The LGBTQ+ Ally Beauty Brands Worthy Of Your Pink Pound

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 below.

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 collaborating with the icon that is Grace Jones, who cares what it smells like (black pepper and bergamot if you're curious)

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.

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. 

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.