Jellaine Dee, the founder of Cherry Blooms and one of the ‘stars’ of SBS’s ‘Filthy Rich and Homeless’ docu-series, is tapping into the ‘lipstick economy’ to help raise funds for street kids in Third World countries.
Jellaine was one of five wealthy volunteers who lived amongst Melbourne’s homeless for 10 days during the filming of the three-part docu-series that screened on SBS last week.
Jellaine, whose company is best known for its Cherry Blooms Brush On Fiber Lashes, decided to take part in the series as she had experienced homelessness during her teenage years when she had fled “a domestic violence situation” with her mum and siblings and “wanted to shed a light” on the issue of homelessness and the services needed for people fleeing domestic violence.
Since the completion of the TV series, Jellaine, whose business has supported several charities in recent years, has become “even more committed” to “giving back” – and has just launched the #kisspovertygoodbye initiative to help homeless street kids in third world countries.
Jellaine says the initiative will raise funds by tapping into the lipstick economy.
Cherry Blooms will launch a matte lip volumiser this month at Cosmoprof Las Vegas on July 9 and will then donate “part proceeds” from the manufacture of every product to grass roots charities and orphanages in the Philippines.
“Lipstick is the most consumed beauty product for women around the world and Cherry Blooms commits to give back regardless of currency, cash-flow or what country it is sold in by pledging a donation at production, rather than at point of sale.”
Jellaine, who was born in the Philippines, also recently visited and filmed her own docu-series about grass roots charities and homeless street kids in the Philippines
She plans to share the series with Cherry Blooms’ online community to “raise conversation and awareness about how Westerners and brands can give back by getting an insight on the everyday reality of poverty and homelessness in one of the poorest countries in the world”.
Jellaine has also signed up as a volunteer at Rosie’s on the Gold Coast to help local homeless people and now regularly sends boxes of clothes and toiletries to the women’s refuges and crisis accommodation centres that she stayed in during the filming of ‘Filthy Rich and Homeless’.
“And of course, when I now see a homeless person, I stop, have a chat to uplift and encourage them as well as give money or food,” she says.