As of January of this year, one in six First Nations communities in Canada doesn’t have access to clean water. That’s about 94 communities living in areas where water isn’t safe to drink. 

Jenn Harper, an Anishinaabe mother of two, has had enough. In recognition of the start of National Indigenous History Month, the founder of Cheekbone Beauty has launched a new campaign titled Glossed Over to bring awareness to the crisis. 

The video shows a trio of murky glosses with shade names like “Lucious Lead,” “E.Coli Kiss” and “Mercury Shimmer.” All are “infused with water from Indigenous communities in Canada,” explains a voice over, which then asks, “Would you put it to your lips? Some people don’t have a choice.”

 

While the glosses aren’t real, the issue they bring to light very much is, which begs the question: If it wouldn’t be acceptable for a brand to sell contaminated lipglosses, why is it acceptable for so many Indigenous communities to go without clean drinking water?

“I have family members who have been directly impacted by the ongoing water crisis in this country,” Harper tells The Kit. “If a major city centre in this country had contaminated water, how long do you think it would take for that to be remedied? I’d like to see that sense of urgency for the communities still affected. I’d like to see infrastructure and educational opportunities for Indigenous youth surrounding this issue, so that this never happens again.”

The entrepreneur hopes the campaign will get more people talking about the Indigenous water crisis instead of “glossing over” it. She also hopes it will help raise funds to help rectify the situation. For the whole month of June, Sephora Canada will be donating all proceeds from Cheekbone Beauty sales in stores and on sephora.ca to Water First, a charitable organization supporting Indigenous communities to address the water crisis. 

“This is still such a wide-reaching issue affecting so many people,” says Harper. “Our communities have the right to clean drinking water.”

Cheekbone Beauty Sustain Lipgloss in Birch, $24, sephora.ca

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The lipgloss

Cheekbone’s actual lipgloss is enriched with sunflower seed, coconut and castor oils to deeply hydrate lips and bathe them in luscious shine. Also good to know: The packaging is made with 50 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic. 

 

Cheekbone Beauty Sustain Lipgloss in Birch, $24, sephora.ca

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The complexion duo

Available in Light, Medium or Deep, this velvety blush and bronzer pairing weightlessly enhances skin thanks to sustainably sourced ingredients. Once you’re done, the tin is designed to be repurposed. Use it as a spice container or to carry small items in your purse.

 

Cheekbone Beauty Sustain Eyeshadow Pencil in Honey Calcite, $24, sephora.ca

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The eyeshadow pencil

This creamy shadow pencil glides on effortlessly across lids and blends like a dream, so you can create everything from a super-sharp, graphic look to a smoky eye in just seconds. We especially love the eye-opening shimmer of this pretty champagne shade. You’ll also be pleased to know the pencil’s wood comes from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

 

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