October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and when it comes to shopping for a cause, we really have come a long way. This year, there are scads of new “pink ribbon” products, where a certain percent of the proceeds help support breast cancer charities, from a cute, reasonably priced umbrella at Avon to special bouquets at online flower shops. And as serious shoppers already know, shopping with a charity in mind is always guilt-free.
Life-affirming lipsticks
Avon.com outdid itself this year. The new cosmetics case, a black vinyl pouch dotted with pink ribbons, is simply adorable. And you can’t beat the price at $5 — that’s five bucks! Each 6-by-8 inch case also comes with a free lipstick, valued at $4. However you do the math, it’s a deal - the lipstick is free or the case is $1. Lipsticks are available in six “life-affirming” shades: crusade pink, faithful heart, strength, triumph, courageous spirit and inspirational life.
Stock up on these puppies. They’re hot. If you’re on a tight budget, skip a latte for two days and buy one. Expecting a bonus, buy a dozen. That’s only $60 and they make great thank-you gifts for coworkers at the end of the year.
OK, you may want to hold off until you see the rest of this year’s “pink ribbon” awareness collection. That’s fair. Avon also introduced a stylish, black nylon umbrella with pink ribbons along its rim. The travel-size, fold-up umbrella costs $7.50. Now, this is a no-brainer. I mean, how many umbrellas do you loss or break each year?
Other pink ribbon products at Avon include a rose-scented candle in a 10-ounce glass tumbler for $6.50, a 7-inch plush Teddy Bear for $4 and “Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer” lipcolors, priced at $4 each. All these products are available at http://www.avoncompany.com/ or by calling 1 800-FOR-AVON. Each purchase also comes with a pamphlet produced by Avon called, “Your Guide to Better Breast Health,” which includes phone numbers for medical and support resources. Net proceeds from the sales of these products help support breast cancer awareness, education, treatment and research.
Prize-worthy products
The Susan G. Komen Foundation, founded in 1982 to help the fight against breast cancer, has its own marketplace of pink ribbon products. The Race for a Cure black tote for $16 is a steal. You can never have too many totes. Stash it in your desk to bring home finds accumulated from mid-day shopping adventures. Or use it to haul around the Avon umbrella and cosmetic case.
Each October, the Komen Foundation also rounds up retailers that will donate a certain percent of the proceeds from select or specially designed products. Here’s a mere sampling of this year’s hot offers.
Ford Motor Company may have picked the most fashion-forward item of the lot. The car company hooked up with Palm Beach, Fla.-based designer Lilly Pulitzer lillypulitzer.com. (And yes, her first husband was Peter Pulitzer, the grandson of the Pulitzer Prize’s Joseph Pulitzer.)
Pulitzer designed a limited-edition, 100 percent silk-crepe scarf in her signature pink-and-green hues. All the proceeds from the $30 scarf will be donated to the Komen Foundation. The 12-by-56 inch rectangular scarf is covered with delicate butterflies and flowers. It’s available at Lilly Pultizer signature stores (locate them online at http://www.lillypulitzer.com/signature_shops.html), bloomingdales.com or Bloomies by Mail at 1-800-777-0000 and komen.org.
Grab these while you can-they are not going to stay on the cyber shelves long. Just some of the celeb fans of the Pulitzer scarf include the very fashionable Serena Williams, award-winning actress Helen Hunt and television actors Marg Helgenberger from “CSI” and Peter Krause from “Six Feet Under.”
Bracelets to bouquets
For this year’s breast cancer awareness campaign, coach.com designed a sleek watch with a pink lizard strap. One hundred dollars, yes $100, from the sale of the $350 watch, will be donated to the Komen Foundation. The “Metropolis in Pink” watch will be available online from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31.
Lesser-known women’s accessories manufacturer brighton.com created a silver-plated charm bracelet for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The bracelet, which comes in a heart-shaped decorated tin, is well, simply charming. Most of the charms are engraved with expressions of hope, such as heal, strength, love and courage. Five dollars from each $37 bracelet will help support programs at the Komen Foundation.
Food and cookware companies have joined the breast cancer awareness campaign this year. Look for the special eight-ounce packs of pink-and-white M & Ms in your local supermarket or drugstore. Fifty cents from each bag, up to a total of $650,000, will be donated to the Komen Foundation. On a grander scale, kitchenaid.com launched an entire campaign cookforthecure.com. Check out the ten-speed mixer with a pale pink stand, priced at $299.99.
Proflowers.com/, a pioneer in the online flower market, put together several bouquets in a special collection proflowers.com/cure. Bouquets run from $29.99 for two dozen light-and-dark pink carnations, to $79.99 for the premium bouquet-a mix of pink lilies, germinis, alstroemeria and snapdragons. Each bouquet comes with a glass vase and information about breast health. Nine percent of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to the Komen Foundation.
At esteelauder.com and Estee Lauder counters nationwide through October, a portion of the proceeds from select products will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation www.bcrfcure.org. The non-profit organization, established by Estee Lauder in 1993, helps fund breast cancer research and treatment. Participating brands include aveda.com, origins.com, bobbibrowncosmetics.com and clinique.com.
Small shops, big hearts
Some smaller shops have joined this year’s breast cancer awareness campaign. Port Washington, New York-based tweezerman.com put the pink ribbon on 100,000 of its most popular tweezers - the slant tweezer. The stainless steel pink ribbon tweezer sells for $20. A colored-enamel variety, priced at $18, comes in pink, red, lavender, azure, black, white and granite. To find a retailer nearest you, check out tweezerman.com. The tweezers are also sold at Nordstrom’s, Lord & Taylor, Ulta and Sephora.
Teri Cosenzi, founder of thepamperedprincess.com and mother of four, plans to donate $5 from every purchase of the Pretty & Pink Princess Pack to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The limited edition pack, priced at $10, contains pink lip gloss and body glitter gel from Cosenzi’s line of products developed for sensitive skin.
“We decided to donate money from the sale of our Pretty & Pink Pack because we know there are many little girls around the country who have lost their mother, aunt or grandmother to breast cancer,” says Cosenzi. “We want to do our part to help find a cure for this heart-breaking disease.”
Teri Goldberg is MSNBC.com’s shopping writer. Write to her at personalshopper@msnbc.com