.

Iconic British makeup artist and founder of her eponymous brand, Charlotte Tilbury, has artnered with NET-A-PORTER to design an exclusive T-Shirt to mark International Women’s Day 2020, raising awareness and funds for Women for Women International. Tilbury’s ‘The Magic Within’ t-shirt will set you back $80. You can buy it here. 

In partnership with American-based NGO Hollaback, L’Oreal Paris are launching the Stand Up project. According to the brand, this new initiative has been developed to train a million people in bystander intervention to tackle street harassment. In doing so, L’Oreal Paris hopes to remove some of the obstacles that prevent women from living out their ambitions. The Stand Up project is effective immediately with staff at the Australian L’Oreal Paris office to receive training this week.

Iconic French beauty brand L’OCCITANE are donating 100 per cent of the profits from their new Shea Hibiscus Solidarity Balm to the women who produce the product’s key ingredient. The company has been sourcing its shea butter from female producers in Burkina Faso in West Africa since the ‘80s. Purchase in store or online for $11. 

For the second year running Estée Lauder are teaming up with Kith Women to celebrate International Women’s Day with a limited edition makeup collection. The set contains some of your Estée Lauder favourites, reimagined – including The Pure Color Envy Lipstick (now named ‘Kith Red’), Double WearStay-in-Place Matte Powder Foundation (embossed with Kith’s monogram pattern), Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lip Pencil in Clear (with a custom sharpener), and Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara. Notably, the collection comes in a translucent plexi case adorned with the Kith monogram pattern, and designed to double as a clutch. From Saturday, March 7, you can purchase online via Kith.com for approx. AUD$295. Run, don’t walk – this uber-cool collision of fashion-meets-beauty is set to sell out.

Tell us, how will you be celebrating IWD? And are there any beauty brands championing women that we’ve missed? Tell us below – we’d love to hear from you.