BCA Beauty Buys

Last week on BetterTV I had the pleasure of showcasing some of my favorite beauty brands that are donating to breast cancer research in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Check out the segment here.  From 10% to 100% it seems almost every company is giving back.  Whether you're stocking up on your own beauty loot or looking to give a gift, here are some great options. Estee Lauder Dream Solid Perfume Compact, $49.50

100% of the suggested retail price will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).  This tiny compact is filled with Estee Lauder Pleasures, a fruity-floral fragrance and makes a great gift.

Aquage Uplifting Foam, $17 at salons

A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  Trust me, this root lifter that'll give you the volume you need to be on trend for fall.

Nails Inc. Paint Your Pinkie Pink, $9.50

For every bottle sold, $1 will be donated to BCC, to help raise vital funds to support its life-saving research into the disease. Nails Inc. has partnered with designer, Matthew Williamson and British model, Poppy Delevingne to create two limited edition polishes for the campaign.

Philosophy Shower for the Cure, $20 

Donates 100% of its net proceeds to the women’s cancer research fund. It's a triple threat, acting as a shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath and offers a hint of a fresh, floral scent.

Nest Passion Candle, $28

Nest donates 10% of the retail price of each passion candle purchased BCRF. Notes include peony, garden roses, sandalwood and a hint of flowering pittosporum, Evelyn Lauder’s beloved fragrance note.

Sonia Kashuk's Proudly Pink 5- Piece Brush Set, $15.99

Sonia Kashuk and Target partnered with BCRF for the seventh year in a row giving back 15% of the proceeds.   The brush set includes 5 must-have brushes with pink bristles and black handles.

Avon Breast Cancer Zippered Case, $5

Donation is $2.98 per bag to the Breast Cancer Crusade.  The cute pink zippered case makes a great cosmetic bag!

VMV Grandma Minnie's Mom + Baby Care, $15-$30

VMV will donate $1 from the sales of each of these products to the BCRF.  The line is a favorite of new mothers and includes baby safe boo boo balms and oils.

Sponsored: Think Pink! Celebrate Strawberry Fields

Have you guys seen the pink Tic Tac mints?  I know, you're probably wondering why I'm asking you about mints right now, but in support of Breast Cancer Awareness, I partnered with Glamour mag to spread the word about a campaign that hit my sweet spot – the Tic Tac Shake, Share & Care Campaign.

The Tic Tac brand will be making a $100,000 donation to CancerCare as part of its ongoing commitment to the organization's cause of providing support to those affected by cancer.  The flavor is called Strawberry Fields and it's time to celebrate, I mean, obviously since they're pink!

Celebrate this flavor and help raise awareness.  Here's something for you: Instagram an inspiring image and you will be entered for a chance to win a trip to the pink sand beaches of Bermuda, and a weekend wardrobe, courtesy of yours truly! Simply upload @TicTacUSA and @GlamourScoop with #passionforpink.

The #PassionforPink Tic Tac Instagram Sweepstakes begins on 9/10/13 at 12:01 a.m. (ET) and ends on 10/7/13 at 11:59 p.m. (ET).  For complete details, see Official Rules here.

Sponsor: Conde Nast.

Christian Applegate Partners with Gilt for BCA

Earlier this month I posted about Estee Lauder's BCA campaign with Elizabeth Hurley, which I really admire and hope you took part in.  I just came across another fantastic BCA collaboration between Christina Applegate, a breast cancer survivor and founder of RightActionforWomen.com, and Gilt.com that you have to check out. Since Applegate was only 36 when she was diagnosed, the partnership with Gilt was apropriate since she wanted to teach younger women about early detection and her views on breast cancer.  Of course, where else would you find us but shopping for shoes?

"The reason I started Right Action for Women was to get the word out that this doesn't just happen to women who are over 55... I was 36 years old when I was diagnosed with breast cancer," Applegate says.  For her, early detection was everything and her doctor sent her for an MRI instead of a mammogram.  Who knew MRI's could even detect it?

Check out the video of Christina below and shop her favorites on Gilt today at noon.

Elizabeth Hurley & Estee Lauder Unite for BCA

Since it's October, I'd like to kick off the month with a post dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness.  Last week I had the chance to join an online chat with Elizabeth Hurley, the Spokeswoman for Estee Lauder's 2011 BCA Campaign, “Together. Connect. Communicate. Conquer. For a Future Free of Breast Cancer.”  She, along with the Estee Lauder brand are once again standing behind a powerful campaign that you can get involved in. The pink ribbon was co-created by Evelyn Lauder, and the company has given out over 150 million of them to date to spread awareness.  This year, they've created pink ribbon wristlets that are available at Estee Lauder counters world wide for free and are selling a pink crystal ribbon pin with one blue crystal that represents the 1% of men who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

Hurley explained that she actively supports BCA and BCRF and that the only thing preventing researchers from finding a cure is funding.  "They're two fantastic organizations that have my full support," she states.  "With Estee Lauder, our goal is to promote awareness and teach about early detection. We've also donated over 50 million dollars so far."

This year, Estee Lauder will be illuminating 200 global landmarks in pink lights to honor the 12th anniversary of  this initiative.  You can join in by sharing your message of hope on Estee Lauder's FB wall and lighting up the world.  If you've never participated in a FB campaign before, think about participating in this one.  I did.