Double the Joy: Beauty Gifts That Give Back

If your holiday vibe is more Grinch than Cindy Lou Who, it’s understandable. Sometimes, even the defrosting of Mariah Carey’s high notes isn’t enough to quell the pressures of the season — like finding the perfect present for everyone on your Nice List. 

One way to guarantee your gift is one both giver and recipient feel good about: Shop this list of female-founded beauty brands that, whether through give-back programs or donating portions of proceeds to charity, are all impacting change in their communities and beyond.  Your loved one gets a new beauty product that’s honestly stellar, and you’ll get that magical holiday feeling back. Did your heart just grow three sizes? We thought so. 

Cheekbone Beauty

Indigenous-owned and operated, Cheekbone Beauty was founded by Jenn Harper on three pillars: Celebrate indigenous roots, limit environmental impact, and develop bold colors in safe formulas. Giving back to the community is at the heart of the brand, with donations made to Navajo Water Project, One Tree Planted, and Shannen’s Dream, a fund for the education advancements of indigenous children. 

Our Gift Pick: For lashes worthy of a fancy New Year’s Eve celebration, the Uplift This Mascara layers and builds with ease.

Odele 

This Minnesota-based hair care company was founded by three female friends on the belief that hair care should be safe and effective for kids and adults. That inclusive approach extends beyond the shower to their charitable contributions. Each year through Odele Gives, the brand donates five percent of pre-tax profits to organizations such as Baby2Baby (which provides essential items to children in need), Avivo MN (a local org working to end homelessness through addiction recovery), and more. 

Our Gift Pick: The silicone and sulfate-free Moisture Hair Treatment Mask. Small enough to fit in a stocking, works on all hair types, and supplies shiny, healthy-looking hair? Sold!

BeautyBlender

An essential in many makeup artists and lovers' kits, the BeautyBlender is taking its helpfulness to the home. The brand, alongside founder Rae Ann Silva, is making a monetary donation to, as well as volunteering with, A Sense of Home, an organization combating homelessness in Los Angeles by creating homes for youth aging out of foster care. 

Our Gift Pick: The fantastical holiday collection combines two bestsellers—the BeautyBlender makeup sponge and brush cleanser—in limited-edition shades.

The Honey Pot Company

Women’s healthcare is an important topic (one that impacts 50 percent of the population), but it often gets overlooked. The Honey Pot Company wants to bring it to the forefront —and not quietly tucked into your jeans pocket, like that tampon on the walk to the restroom. Beyond menstrual care products (for which it has great options), the brand is also dedicated to community healthcare and period education by donating 2 percent of sales to George Baidel Foundation, which builds clean water wells in Sub-Saharan African countries, and Days for Girls, which increases access to period care globally. 

Our Gift Pick: While period care isn’t the sexiest present on the market, it is practical (who among us hasn’t grumbled at the price of tampons?). The Period Care Ritual set has everything a person needs (liners, pads, tampons, and wipes) for their monthly gift — you can even wrap it in a bow.

Tatcha 

Since Tatcha’s inception, founder Vicky Tsai has been committed to making the world a lovelier place. Skin care was step one; developing Beautiful Faces, Beautiful Futures, the charitable arm of the brand, was step two. The program helps girls globally stay in school, which has been found to break the cycle of poverty within a single generation. 

Our Gift Pick: The Prime and Glow trio—which includes full sizes of the Liquid Silk Canvas and Kissu Lip Mask, and a mini Luminous Dewy Skin Mist, plus custom cloth gift wrap—is the key to dewy dumpling skin. 

Thrive Causmetics 

Karissa Bodnar founded Thrive Causmetics on a giving back model, for every item you buy, the company donates to help other communities succeed. Since the start, Bodnar has selected more than 500 organizations that fundraise for a variety of important causes, including survivors of domestic violence, cancer, and poverty, as well as veterans, the LGBTQ+ community, and more. 

Our Gift Pick: The strands on your tree aren’t the only twinkling lights this season, thanks to Brilliant Eye Brightener Eyeshadow Sticks. Select the two shades that suit your giftee best. 

Hourglass 

Hourglass founder Carisa Janes is passionate about animal rights, as proven through her cruelty-free makeup brand and holiday collection. With every purchase of an item in the Unlocked Collection, five percent is donated to The NonHuman Rights Project, fighting for welfare laws for animals. 

Our Gift Pick: More popular than a Cabbage Patch Doll at Target in the ‘80s is the holiday launch of the Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked. This year there are three shade options, making it the perfect all-in-one everyday or travel palette of glowing setting powders, blushes, highlighters, and a bronzer with a stylized animal icon on the cover. 

Glow Recipe 

Through Glow for Good, one percent of every purchase from Glow Recipe — founded by Christine Chang and Sarah Lee — is donated to a charitable organization. One of those charities is the Children’s Miracle Network, a nonprofit that raises money and awareness for children’s hospitals. This year, the brand has committed to donating at least $100,000 in products and $50,000 in funds. 

Our Gift Pick: Three limited-edition sets, including this Dewy Skin Goals kit containing Watermelon Glow Moisturizer and Toner as well as Niacinamide Dew Drops, feature artwork from Children’s Miracle Network patients. 

Tarte

Heart to Tarte is the nonprofit created by Tarte founder Maureen Kelly that supports a range of endeavors throughout the year. One, Shape Your Future, awards $300,000 to Black female entrepreneurs to fund their small businesses, while Tarte Loves Teachers fulfills teachers’s school supply wish lists (plus pampers educators with products). 

Our Gift Pick: A must-have for any stocking: the Icons Best Sellers set. Two products deserving of that moniker are Tarte Shape Tape concealer and Maracuja Juicy Lip balm — this duo allows you to choose your shades for both in the classic and radiant formulas. 

Ethique

New Zealand entrepreneur Brianne West created one of the most sustainable beauty brands in Ethique, reducing waste through their plastic-free solid bars and concentrates. Every year, two percent of sales goes to ocean preservation and climate protection. 

Our Gift Pick: This cute set of heart-shaped shampoo bars delivers up to 30 washes, after which your recipient will certainly know the formula that is their favorite. 

Skylar 

Giving back is at the heart of Skylar, with the inspiration story coming from founder Cat Chen’s daughter, who was allergic to fragrance. Chen wanted to find a sensitive skin-friendly, cruelty-free, and hypoallergenic way to do perfume. Each month Skylar donates a portion of their proceeds to worthy causes, such as Feeding America, Global Fund for Women, National Black Child Development Institute, and more.

Our Gift Pick: Unsure of your recipient’s current fragrance personality? The discovery set allows them to trial five of the brand’s top scents. We’re partial to the cozy vibes of cedar, cappuccino, and caramel in Vanilla Sky. 

Saint Jane 

High-end skincare line, Saint Jane, got its name from the Saint of Healing, relying on botanicals (including in their cult-favorite Luxury Beauty Serum) to soothe complexions. Bringing relief to people was more than skin deep for founder Casey Georgeson, which is why 20 percent of brand profits are donated to organizations that support women and girls, including The Loveland Foundation, EmpowHer, and Girls Crushing It. 

Our Gift Pick: You and/or your gift recipient can slip on a shiny, silky-soft Luxury Lip Oil for a gorgeous wash of color that will keep lips smooth and plump all season long.

Make Beauty 

Make Beauty sits at the intersection between utilitarian and artistic with multi-functional products in high-tech formulations. The premise of making something better is at the core of owner and creative director Carrie Barber’s mission, and that extends to their charitable contributions. Each year, a percentage of the brand’s proceeds are donated to One Tree Planted, Plastic Bank, and The Trevor Project.

Our Gift Pick: The gold tube looks like a present itself, but the simple-to-swipe cream blush formula is the real gift. Eight watercolor-inspired shades mean something for everyone on your list. 

YSE Beauty 

Supermodel and founder of YSE Beauty (pronounced wise), Molly Sims, is acutely aware of the effects of climate change living in Southern California. She took action by partnering with 1% for the Planet, through which one percent of YSE’s sales are donated to Sea Trees, which plants and restores marine ecosystems to sustain wildlife. 

Our Gift Pick: Sugar cookies aren’t the only things getting a coat of frosting this year: A shimmery body oil works double duty, hydrating skin and providing a gleaming finish. 

Rahua 

A husband and wife duo—environmentalists Anna Ayers and Fabian Lliguin—stumbled upon the long, lustrous hair of the people indigenous to the Amazon rainforest and discovered their secret was rahua oil. Working alongside the tribes to create their haircare brand, the founders are committed to preserving the land and protecting the native community. Ten percent of proceeds from the Enchanted Island collection is donated to The Pink Flamingo Project, working to preserve the Galapagos’ coastlines.

Our Gift Pick: Like a beach vacation in the middle of winter, the guava and coconut scent of the Enchanted Island Gift set—containing travel-size shampoo, conditioner, and salt spray—will transport you. 

Chantecaille

What began as a personal passion for creator Sylvia Chantecaille soon evolved into a central tenet of the brand: animal and environmental conservation. The Luminescent Eye Shades pay tribute to eight of Africa’s most endangered species (elephant, rhinoceros, cheetah, giraffe, lion, zebra, crane, and pangolin) and proceeds from each are donated to six different philanthropies that benefit the animals. 

Our Gift Pick: The incredible sheen of these one-and-done shimmer eyeshadows is paired with the striking animal photos on the lid, which represent the organizations supported through the purchase. Taupe gray is on-trend for winter and benefits Space for Giants, an elephant rescue org.