Spa+Clinic Team 
Australian boutique mineral makeup brand Issada Cosmetics is partnering with the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation (GMRF) for the next 12 months on a multi-activity charity campaign that includes the launch of the Limited Edition Issada Gallipoli Poppy lipstick.
Issada is donating a percentage of Poppy lipstick sales to support the world-first research into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) being conducted in Brisbane by the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation, along with supporting events and creating various makeup looks throughout the campaign.
The Gallipoli Poppies: The Women Behind The Veterans concept captured the heart of Issada CEO/founder Fiona Neale, thanks to its unique and seldom seen female-focused approach to war- based PTSD.
‘We love empowering, supporting and inspiring self-confidence in women of all ages,’ Fiona says. ‘Our brand has devotees from teenagers to great-grandmothers.
‘We love the idea of meeting some of the women of war, and hearing their stories, learning from them and of course pampering them with Issada products.
The ‘Gallipoli Poppies’, women whose lives have been affected by PTSD, whether suffering personally, or through supporting a loved one
‘Creating the Poppy lipstick was a passion project. We wanted to mimic the exact orange/red of the poppies that grew in Flanders field and, after a few prototypes, we arrived at the perfect incarnation, Gallipoli Poppy, which will hopefully be 2015’s hottest lipstick shade.’
Channel 7, the State Library of Queensland, RSL QLD, Ramsay Health Care and Calleja Jewellers are also partners, helping to focus attention on the significant role that women play in supporting veterans. The campaign aims to celebrate their strength, resilience and beauty in the face of adversity.
Rather than have a celebrity front the campaign, over the 12 months (to April 2016), the campaign will feature one Gallipoli ‘Poppy’ a month; a woman whose life has been affected by PTSD, whether suffering from it personally, or through supporting a loved one.
After being pampered and beautified by their official makeup artists at Issada, these women will be featured on Channel 7 Flashback and other TV appearances and photoshoots, on social media, at a special display at the State Library of Queensland, in RSL publications and marketing (more than 35,000 homes mailed monthly) and in all 15 Ramsay hospitals around Queensland.
The Gallipoli Poppies campaign was launched at the Gallipoli Centenary Ball on April 18, the week before Anzac Day and the 100th anniverary of the ill-fated landing at Gallipoli.
Gallipoli Poppy lipstick will be available from Issada stores and stockists, and in Ramsay hospitals around Queensland.
‘Throughout our history, women have embodied the enduring Anzac spirit; from the nurses who worked selflessly on the hospital ships off the shores of Gallipoli to the repatriation hospitals back home, right up to modern day veterans and humanitarian workers,’ says Fiona.
‘In addition to their personal sacrifices, many women face another battle – they care for and love the fragile shells of the men and women who return from war, not the same as when they left.
‘In the midst of this heartache, it is easy for women to forget to care for themselves. But women band together; they help each other to face life’s difficulties.
‘From our grandmothers to our sisters, women have shared the secret of the strength and confidence a good red lipstick can bring.
‘In 2015, a beautiful red lipstick will become a symbol of strength and resilience.’
ABOUT PSTD
Research has shown that:
- More than one million Australians suffer from PTSD at some point in their lives and 5.2 million adults in the US have PTSD during a given year.
- PTSD can affect anyone who experiences a traumatic event. This covers a broad range of experiences including: car accidents, physical assault, sexual abuse, grief and natural disasters. PTSD also deeply harms the sufferer’s family.
The toll is yet unknown and GMRF’s next research project will focus on these unrecognised victims.
