A metro Detroit woman and Western Michigan University graduate has founded The Lipstick Journey in Rochester Hills, which offers lipstick and supports cancer prevention and treatment organizations.
The Lipstick Journey was founded by Anna Warner-Mayes, a three-time cancer survivor who is currently battling stage-four cancer. The company is dedicated to helping cancer patients and survivors as well as women express themselves through liquid lipstick. The lipstick is offered in five colors, from sheer pink to dark plum. It is formulated to be full coverage and contains Vitamin B5, Vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid, making them hydrating. The formula also does not contain parabens and sulfates and is not tested on animals.
Warner-Mayes was first diagnosed with stage-three thyroid cancer in 2008, which has continued for the past 10 years with bouts of remission. The cancer returned as stage-four metastatic cancer to the lungs in 2017. During her battle with cancer, she decided to fulfill a lifelong dream by creating The Lipstick Journey. Warner-Mayes has been involved with all aspects of the company from creating the formula and choosing colors, to manufacturing and packaging.
“Each color I’ve chosen communicates a mood or a feeling – no words necessary. Life is your canvas,” says Warner-Mayes. “Cancer has always colored my moods, and lipstick has helped me communicate them. For years, I have dreamed of creating a great product that would connect people not only to my story, but to the power of their own. Part of that dream has been to find a way to give back in a tangible way to cancer fighters and survivors. I discovered that beauty comes from story and that lipstick can be your expression.”
The Lipstick Journey gives back to those fighting cancer by donating partial proceeds to organizations Warner-Mayes has worked with, including Twist Out Cancer, Imerman Angels, and Fighting Pretty.
Warner-Mayes graduated from WMU with a degree in science and had been working in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 20 years prior to starting The Lipstick Journey.
Anna has been blogging about her cancer journey since 2011 and continues to grow her following well into the thousands. She has also written a memoir, My Lipstick Journey Through Cancer: A Journey of Faith and Finding the Right Shade, which encourages women live life in day-by-day moments of honesty, prayer, laughter, tears, and relationships.
To purchase lipstick and find more information, click here.
