The California fires are now the deadliest wildfires in state history, with at least 25 dead and thousands of acres still burning, and local beauty brands are starting to do what they can to help.
Today Beautyblender, the brand behind that best-selling makeup sponge, is donating and matching all proceeds from sales made on beautyblender.com to The California Community Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund, which helps those who have been displaced, lost housing, or suffered physical or mental health problems as a result of wildfires. The organization is also planning to rebuild homes and offer financial assistance to those affected.
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Beautyblender felt a special need to help at this particular time because the company is based close to where fires are burning in Southern California, and firefighters are still struggling to contain the thousands of acres of flames.
“This is especially near and dear to my heart, as I live in the West Hills area. I have witnessed firsthand the devastation this has caused to the community," Rea Ann Silva, the founder of Beautyblender, tells Refinery29. "I am so grateful to be safe with my family, and I want to help keep other families safe as well."
To understand the scope of this fire, more than 100,000 acres of land have already been destroyed and more than 300,000 people have been forced to evacuate, with Kim Kardashian West and Miley Cyrus (who completely lost her home this past weekend) among them. It's also not just one large fire but three: Camp Fire, which burns just north of Sacramento, and two others — Hill Fire and Woolsey Fire — located in Southern California.
With so many beauty brands based in California, we expect Beautyblender is just the first that will use its sales to aid wildfire victims. If you're interested in helping the relief efforts without having to buy a Beautyblender product, there are plenty of other ways you can help.