It's October (where has the year gone, eh?) and of course that means we're into Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM). As ever, lots of beauty brands are turning pink, releasing limited edition items for the month and donating proceeds from their sales to breast cancer charities. If you're in the market for some new beauty bits and fancy spending to support a cause that's close to all our hearts, here's a look at what's hit the shelves for BCAM 2011.
Donations from the following products all go to the Clinical Cancer Research Trust at St. Vincent's Hospital:
- Estee Lauder jewelled Pink Ribbon Pin (the blue stone, new for 2011, represents the 1% of breast cancer victims who are men), €15, all net proceeds donated
- Estee Lauder Elizabeth Hurley/Evelyn Lauder Lip Sets, €23 with a €10 donation
- Estee Lauder Perfectionist (CP+) Wrinkle Lifting Serum, €80 with a €15 donation
- Clinique Great Lips, Great Cause keyring, €20 with a €4 donation
- Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector, €65 with a €4 donation
- Origins Make A Difference skin rejuvenating treatment, €27 with a €3 donation
As part of Avon's Breast Cancer Crusade, they'll be donating to ARC Cancer Support. They've released a jewelled pin of their own (€2.50, all net proceeds donated), a double-sided compact mirror (€6 with a 25% donation), and a baking set (€7.50 with a 5% donation); all remaining profits will go to not-for-profit projects.
You can also buy a Roses and Lollipops lipgloss charm from Jane Iredale, which will donate 100% of the profits from its €26 retail price to breast cancer charities. Aveda will donate €3 from the sale of each Hand Relief handcream (€25) sold during October to the Clinical Cancer Research Trust and Vichy's sales of special pink boxes of Neovadiol GF will also be donating an undisclosed sum to charity.
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Clarins, meanwhile, have joined forces with Arnotts to support the National Breast Cancer Research Institute: for every purchase of the Beauty Flash Balm Gift Set, €35, from Arnotts, a €4 donation will be made to the NBCRI.
WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO THIS MONTH
Hession Hairdressing's getting in on the act: on Sunday October 23rd the salons in Drumcondra and Clontard will host charity fundraisers offering a day of total indulgence. Get hair, treatments, nails and all-round pampering for only €50 (it's usually over €110) and best of all, Hession will donate all proceeds from the day to Action Breast Cancer.
Look Good ... Feel Better is a cancer-support charity that gets heaps of coverage in its native America and in the UK, but until very recently I didn't realise that it also operates here. Administered by the Irish Cancer Society, who brought it to Ireland in 2002, the programme aims to help cancer patients manage the appearance-related side-effects of their treatment.
To that end, Look Good... Feel Better organise free, gratis, and for nothin' skincare and make-up workshops across 12 national hospital centres, led by volunteers from the beauty industry. These are informal, non-medical sessions that don't interfere with treatment and are brand-neutral: no particular brand is endorsed within the programme. At the outset, patients receive a goody bag containing products donated by major cosmetics houses, and then receive professional skin and haircare advice over the course of about two hours while being taught new make-up skills.
If you're interested in finding out more about or attending a Look Good ... Feel Better workshop - or if you're a beauty professional and interested in volunteering your services - visit the website or contact the Irish Cancer Society on (01) 231 0520.
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There are also plenty of non-beauty happenings of note to mark the month that's in it: the Irish Cancer Society's Pink Ribbon Appeal kicks off this Friday, 7th October, with Pink Ribbon Day. The Appeal is all about fundraising by something pink for breast cancer during October, like organising a coffee morning or getting your boss to dress up in pink, and the 'Get The Girls Round' night in initiative in association with Centra is running again this year. Invite your mates around to your gaff for a girly evening in and donate the money you'd have spent going out to Action Breast Cancer - more details (and excellent party ideas!) from irishcancer.com/getthegirlsround or by calling 1850 606 060.
Will you be buying to beat breast cancer this October or are you planning a spot of fundraising of your own? Let us know in a comment!
