Meet Rowan, the inspiration behind our Matte Legacy Liquid Lipstick™️ in Rowan (Plum Rose Mauve). Right after getting engaged, Rowan was diagnosed with cancer and her wedding had to be postponed so she could focus on healing rather than planning the happiest day of her life. Rowan’s best friend contacted us to share her story and we immediately fell in love with Rowan’s vivacious spirit. We created a gorgeous plum mauve matte lipstick shade in her honor and in that time, Rowan went into remission and a new wedding date was set! Our community makes stories like this possible and we are so grateful.

Thrive Causemetics, a leading direct-to-consumer makeup company built around philanthropy, announced a record-breaking donation of $30,000,000 in makeup products to women in need in celebration of Founder and CEO Karissa Bodnar’s 30th birthday. Recipients of this donation include beneficiary organizations such as RAINN, Upward Bound House and Share Cancer Support. This is the brand’s second multi-million dollar product donation announcement in two weeks. The most recent announcement on June 26th celebrated a $10M production donation, totaling a collective donation of $40M to nonprofit organizations.

Giving back was always Bodnar's first goal. For every product you purchase the brand donates to organizations that support women overcoming remarkable challenges including domestic abuse, homelessness, cancer and more, as well as to communities and animals in need. The brand’s mission has been instrumental in its meteoric growth in just four years, with Bodnar’s inclusion on Forbes 2019 list of Self Made Women: America’s Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs.

“Birthdays are always a time of reflection for me, looking back on the year past and setting new goals for the year to come. This year Thrive Causemetics reached new heights as a business, allowing us to give more than ever before to women in need, and for the first time to our community following the California Wildfires. I could not be more proud,” said Karissa Bodnar, Founder and CEO of Thrive Causemetics. "On top of that, building the culture we have built and sharing the passion of our mission with our team and customers has been incredibly rewarding to me. So as I plan for what’s next on this milestone birthday, my hope is that we can help change the world (even if in the tiniest way) through our giving, and that this team and our community continues to support our mission so we can continue spreading kindness to the people who need it most.”

These two donations follow three major donations from Thrive Causemetics, including a partnership with She’s the First on International Women’s Day (March 2019), where the company donated 100% of profits from the sale of one of their best-selling products; a history-making $25 million product donation to over 50 nonprofits across the U.S. in honor of the brand’s fourth anniversary (February 2019); and a $250,000 monetary donation to organizations like the American Red Cross to support those affected by the California wildfires (November 2018).

Beverly’s Birthdays, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that provides birthday cheer to women & children experiencing homelessness, is one of the beneficiaries of this donation. Since the organization’s inception in 2011, it has created over 30,000 birthday experiences for families in the state of Pennsylvania.

“At Beverly's Birthdays, we let children and families know they matter and Thrive Causemetics products show the women that we serve that they matter. We utilize the birthday as an opportunity to let someone know they are worth celebrating. Believing you are worthy, you matter, and that you are beautiful is integral to your self-worth," noted Megs Yunn, Founder.

Find Your Fabulosity, another beneficiary of this donation, is a nonprofit in Longwood, FL that distributes lipstick to women emerging from domestic abuse situations to all 50 states across the country.

Sheryl Kurland, President/Founder commented, “To a woman recovering from domestic abuse, a new Thrive Causemetics lipstick means ‘I have a voice, an identity, and beauty inside and out. — fabulosity!’ It’s a tube of inspiration. Because of the generous lipstick donations we receive from Thrive Causemetics, together we are able to support thousands of domestic abuse victims in their healing process.”

Pink Warrior Angels Hill Country, a nonprofit in New Braunfels, TX is a beneficiary of this celebratory donation. This organization provides emotional and financial support for those recently diagnosed with breast cancer as well as a sisterhood to lead the way throughout their journey.

Jen Reynolds, President of Pink Warrior Angels Hill Country also mentioned, "Pink Warrior Angels Hill Country is so thankful to partner with Thrive Causemetics by including their amazing products in our chemo care kits. These kits are donated to breast cancer Thrivers all over the United States to show them that they are not alone in their battle. I know first-hand that losing your hair and eyelashes is incredibly traumatic, so the inclusion of the natural-looking eyelashes with a safe adhesive is a way to show these women, ‘Hey, we’ve been where you are and we want to support you through it as best we can.’ As women, we want to feel pretty, and these products give us the opportunity to share a little love and to help our Thrivers feel beautiful despite everything else. This can have a HUGE impact on their journey as they face the physical challenges of a cancer diagnosis. When companies like Thrive Causemetics donate these incredible, safe cosmetics for our care packages, we believe it shows our Warriors that they aren’t forgotten, that they are surrounded by support and love, and it’s our goal to make that known to them."

Today Thrive Causemetics, a socially-conscious and vegan Los Angeles-based cosmetics company, announced a monumental $10 million product donation in celebration of their latest product launch of Brilliant Eye Brightener™ shades, Mieko (Soft Pink Shimmer) and Emma (Copper Shimmer). The direct-to-consumer brand, who makes a donation for every product you purchase and names each product after inspiring women, will donate $10 million in eye brightening products to over 50 nonprofit organizations across the country supporting women overcoming remarkable challenges, including cancer, domestic abuse, homelessness, and more. These organizations include National Breast Cancer Foundation, Genesis Women’s Shelter, and UMOM New Day Centers.

This campaign follows three major donations from Thrive Causemetics, including: a partnership with She’s the First on International Women’s Day, a $25 million product donation to over 50 nonprofits across the U.S. in honor of the brand’s fourth anniversary, and a $250,000 monetary donation to support those affected by the California wildfires in November 2018. Thrive Causemetics practices responsive giving—with partners receiving what they need to best accomplish their goals—whether it’s high-performance products or much-needed funds.

“When I started Thrive four years ago, I knew I wanted to create a business that went beyond just making money; I wanted to create a brand that was known for doing good and making a difference in the world," said Karissa Bodnar, Thrive Causemetics CEO and Founder. “For me, giving back to help others is not a choice, it's a way of life and a concept that was instilled in me when I was a kid. Philanthropy has been woven into our business and daily operations since day one, and our incredible community (aka our Thrive Tribe) has championed our mission in a way I never anticipated. As we roll out this $10 million product donation, I am so proud to share our eye brightening products with over 50 organizations so that we can brighten the eyes and the lives of women all over the country.”

One of the beneficiaries of Thrive Causemetics’ donation, Crossroads Rhode Island, is the largest homeless services organization in the state and has been helping women secure stable housing since 1894. Thrive Causemetics helping the women who come through the Crossroads organization makes a difference in their ability to live independently, secure jobs, provide for their families and take active roles in their communities.

"We are grateful to Thrive Causemetics for investing in the women in our community. Thanks to their generous donation, we can provide hundreds of women experiencing homelessness with unique products that will give them the confidence they need as they prepare for employment, which in turn will enable their families to secure stable homes,” noted Pat Campellone, Director of Special Events and Public Relations.

“Last year, 3,500 people accessed services at Crossroads, including nearly 1,000 women who accessed our Women’s Shelter and other programs for women, allowing them to find safety, self-sufficiency, and success. When women are empowered to meet their true potential, it is society as a whole which benefits.”

Breast Cancer Resource Center a nonprofit in Austin, Texas, is another beneficiary of this celebratory donation. For more than 20 years, the women of BCRC have been dedicated to supporting and improving the lives of those touched by breast cancer through their various support groups and educational programs.

Elizabeth Freeman, Development Director of Breast Cancer Resource Center also mentioned, “Women who are facing breast cancer can, sometimes, lose sight of themselves. Through chemo, they lose their hair, lashes, and eyebrows. It’s hard to look in the mirror and recognize yourself, let alone feel pretty. Thrive Causemetics has allowed us to give these women the gift of beauty. It’s not just about makeup. It’s reminding these women that they are beautiful, strong, and deserving of feeling like the same gorgeous woman they’ve always been. Cancer can’t change that, but it does make us forget sometimes. Thank you, Thrive, for helping us to restore that feeling for our clients who need the reminder the most."

Brilliant Eye Brightener ™ is the secret to faking 9 hours of sleep. Designed to diffuse light and define features, Brilliant Eye Brightener™ highlights, brightens and opens the eyes, providing an instant eye lift. Infused with macadamia and meadowfoam oil to hydrate and help reduce the appearance of fine lines, this versatile highlighting stick can be used as an upper or lower eyeliner, applied to the brow bone, lids, the inner and outer corners of the eye, on dark circles, and even the cupid’s bow to fake a fuller pout.

Since the beginning, Thrive Causemetics has been 100% vegan + cruelty-free and today we are incredibly proud to announce that we are now Leaping Bunny certified by Cruelty Free International, one of the world's longest standing and most respected animal protection organizations.

The Leaping Bunny Program is the highest standard for companies that are committed to no animal testing. Leaping Bunny’s certification program is internationally recognized and is the most rigorous worldwide, requiring companies and their suppliers to undergo regular audits of product ingredients, formulas, and the development and manufacturing processes.

Karissa Bodnar, Founder, and CEO of Thrive Causemetics with her rescue pups, Kody and Cooper.

“I really believe that the future of the beauty industry is cruelty-free and vegan, and organizations like Leaping Bunny are continuing to drive major change in an industry working hard to be more responsible,” said Karissa Bodnar, Founder and CEO of Thrive Causemetics. “Consumers are in the know now more than ever, especially millennials and Gen Zers, and their purchasing habits are aligning directly with their personal values. As an animal loving millennial myself, I am extremely proud to have offered 100% cruelty-free and vegan makeup since the beginning, so being accepted into this program is an absolute privilege that lets the world know of that dedication.”

“We are so excited to welcome Thrive Causemetics into the Leaping Bunny family of certified cruelty-free companies. Not only does this brand produce great products and generously give back to women’s causes, they now have committed to being cruelty-free. Becoming Leaping Bunny certified means that no animal testing occurs at any stage of a product’s development, from ingredients to formulations, to finished products, “ said Kim Paschen, Program Manager, Leaping Bunny.

We are proud of our 100% vegan and cruelty-free status and will always continue to formulate high-quality makeup and skincare products for you, our amazing Thrive Tribe, because we believe you should never have to choose between your cosmetics and the values you believe in. We are incredibly excited to share this milestone and want to thank YOU for your continued support and for joining our movement to help all women thrive.

About Cruelty Free International
Cruelty Free International spearheads the campaign to end animal testing for cosmetics globally. It is the leading organization working to create a world where nobody wants or believes in the need to experiment on animals. As one of the world’s longest standing and most respected animal protection organizations, it is widely regarded as an authority on animal testing issues and frequently called upon by governments, media, corporations and official bodies for advice and expert opinion.

About Leaping Bunny
Internationally, over 1000 companies are proud to be Leaping Bunny certified. Many display the Leaping Bunny logo on packaging to help consumers choose to shop cruelty-free. The Leaping Bunny certification is the globally recognized gold standard for cosmetics, personal care products, and household products. It is the only internationally recognized certification that requires a supplier monitoring system to be implemented by the brand, supply chain checking for animal testing right down to ingredient manufacturer level, adherence to a fixed cut-off date policy and acceptance of ongoing independent audits to ensure compliance.

For additional information about Cruelty Free International or the Leaping Bunny, please visit http://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org

The direct-to-consumer, vegan cosmetics company will donate all profits from sales of its 18-shade Buildable Blur CC Cream™ and Blend + Blur Sponge™ on March 8 to help girls become the first in their family to graduate.

Thrive Causemetics, a Los Angeles-based vegan beauty company announced that it will celebrate International Women’s Day by supporting the education of women and girls around the world. Thrive will contribute 100 percent of its March 8 proceeds from its Buildable Blur CC Cream™ and Blend + Blur Sponge™. Additionally, for the remainder of March, the company will donate $5 for anyone who shares a before-and-after image on social media, showing off the power of Thrive’s CC cream. Thrive is donating to She’s the First, a life-changing nonprofit organization that directly supports women and girls in the United States and across the globe in becoming the first in their family to graduate.

Thrive made headlines last year when it became the first beauty company to launch a CC cream with 18 shades that people of all skin tones and types can love. The company worked for three years on the cream with dermatologists, ophthalmologists, and thousands of women to create their shade range. What resulted is a multitasking color-correcting cream that blurs and diffuses skin imperfections with buildable sheer to full coverage and Broad Spectrum SPF 35 protection. With color-adjusting micropigments and vitamin C, its skin-loving formula helps conceal fine lines, pores and dark spots. From day one, for every product you purchase—including the Buildable Blur CC Cream™—the company has donated to help women thrive.

In honor of International Women’s Day, the socially-conscious company wanted to go above and beyond its already robust year-round giving program.

“Thrive’s mission from day one has been to empower women around the world through beauty. Education unlocks a new level of confidence and we are thrilled to play a part in increasing graduation rates for young women,” Thrive Causemetics CEO and Founder, Karissa Bodnar said. “We launched our vegan and cruelty-free Buildable Blur CC Cream™ with an industry-leading shade range so that anyone can wear this product. On International Women’s Day, we are proud to harness the power of our CC cream—a product for every woman— to fund education for every girl.”

Currently, 130 million school-age girls worldwide are not in school, and 98 million girls are not in secondary school. Helping these women makes a difference in their ability to be independent, secure jobs, and take active roles in their communities.

She’s the First supports girls who will be the first in their families to graduate high school and trains students everywhere to be global leaders, with partner programs in India, Nepal, Peru, Guatemala, Ethiopia, the United States and elsewhere. In 2018, the organization reached 7,200 girls across their focus regions, through partnerships with locally led, grassroots organizations.

“Education empowers women to be brave, strong and bold. With Thrive's support, our educational programs can reach more girls, so they can pursue their dreams.” She’s the First Co-Founder and CEO, Tammy Tibbetts said.

This campaign comes on the heels of two major donations from Thrive Causemetics: a $25 million product donation to over 50 nonprofits across the U.S. in honor of its fourth anniversary, and a major donation to support those affected by the California wildfires last fall. Thrive Causemetics practices responsive giving—with partners receiving what they need to best accomplish their goals—whether it’s high-performance products or much-needed funds.

About Thrive Causemetics: Thrive Causemetics is an independent, female-owned beauty brand that creates high-performance vegan cosmetics and supports a community of giving. All of Thrive Causemetics’ products are free of parabens and sulfates, in addition to being 100 percent cruelty-free. Through its Bigger Than Beauty™️ program, every product purchase results in a donation to help a woman thrive. To learn more, visit Thrive's How We Give page.

Our team planned three giving events in one day during our east coast giving trip! The day began at Dress for Success Boston. All women who attend Dress for Success Boston’s work re-entry programs have the opportunity to receive Thrive Causemetics products to provide them confidence in the workplace.

Our second stop was at Rosie’s Place, the first women's shelter in the United States, where we provided Thrive Causemetics products to bring the power of beauty to women emerging from homelessness.

We then hosted a master class led by Karissa at Casa Myrna, which supports domestic violence survivors. Each woman left with the knowledge of how to use the Thrive Causemetics makeup they received.

Founded in Seattle, Washington in 2015, the Thrive Causemetics team relocated to Southern California earlier this year and we have happily called it home ever since. But when several wildfires hit our adopted home state, we felt a need to support and invest in our new community during this time of crisis.

Many of our own customers lost their homes and their possessions in the Camp Fire in Northern California. In fact, in a devastating turn, the Paradise Fire completely destroyed the town of Paradise, California and everything in it. Meanwhile, our own employees were having to evacuate their homes due to the Woolsey Fire that spread incredibly quickly and was threatening areas up and down the coast. That gorgeous California sky that’s always sunny and cloudless? Nope. Our skies were covered in smoke and ash. These fires were raging in our backyard, our office is less than 30 miles from the Malibu Fire, and devastating communities not only in Southern California but in Northern California as well.

If we were going to make an impact, and quickly, we would need to mobilize every member of our staff to create a social and word-of-mouth campaign for wildfire relief. We wanted to do the most good and offer support in the way that would be the most impactful for those who had been displaced and lost everything to the fires. That meant we needed to be able to donate money. Traditionally our mission, and more plainly, how Thrive gives had always been focused on product donations. Knowing this we needed to quickly update and expand our giving parameters to allow us to make a financial donation. We would never abandon our product giving mission, but in this instance, we knew our community needed financial support as well.

In a matter of days, we moved quickly to update our giving mission, rally together brand ambassadors and customers to launch the Thrive for California campaign. We only had two days to get the word out and every member of our team worked around the clock to spread the message that on November 14th, Thrive Causemetics had committed to donating 100% of profits from every single sale on our website to organizations that would support both affected residents and displaced animals in both Northern and Southern California. As a vegan cosmetics and cruelty-free cosmetics brand, we couldn’t forget our animal friends!

(Thrive For California social campaign image. Design by James Palacios, 2018)

When the day finally came we nervously watched sales, wondering if two days was simply not enough time to pull off such a huge campaign. But then, suddenly - we saw customers buying 2 and 3 mascaras at a time. And even better, customers were telling their friends to do the same all over Instagram and Facebook. Our best-selling cruelty free mascara was flying off the shelves! We upped the challenge and asked our social community to repost our Thrive for California graphic to raise an additional $5 per post for wildfire relief. We were swamped with reposts and purchases. So many messages of love and support were shared by customers to wildfire victims in the comments of their posts. It was amazing to watch everyone come together so quickly and with so much love!

(Team Thrive celebrates $250k raised for California wildfires relief. Photo by Beth Sternbaum, 2018)

When the dust settled we were shocked at what we had been able to do in two days. Thanks to our amazing Thrive Tribe, our community and customers, Thrive Causemetics will be donating $250,000 to the American Red Cross, North Valley Animal Disaster Group, North Valley Community Foundation, the Humane Society of Ventura County and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. We were and still are completely overwhelmed by the power of giving and the strength of our community to mobilize quickly for the good of their neighbors near and far.

(Susie Cakes created the $250k cookies for Thrive’s donation celebration. Photo by Beth Sternbaum, 2018)

We are so thankful for our wildfire relief partners for all they have done and will continue to do to support affected communities. Check out some amazing quotes from them below:

“The generosity of Thrive Causemetics helps provide shelter, food and hope, making a compassionate difference for people affected by the destructive wildfires in California.”

- Elizabeth Penniman, Vice President, Communications at the American Red Cross.

“We are so grateful to Thrive Causemetics for their generous support. This gift will support the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department who work so tirelessly to respond to emergencies, fight fires and to protect our community from disasters.” - Liz Lin, President, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

"The North Valley Animal Disaster Group is extremely grateful to receive this donation from Thrive Causemetics. This financial support will allow us to continue to help the animals affected by the horrific Camp Fire. We are currently sheltering over 1600 animals in emergency shelters. Our evacuation teams continue to look for injured animals in the field, and also are providing food and water to animals in the evacuation area per owners requests. Thank you for this much needed financial support.” - Norm Rosene, Public Information Officer, North Valley Animal Disaster Group.

“From all of us at the Humane Society of Ventura County, we are deeply humbled and honored to be a recipient of a sizeable donation from Thrive Causemetics. Rescuing and caring for evacuated animals from the Hill and Woolsey fires has been a tremendous undertaking for us at the Shelter and this donation will help us with our ongoing efforts for months to come.” - Greg A. Cooper, Director of Community Outreach, Humane Society of Ventura County.

“We are deeply grateful to Thrive Causemetics for their generous donation to NVCF’s Camp Fire Relief Fund. During our greatest time of need Thrive Causemetics has shown up with love, care and support. All monies donated will be granted to organizations, shelters and services providing direct support to evacuees. Any monies not spent in emergency response will be deployed during our long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts. Thank you Thrive Causemetics. Thank you Thrive Causemetics. Thank you from all of us.” - Alexa Benson-Valavanis, President and CEO, North Valley Community Foundation.

We could not have made this happen without our amazing Thrive Tribe and every member of Team Thrive staff. Thank YOU for making this meaningful Thrive Causemetics donation possible and for supporting our cruelty free makeup and vegan makeup. We are so grateful that you’ve chosen to join us in empowering women and help us give back through beauty every day.