Makeup haven Sephora is introducing a new line of classes geared towards helping individuals with cancer.
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The Brave Beauty in the Face of Cancer class is aimed at helping people gain confidence. Sephora understands that many cancer patients struggle with their appearance after treatment and they want to help them feel beautiful again.
“I have been focusing on my health, not on what’s the best color for me,” Chiara, a 45-year-old cancer patient, told People. “I felt like a martian. My skin was definitely dry, and I had no hair, so I needed to draw on eyebrows.”
The class is taught in small groups and teaches cancer patients how they can “address the visible effects of the disease and its treatments,” explained A Plus.
The free class runs about 90 minutes and is taught by Sephora employees. A few of the teachers are cancer survivors themselves, giving them firsthand experience on the subject.
During the class, students learn to draw natural-looking eyebrows, while exploring techniques for eye definition and skincare complexion. Sephora also hopes the class will inspire confidence and be a welcoming space where cancer patients can connect with one another.
“I wanted to see what tips I can learn, but because the class was geared toward [persons with] cancer, I was excited to come and connect with other women,” Chiara told People.
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The Brave Beauty in the Face of Cancer class is part of Sephora’s Classes for Confidence program. According to their website, the program hopes to “help inspire fearlessness in those facing major life transitions.”
“In January 2015, we [at Sephora] asked ourselves, ‘Where can our strengths make a difference in our communities?” Corrie Conrad, Sephora’s head of Social Impact, explained to People. “What are we uniquely positioned to do?’ We had this amazing infrastructure that doesn’t just offer makeovers, but empowers our clients — and when we realized that for our colleagues in-store, it was all about making a connection, I thought, ‘How can we use our classes to intentionally create one of those moments that are meaningful to our employees?’”
Sephora kicked off the program with a workforce re-entry class, which helped people who were retuning to work look more professional. Soon after, the idea to help cancer patients was brought to life.
Source: YouTube Sephora
Currently, the classes are being offered in 40 different stores in multiple states. However, if you cannot make a class, store employees are ready to help out during regular hours. People seeking advice can just look for employees wearing lavender Classes for Confidence pins to let shoppers know they are ready to help.
“Everyone’s cancer journey is unique and different, but I think the pin builds a bridge,” Conrad said to People.
For many cancer patients, the program allows them to get a part of their life back that cancer stole.
“I shut down and never spoke about the fact that I had cancer. So I think this program was an eye opener that I can be an inspiration for others. I am so glad I am a part of it,” Michelle, a cancer survivor, told People.
Check out more information on the Classes for Confidence program here.
