Meet Lipslut: The Makeup Line That Is Anything But Lip Service
We love a makeup look that makes a statement, but Lipslut takes it to a whole new level. Birthed in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, this forward-thinking makeup company was founded in LA by a group of college women who made it their mission to take action, make a difference, and “put their money where their mouth is,” literally.
Lipslut is shades deeper than your average makeup company, as they are less focused on creating a trend and more focused on developing products with a social justice POV. Their reasoning behind this is pretty badass too: “Questioning the world around us and working towards improving society will always be “in vogue.”
Their latest product drop? A lip shade titled “F*ck Kavanuagh” that is described as a “cool, calm, and collected deep red.” And they aren’t just selling this to capitalize on current events either. 100% of all earnings from this lipstick go towards anti-sexual assault organizations, because the company wants their products to help solve issues and fund charities that matter most to the women wearing them.
How do they decide which charities to benefit with their products, you may ask? Well, you get a vote – and not just an electoral vote either, one that actually counts. For each lipstick on you purchase on Lipslut, you have the opportunity to submit a vote for your favorite 501(c)(3) charity off a pre-selected list. At the end of a specific lipstick’s campaign, Lipslut tallies the results and the charities selected (which benefit from 50% of all proceeds) are announced by popular vote.
The charitable organizations in Lipslut’s regular line-up include the American Civil Liberties Union, The Center For Reproductive Rights, Human Right Campaign, Planned Parenthood, and National Organization for Women. This past summer, they also gave customers the option to donate 100% of the proceeds from an anti-Trump lipstick to victims of the Charlottesville violence, the Charlottesville Black Lives Matter organization, and the Albemarle-Charlottesville chapter of the NAACP; this was in response to the multi-day alt-right and progressive clashes that led to one death and 19 injuries after a white supremacist slammed his car into the crowd. Just one week after this fundraiser was announced, the brand raised $40,000 for those affected by these violent protests.
Lipslut founder, Katie Sones, hopes that by giving her community and customers a voice, she will inspire other brands to step forward and get involved: "It has always bothered me, especially in a time when our political system is so dysfunctional, that companies rarely speak out [against] social issues, despite holding large influence in our society. I don’t believe the fear of losing customers makes for an apt excuse to ignore human rights."
You can purchase Lipslut’s F*ck Kavanaugh matte liquid lipstick here. It’s only $19.95, and it’s well-sourced, vegan and cruelty-free. Pucker up!