Delta Goodrem knows just how disorientating — not to mention brutal — it is to undergo treatment for cancer. The singer, television host and Revlon ambassador was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at just 18-years-old, in 2003. She underwent months of chemotherapy and radiation, a process she’s described as deeply “confronting”.
“When facing a challenging health journey, I have always said what helped me is having something to look forward to,” Delta, now 37, told marie claire Australia.
Knowing the realities of cancer treatment up close is just one reason why she supports initiatives like Look Good Feel Better (LGFB), a free program which teaches beauty techniques to people dealing with the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment.
“Look Good Feel Better is exactly as it sounds,” Delta said. “It’s a charity that supports women to face cancer with confidence, whether that is via product donations from beauty companies such as Revlon, workshops providing beauty techniques, tips on how to style wigs — anything to help bring some normalcy into people’s everyday lives during their health journey.”
Treatments like chemotherapy can bring huge changes to a person’s appearance, from losing your hair to experiencing dry, swollen or even blistered skin. Programs like LGFB work to alleviate a small part of the stress from people already dealing with a traumatic life change — and as Delta says, to bring back some kind of normalcy to people’s lives.
This year, to celebrate National Lipstick Day (July 29), Revlon in partnership with the Delta Goodrem Foundation is donating $2 from every Super Lustrous Lipstick sold at Chemist Warehouse between July 7 and August 3 to Look Good Feel Better.
“Giving back is a very important focus in my life,” Delta said. “I want to make a real impact in areas of need and to form partnerships authentic to who I am and to create meaningful change and to empower and inspire others.”
The LGFB program first launched in 1990, and to date has supported more than 170,000 women, men and children undergoing cancer treatments. General Manager Carol Kavurma said they were “thrilled” to once again be partnering with Revlon and the Delta Goodrem Foundation, which will help to “further empower and support our program participants”.
It’s easy to get blasé about celebrity ambassadorships, but Delta Goodrem’s work via her foundation has helped raise more than $7.3 million for a specialised ward at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital — and amid a career with dozens of awards and community recognition, it’s her charity work that she hopes people will remember her for.
“At my core, I believe in the power of kindness,” Delta said. “I want to give back and make a difference and for the Delta Goodrem Foundation to be a force for good, a source for positive change and I hope it will be one of my greatest legacies.”
And if you need a little guidance for which Revlon lipstick to buy, take some inspiration from Delta herself. She says it’s “just so hard” to pick a single favourite (“I love the variety”), but her go-to lippy while on tour in Europe is the ultra hydrating and precise ColorStay Matte Lite Crayon. Delta’s shade is the vibrant (and very appropriately named) ‘Take Flight’ — we’ll take three.
ColorStay Matte Lite Crayon in Take Flight, $14.99, from Chemist Warehouse
