The spark for Renata to create Lipstick Angels was lit by Betty Elkes, her grandmother, a cancer and Holocaust survivor who had a pre-chemotherapy ritual that always included applying her favorite lipstick.
Renata, a renowned, professional celebrity makeup artist, completely understood the idea that wearing lipstick was a red badge of courage—that a few swipes could instantly ground you, brighten your face, and elevate your spirit.
While volunteering at Los Angeles’ Cedar Sinai Hospital, Renata discovered patients’ profound and unmet needs for human touch and connection, as well as wellness and beauty services.
She made it her mission to meet those needs and offer these courageous women and men a bedside visit offering supportive care during chemotherapy. By providing wellness, makeup, and skincare services using clean beauty products, Renata connected with patients in their cancer journey and saw firsthand the healing benefits and an improvement in their emotional well-being.
After a year of research and development—in collaboration with the Epidemiology Department at Cedars Sinai—Renata officially launched Lipstick Angels in March 2012 and keeps the spark glowing brightly for all those affected by cancer.
What we do
Lipstick Angels is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing oncology-sensitive, customized clean beauty, skincare, and wellness services to anyone affected by cancer. Our goal is to create a space for each person to feel pampered and to spark empowerment and joy through the essential practice of self-care. Our services are done at participating hospitals or clinics while they are receiving treatment, or virtually in the comfort of a patient’s home.
Over the past 10 years, Lipstick Angels has served over 25,000 patients and launched programs in hospitals and cancer support centers across the United States. Our goal is to expand the Lipstick Angels program to as many hospitals and cancer centers as possible.
