Sid Lee, indigenous-owned beauty brand, Cheekbone Beauty, and Sephora Canada have launched a range of lip glosses. Not to the public. They can’t be sold. They are infused with water from indigenous communities in Canada. That water is contaminated with lead, mercury and e.coli. The three lip glosses are therefore named, Lucious Lead, E.Coli Kiss and Mercury Shimmer, and the campaign asks, “Would you put it to your lips?”

While Cheekbone Beauty recognises it’s unacceptable to sell contaminated products to the public, it asks to know why it’s acceptable for many First Nations communities and their drinking water.

The campaign coincides with Indigenous History Month and aims to highlight the water problem in indigenous communities. According to Water First, Water First, a charitable organisation supporting Indigenous communities to address the water crisis, as of January 2022, approximately 94 (or about one in six) 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. 

All proceeds from the sale of Cheekbone Beauty products throughout June will be donated to Water First.

Sephora’s partnership with Cheekbone Beauty began in 2021, when the beauty brand became part of Sephora Canada’s growing offering of BIPOC brands as part of the retailer’s commitment to the Fifteen Percent Pledge.