MAC has unveiled its latest Viva Glam campaign, featuring Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper. Proceeds from the sale of its Viva Glam VII lipsticks will benefit the MAC Aids Fund.
   The spring 2010 edition sees two new lipstick shades, with a light coral red lustre bearing Lauper’s name and a light blue–pink lustre with Lady Gaga’s.
   The collection hits counters on March 1, retailing at NZ$40.
   The MAC Aids Fund will announce $2·5 million in new donations to fund model programmes that address the vulnerabilities and inequities that place women at increased risk for HIV and Aids, says the company.
   To date, the MAC Aids Fund has already raised over $150 million to combat HIV and Aids.
   ‘I think it’s absolutely insane that some people have fewer rights than others, and I’m grateful that MAC has decided to focus on women while I’m a Viva Glam spokesperson. I have so much to say and so much to share, and I’m going to let my lips and lipstick do the talking!’ says Lauper in a release.
   ‘I’ve been familiar with the campaign and have been wearing MAC since I was 10 years old. To be joining the likes of iconic former Viva Glam spokespeople is an honour. My new Viva Glam lipstick colour is amazing. It’s very me—a bluish pink, great for every day, a little bit ’80s. I hope that women buy this lipstick, and honour themselves and honour the cause,’ says Lady Gaga.

If you haven’t helped already, or would like to again, please do what you can for the victims of the Haïti earthquake. Mia Farrow appears in this latest PSA for UNICEF with some sober reminders of the situation.

Jennifer Hawkins has broken her silence over her nude cover photo for Marie Claire Australia, which has caused a great deal of controversy this week.
   The former Miss Universe says the shoot was only done to raise money for an eating disorder charity, and to promote a healthy lifestyle.
   The furore has surrounded claims that the shoot, which appears to be untouched, was about proving that every woman has flaws.
   It was sparked on the 4th by Australian radio presenter Bianca Dye, who called Hawkins an improper role model for body image in a Murdoch Press newspaper supplement.
   Hawkins calls the misunderstanding in the media, which was fuelled in numerous Murdoch Press publications, embarrassing.
   She stresses that her relationship with Myer, the Australian department store chain, remains strong, although she admits she should have informed the company of the shoot.

A Jenny Craig study has revealed that 38 per cent of Australian men cannot see their manhood when looking down, while Kiwis, too, need to watch themselves over the Christmas period.
   Angela Berrill (left), Jenny Craig’s weight management expert, says, ‘New Zealand is one of the fattest nations in the world, which is frightening. By being overweight or obese, these men are seriously increasing their risk of life-threatening diseases such as heart disease or diabetes.’
   The survey revealed the older men get, the more likely they are to grow a gut. Over half (58 per cent) of Australian men 55 and over, said their only chance of seeing their genitalia was by looking in the mirror.
   The weight-loss company released the information to promote its Jen4Men programme, one which had been tailored for men.

During a visit to South Africa last week, footballer David Beckham went to a UNICEF-supported clinic in Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town, where he met and spoke to pregnant young women and new mothers who are living with HIV. As an ambassador for UNICEF, Beckham wanted to highlight the progress that has been made around the world preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
   UNICEF released the below videos of Beckham’s visit today.
   The Mothers2Mothers (M2M) programme, supported by UNICEF, helps educate pregnant women and new mothers on preventing HIV transmission to their babies.
   Beckham was introduced to the programme by Dr Mitch Besser, the founder of M2M.
   He met Tamara, 25, a mother living with HIV, who received treatment at the centre and now supports other young women in similar circumstances. Thanks to the testing, counselling and medication she received there, her son Sesiphi, now three, was born free from HIV.
   Almost every minute of every day, a baby is born with HIV somewhere in the world, passed on by his or her mother during pregnancy or labour and delivery. The great tragedy is that with simple inexpensive treatments, mother-to-child transmission of HIV is almost entirely preventable.
   In South Africa, progress is particularly evident, with 74 per cent of mothers who need treatment now receiving it for themselves and their babies, compared to 15 per cent in 2004.

Documentary filmmaker Darryl Roberts (director of America the Beautiful, pictured at left) is spearheading a boycott against Polo Ralph Lauren, hitting Chicago, New York and San Francisco. On December 15, Roberts, along with 100 supporters, will boycott Lauren’s Downtown Chicago store (750 N. Michigan Avenue) at 4 p.m.
   Roberts says that the YWCA of America, IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals) and ANAD (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders) are supporting the boycott.
   The boycotts follow the Filippa Hamilton controversy, where an Ralph Lauren Blue Label advertisement featuring Hamilton was obviously retouched to make the model look artificially thin.
   Roberts has set up a Facebook group to promote his cause.
   Hamilton herself believes that the retouching was extreme and gave an inaccurate depiction of her.
   Ralph Lauren initially tried to accuse the websites which first showed the image, including Boing Boing and Photoshop Disasters, of copyright infringement. The former responded by citing the fair use defence.
   Ralph Lauren issued an apology soon after, saying, in part, ‘… we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman’s body.
   ‘We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the calibre of our artwork represents our brand appropriately.’
   However, Roberts says he was notified of two additional advertisements, both featuring extremely thin looking models. He says the second and third images should have been pulled.
   ‘The reason that we’re boycotting is that we want him to commit to never putting out another ad that’s egregious and offensive to young women and girls again,’ he says.

The family behind Dilmah tea has spent over NZ$27 million on the first stage of a complex in Sri Lanka that will care for abused women, differently abled children and marginalized children from urban slums in Sri Lanka, it was announced today.
   The first phase of the MJF Centre has been opened by Merrill J. Fernando, Founder of Dilmah and Settlor of the MJF Charitable Foundation, at Moratuwa, a large and heavily populated seaside town close to Sri Lanka’s capital city, Colombo.
   The MJF Centre will eventually house four charitable projects. The first, the Centre for Women, has been established in partnership with the Diri Piyasa Trust Fund to offer a much needed residential care facility for abused women.
   The Centre will provide free legal, medical, law enforcement and counselling services to women and their families who are victims of violence. It will provide for their rehabilitation and also perform a wider role in creating awareness among families and communities on the extent of violence and its impact on women and their families.
   Work has now begun on the second and third stages: two centres for differently abled children, including Down syndrome and physically disabled children. Once complete, more than 100 children will enjoy specialized therapy, care and education at the Centres for Children.
   The fourth stage of the project is MJF Kids, a replica of the highly successful MJF Kids programme that already assists over 120 children from deprived neighbourhoods in the suburbs of Colombo. The Moratuwa MJF Kids programme will focus on rehabilitation of vulnerable “street children” by assisting them to excel in their education and in nurturing creativity.
   Dilmah Tea and its associate companies contribute a minimum of 10 per cent of their profits to supplement the contribution that Merrill and his sons make to the foundation. The MJF Foundation designs and implements over 100 different projects each year with the objective of empowering marginalized and underprivileged people in the community in a sustainable and dignified manner. The Foundation’s Small Entrepreneur Programme has been hailed as a model for practical and respectful assistance to the poorest.
   Other areas in which the Foundation is active include education, nutrition and health care, care for the elderly, rehabilitation of tsunami affected communities, empowerment of the differently abled and emergency assistance to marginalized communities.

Emporio Armani has shown its products to support Product Red and World Aids Day. The products, including a watch and sunglasses, will be retailed online at www.emporioarmani.com, which turns red for the day to promote the global initiative.
   A percentage of sales go to the Red fund, which finances projects in Africa. In addition to Emporio Armani, American Express, Converse, Gap, Starbucks, Bugaboo, Nike, Apple, Dell and Hallmark are partners.