On June 1st, in recognition of National Indigenous History Month, Indigenous-owned Cheekbone Beauty launches its #GlossedOver campaign, featuring a line of unsellable lipgloss that resembles contaminated water – a crisis that remains present in over 30 Indigenous communities across Canada. In tandem, prestige beauty retailer Sephora Canada will donate all proceeds from the sale of Cheekbone Beauty products throughout June to Water First, a charitable organization supporting Indigenous communities to address the water crisis.

According to Water First, as of January 2022, approximately 94 (or about 1 in 6) First Nations communities in Canada don’t have access to clean water. These numbers include both short-term and long-term boil water advisories as well as do not consume advisories.

The #GlossedOver campaign features a line of unsellable lip glosses with names like Luscious Lead, E.Coli Kiss, and Mercury Shimmer, demanding that Canadians stop glossing over the water crisis in Indigenous communities in Canada.  While Cheekbone Beauty recognizes it’s unacceptable to sell contaminated products to the public, the brand urges: if you wouldn’t put it to your lips, then why is it still acceptable for dozens of Indigenous communities?

For the month of June, Sephora Canada will donate all proceeds from the sale of Cheekbone Beauty products to Water First. To buy Cheekbone Beauty and support Indigenous communities, visit Sephora.ca/cheekbone.