Change Lives, Colorfully

As the years pass and I continue creating content, it’s become even more important to me that I always post with purpose. This is why I love being able to work with brands who share that same vision. Last month, I had the opportunity to go to Dallas and visit the Mary Kay headquarters to learn all about the history of the brand and to kick off a really exciting partnership for this year. It was extremely apparent in everything they do that Mary Kay puts a lot of focus on female empowerment and support. I left Dallas feeling not only inspired, but also super motivated to continue spreading this same message through my content. 

What if I told you that one little lipstick could help make a big, beautiful difference? Let me introduce you to Mary Kay’s Limited-Edition Matte Lipstick in Paparazzi Pink. It holds a lot more power than you’d think. Mary Kay collaborated with some of the most influential trendsetters in Milan to exclusively design the matte lipstick. It’s beautifully bold and packed with pigment, making it the perfect statement shade for summer. From now through August 15th, $1 of every purchase will be donated to the Mary Kay Foundation. This foundation is dedicated to changing the lives of women and their families in the United States by supporting efforts to help find cures for cancer affecting women and to end domestic violence once and for all. The Mary Kay Foundation was created in 1996, and since then they have awarded more than $78 million to cancer research programs and women’s shelters and domestic violence service providers throughout the United States. 

How amazing is that? I love how they’re able to tie in such a wonderful cause to their products and brand. This is something that I hold very close to my heart. 

As you all know by now, cancer is such a sensitive and personal topic for me. It wasn’t until I lost my father back in 2010 that I fully understood the severity and fast-paced progression of this horrible disease. By the time of his diagnosis, it had already spread from his colon to his liver and lymph nodes, making it stage 4. It happened so quickly and so suddenly. The most difficult part was not knowing how much time he had left. Those last three months of his life are something that I still live with every day. 

When I was younger, I would hear stories about those who were affected by cancer, and while I felt saddened by it, it never impacted me completely until I lost one of my parents to it. I don’t speak on this often, but cancer is something that runs in my family, which admittedly scares me a little bit. It’s made me much more aware though and has prompted me to get more involved whenever I can. 

My grandmother was a breast cancer survivor. I was much younger when she first got diagnosed, but I will never forget visiting her in the hospital when she had her mastectomy. I was old enough to understand what was happening, but I didn’t really comprehend everything she had to endure during that time. Between losing one of her breasts to taking medication on a daily basis, it not only affected her physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. My grandmother exuded so much strength and I don’t ever recall a time where she complained or felt sorry for herself. I always admired that about her. My mom lost her mother to stomach cancer at such a young age. She was only 22, and it happened before my mom married my dad. I unfortunately never had the opportunity to meet her. Growing up, my mom would always share stories and photos of her mother with me and often times she would cry. I always felt sympathetic, but it wasn’t until I lost my dad that I could truly be empathetic with her and understand the loss she had to endure. Last year, I also lost a friend to stomach cancer. It was so challenging and heartbreaking to see her fight for her life for an entire year. It changed the lives of everyone around her and her legacy is one that we all continue to celebrate and always will. 

It’s difficult to fully grasp what this disease does, not only to the person who has it but to their families and loved ones as well, until it affects you personally. This is why doing all we can now to help support and find ways to cure it is extremely vital. 

I love that Mary Kay has made it their mission to eliminate cancer and to end domestic violence. Let’s help them change lives colorfully with a lipstick that empowers women. It’s a purchase that you can feel good about. When you put on Paparazzi Pink, you’ll know that you played a small, yet important part in changing someone’s life. Little by little we can all make a difference. Let’s start today. 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Mary Kay. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Naty Michele!

Photos by: Lydia Hudgens