Gloria Steinem, an icon of American feminism, has joined forces with social justice beauty brand Lipstick Lobby to benefit incarcerated women by selling a product commonly found in women’s purses across the globe—lip gloss.
100% of net profits from the In The Clear Vitamin E Lip Balm ($19) will benefit the unPrison Project, a female-led nonprofit organization that offers mentorship and literacy programs to female inmates and help them plan for life after prison, according to Elle. The organization’s founder, Deborah Jiang-Stein, an author and activist, was born in prison to a heroin-addict mother. Stein stared the organization in her adult life, after she learned the truth of her birth, when she began regularly visiting women in prison to teach them life skills.
Gloria Steinem herself does not wear lipstick, but she does wear lip gloss, which is why she chose this particular product to benefit the unPrison Project. In The Clear is a moisturizing and nourishing lip balm that adds comfort and shine to lips. The lip balm’s name has some significance as well—Steinem wanted to choose a name that would be significant to women who have lost their freedom, she told Elle. She thought In The Clear would portray a positive message for incarcerated women. As a final touch to the product, Steinem’s personal signature is written on the side of the lip balm’s packaging.
Steinem first showed her support for the beauty brand back in May 2017 with an Instagram post. “Protest with your dollar…and your lipstick. Thanks to @thelipsticklobby for this creative social justice campaign,” she captioned it. Her post was referencing Lipstick Lobby’s latest endeavor, a lipstick called Kiss My Pink that benefitted Planned Parenthood and women’s reproductive rights.
Lipstick Lobby’s other lipstick campaigns include Fired Up, which benefits the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence; and Outrage, which benefits the ACLU. They also sell a handful of t-shirts, phone cases, hats, and tote bags. “Wearing our lipstick is a reminder that small actions can create big waves,” Lipstick Lobby’s website reads.
Purchase In The Clear and read about Lipstick Lobby’s mission and ongoing campaigns on thelipsticklobby.com.
Elise has been passionate about writing since her elementary school days when she created short stories about dancing skeletons and talking trees. As she grew older, her curiosity and love of research merged with her love of writing to spark a passion for journalism. Since graduating from Albright College in Reading, Pa with a B.A. in Communications/Journalism, she has pursued every writing opportunity in her path from fashion blog posts to long-form marketing guides. You can find Elise wherever there are copious amounts of coffee, music, tacos, and dogs. Follow Elise on Instagram and Twitter: @leesymariexo
