MAKEUP | Indigenous-Owned and Made in Canada Cheekbone Beauty Liquid Lipsticks

I am so SO happy to be featuring Cheekbone Beauty on Cosmetic Proof today as ever since I saw it on Jennifer's Instagram (@jennifer_q85) last year AND Dragon's Den, I have been wanting to support this company and try their lipsticks! I kept putting it off as I know I have FAR too many lipsticks as is, but when I went into Quarantine a couple of months ago, I said to myself that I would spend on beauty more wisely and with the state of the economy now, it makes the most sense to buy Canadian. Then came the Black Lives Matter movement and the spotlight has been rightfully directed at the systemic issues that have plagued the BIPOC community for decades and/or centuries. I wrote what amounted to a journal entry a few weeks ago which sums up what I want to do for myself and for these communities of colour.

Cheekbone Beauty Liquid Lipstick Review
 Purchased happily by me

Cheekbone Beauty was founded in 2016 and is owned by Jenn Harper who is of Anishinaabe descent. They are based in Ontario with a mission to make a difference in the lives of Indigenous youth by donating a portion of each purchase to fund the educational gap that has long been an issue in Canada. This brand is also striving to be sustainable by eliminating single-use plastics, having refill options, having biodegradable or compostable packaging and using raw plant or bio-based ingredients all by 2023. They are currently vegan, paraben and cruelty-free.

There are brands that just say the words we all want to hear, but Cheekbone Beauty has been doing this for years now. After following them for the last year, every move they make in the beauty industry comes from a place of trying to make the community a better place. I may not be Indigenous, but my husband's family is (he is Abenaki!) and even growing up, I was taught very early on about First Nations culture and was honestly quite fascinated by it, but of course they don't teach you the ugly side of it in elementary school. What I learned about was bannock, the Fur Trade and how to weave and cook salmon on our field trips to the Bighouse. I went to a high school where Indigenous kids had their own vice principal and their own curriculum and only then did I start to wonder why they were treated a little differently and that's when I started asking some questions to thankfully some very understanding Haida friends from work. Google wasn't as readily available then, so you really only had books or people. I was able to take one course at UBC that focused on current Indigenous society and how and why so much of it is connected to the past and it was dark. Like I said before in my Black Lives Matter post, I had this tight feeling in my throat that I didn't know how to deal with. I still feel like something, a higher power or whatnot is telling me to be more involved specifically with Indigenous people, but I don't quite know what that might be which is why I started taking the free "Indigenous Canada" course through Coursera. I've never done the proper research and gotten the lowdown on Canada's history from the point of view of an Indigenous instructor. I've read the news and their stories of Creation, but I realize I need to learn so much more. In short, this purchase wasn't just about having some pretty lipsticks, but a baby step to doing something more for the Indigenous community.

Cheekbone Beauty Liquid Lipstick Review

Now, the lipsticks. There are beautiful glosses too, but for my first purchase I went for the matte finish, liquid lipsticks so that I could wear them at work and hopefully the face mask-wearing wouldn't make the colour budge as much. I grabbed an array of shades that I'm sure I have in a variety of finishes and I have been wearing all of them for the last month! They are just such gorgeous and flattering shades!

If you are wondering about the names of the lipsticks, they are all named after iconic Indigenous women!

Cheekbone Beauty Liquid Lipstick Review

With regards to the formula, I would describe it as whipped, lightweight and long-wearing, but does not leave your lips feeling like you are wearing a "helmet". They are highly pigmented and I did not have to dip the wand back in for a second round of product. It also smells like vanilla!

Tantoo
Cheekbone Beauty Liquid Lipstick Review

Tantoo is a soft, pinky nude and is the shade I wear the most because it is so neutral and matches anything especially if I am wearing bright clothing.

Alanis
Cheekbone Beauty Liquid Lipstick Review

Alanis is a bright, electric pink and is surprisingly easy to wear. It may be bright, but I tend to wear it everytime I wear navy blue to work.

Sonia
Cheekbone Beauty Liquid Lipstick Review

I thought Sonia would be too similar to Alanis, but it's really so different! This is a blue-toned magenta that I wear if I'm not feeling quite as bright as Alanis. Really such a stunning colour!

Shannen
Cheekbone Beauty Liquid Lipstick Review

Red lipstick is a tough one, but when you need it, you need it to look GOOD and that's what Shannen is! Shannen is an orange red that I feel makes me look just flawless! This lipstick is named after Shannen Koostachin, an Attawapiskat youth advocate, who battled her way to the federal government to get First Nations kids access to a proper education. Unfortunately, she passed away in a car accident in 2010, but Shannen's Dream is a foundation that lives on in her name to continue the movement she started. 10% of Cheekbone Beauty's profits go to this foundation and is also the charity I have donated to for the month of July (I've been choosing one every month this year)! Alanis Obomsawin (whom the shade Alanis is named after) also made a fully accessible documentary on Shannen's work called Hi-Ho Mistahey! that you can view in its entirety here.

Cheekbone Beauty Liquid Lipstick Review

Final verdict: Well, I'm already waiting for the restock happening next week so suffice it to say that I have LOVED what I have tried so far! The main thing for me was that these lipsticks needed to last underneath a face mask at work and they did! Yes, there is a bit of transfer, but the lipstick didn't end up outside my lips so I count that as a win! I don't even need to touch up during my 10 hour day. Sure, I lose a little bit of colour, but nothing noticeable. Overall, I have been so satisfied with all aspects of this brand and will happily buy more from them!

You can find the Cheekbone Beauty Liquid Lipsticks at www.cheekbonebeauty.ca and to learn more about the Shannen's Dream Foundation check out the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society.

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