The LGBTQ+ Ally Beauty Brands We’ll Be Shopping With This Christmas
From queer-founded companies to the brands who support our community all year round, if you’re shopping for beauty gifts this festive season – make sure it’s from one of these.
The holiday season is fast approaching. And while we love nothing more than watching Queen Mimi kick off her Halloween outfit and hit her high notes to welcome the arrival of Christmas, there’s no denying that gift shopping can be a drag. And not the fun kind. Finding perfect gifts for your family, baes, and besties is nothing short of a minefield with an overwhelming volume of brands all competing for our attention. The quickest way to cut the list and give yourself some much-needed focus at this time of year? Kick out anyone who doesn’t actively support your community – easy!
Much like you can weed out an extended family member’s questionable views by mentioning anything vaguely political, it’s fairly easy to check out a brand’s track record when it comes to supporting LGBTQIA people. When we shop queer-owned businesses, we are supporting actual queer people. When we spend our pennies with brands who consistently show up for Pride (or better still, the months surrounding it), we’re encouraging them to invest even further. This feels especially important this year when the world feels like a dark place for more marginalised communities.
The festive candle offering from the genderful™ Boy Smells
So in that spirit, we’ve assembled a helpful list of some of the biggest LGBTQ-supporting brands, all specifically within the realm of beauty – our favourite theme when it comes to giving and receiving in the present department. Some of these names are already popular when it comes to Christmas gifting, but you might not have been aware of their LBGTQ+ backstory. Others might be brand new names to add to your list. However familiar you feel with their names, we’ve kept it super simple for shopping as every single one of these products is available to buy in one handy place – Space NK.
Boy Smells
Candles at Christmas? It’s a no-brainer. But instead of shelling out on the usual suspects, turn your attentions to LGBTQ+ owned brand, Boy Smells. Promising modern scents for genderful™ identities, their fresh, innovative fragrances and beautifully minimal candles are the perfect present for anyone with nostrils but their limited edition Pride Collection set is a particular favourite. A set of six collector's edition candles, it features a varied range of imaginative scents designed in the spirit of Pride to reflect and embrace the gender spectrum. Cute right? Proceeds from every sale also supports the Trevor Foundation, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to young people from the LGBTQ+ community.
Collaborating with the icon that is Grace Jones, who cares what it smells like (black pepper and bergamot if you're curious)
Blending traditional masculine and feminine scents for a gorgeously fluid fragrance, this vegan-friendly personal perfume blends spicy and botanical notes: a sparkle of citrus, blended with pomelo and limoncello, finished with black peppercorns and basil.
From the Turskish roses in Rosalita to the rhubarb notes in Dynasty, these Pride inspired minis are top of our Christmas list.
Malin + Goetz
MALIN + GOETZ candles and lotions smell like a dream, their deodorant is a cult classic and their Grapefruit face cleanser is a permanent fixture in our bathroom cabinets. But did you know that MALIN+GOETZ was founded by Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz, once dubbed the “first couple” of grooming? The queer partners launched the brand in 2004, after they met one fateful night in an East Village gay bar.
Our top festive picks from MALIN+GOETZ
This nifty duo is a handbag essential, including a lip balm and hand treatment to gently hydrate and nourish the most delicate parts of the body.
If you love bergamot - and honestly who the hell doesn't? - then you'll love this luxury set. There are two bergamot-scented products from the brand's bath and body range - the Hand + Body Cleanser and Vitamin B5 Hand Treatment - alongside a candle to create a proper spa like experience. Mums, housemates, there's noone who wouldn't appreciate this.
Pure eucalyptus is renowned for its antibacterial and antiseptic qualities, making this a great deodorant for sensitive skin types. Simply a bougie stocking filler.
Aesop
Yep, the brand behind the most Instagram-able hand soap in the world is a queer ally! Earlier this year, its Soho store’s shelves were stocked with 50 titles by LGBTQIA+ authors to help amplify queer voices, as well as inspire conversation around the community and the challenges it faces. Guided by the recommendations of Aesop’s bibliophiles, visitors were invited to collect a complimentary book of their choice, with no purchase required. The library is currently popping up around the world to keep the momentum going all year round. We’re excited to see what they do next year to support Pride and, until then, everyone gets a bottle of it’s iconic Post-Poo Drops in their stocking.
Look, you can't beat a good gift set at Christmas - and this aesthetically pleasing duo combines two Aesop faves. The cleansing gel can be used anywhere on the body, even for the most sensitive skin types, infused with geranium leaf extracts. The matching lotion is the post-bath or shower perfect finisher.
It's not often that we'd wax lyrical about something as basic and boring as a hand wash but we cannot stress this enough: your life will never be the same again after using this. Gift to yourself, gift to friends, gift to everyone - the smell and texture is divine.
To quote RHOBH Dorit Kemsley: so chic.
JVN
When Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness launched his JVN haircare line, it was done with the ambition to celebrate the uniqueness of each person. With something to suit every hair type and inclusive marketing to boot, JVN has garnered a loyal following thanks to natural and effective ingredients. Jonathan’s secret? A key ingredient called hemisqualane, a lightweight and non-sticky natural alternative to silicone that can immediately penetrate each strand of hair for unrivalled hydration and shine. If you want any of these JVN products, most fast – they sell out all the time.
Our top festive picks from JVN
This vegan-friendly set includes a full-sized Complete Pre-Wash Scalp Oil to help clarify, soothe and strengthen the hair and scalp. Then there's the Complete Instant Recovery Serum helps to keep the hair soft, smooth and hydrated - in a cute little mini size. Finished with The Complete Air Dry Cream - your fast track to 24-hour frizz control while adding a buildable, touchable hold.
JVN's best-selling Nourishing Shine Drops are a lightweight styling oil that can be used during a blow dry for added protection and shine, or on dry hair as a de-frizz finisher. A great stocking filler.
Kiehl's
Kiehl’s has a long-standing and brilliantly inclusive motto: Healthy Skin for All. They pride themselves on celebrating diversity amongst customers and have robust long-term Pride partnerships worth celebrating. In 2022, the brand entered into its third consecutive partnership with Just Like Us, a charity that was founded to support young people in the LGBTQ+ community. Proceeds from its limited edition version of the iconic Ultra Facial Cream moisturiser go towards supporting schools and young people across the UK to ensure LGBTQ+ young people can thrive.
Quench thirsty skin all over with the Kiehl’s Head to Toe Hydrators Set, a skincare set featuring four of the brand's favourites products packaged in a gift box. The creamy avocado eye cream is a particular treat.
We've all gifted this to a man in our lives at some point, and considering the positive response we get every time, this year will be no different. This creamy moisturiser is formulated with caffeine and vitamins to provide the boost that skin needs each morning.
October 31 2022 by Camilla Hunt