Mardi Gras celebrates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) people, but... it wasn't always as cheery as it sounds. It's been a long road for the LGBTQI community in the fight for their rights and acceptance in society.
This year's theme is 'United We Shine' — signifying that when we band together, we shine brighter! The Mardi Gras parade takes place on March 5th this year at the Sydney Cricket Ground. So why not get involved, rally together and stand up against hate and equality this year. After all our message of love and inclusion is heard louder when spread as a collective.
Read along as we share more about the Mardi Gras and our top beauty tips for you to shine bright, be bold and colourful on this dazzling night of pride, celebration and self- expression!
About Mardi Gras
Today, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is one of Australia’s most famous and well-loved events, bringing thousands of visitors to Sydney to join in the celebrations.
But before we explore the fun and excitement of this big event, it's important to rememeber the long road it took for the LGBTQI to obtain change and acceptance in society.
It all started back in 1978, when a group of protestors formed to ignite gay rights - resulting in police violence and arrests. What came next was a defining night for Sydney's GLBTQI community and Australia's cultural heritage too. Since then, The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade has taken place every year and an awareness to this community and the fight for their rights continues to grow!
Makeup Looks
The Mardi Gras is all about standing out — think big, bold and bright colours, sparkles, glitz, glam and rainbows!
To stay on the 'shine' theme, we highly recommend wearing Butt Naked's Body Glow. This beautiful and lightweight body oil can be worn all over and will make your skin shimmer and shine all night long. Who doesn't love to sparkle?
Our gorgeous Face Highlighters are great for sparkles and glow. Madara's Cosmic Drops Highlighter in shade Aurora Borealis, especially gives off festival/parade vibes. Whilst you can't go wrong with a Red Lip, why not try a Cool Blackberry Lip Colour! Use Inika's Lip Serum on top for extra shine. Don't forget some funky Eye Shadow colours! Choose from colours like Platinum Purple, Pink, Gold Sparkles or grab a Palatte and mix some colours together!
Accessories
Who ever said sunglasses were just to be worn in the day? Light up the atmosphere with Pela's funky and bright sunglass colours. We think the Lime Green, Orange Sunset, Lavender and Baxter Blue's Tortoise Sunnies are super fitting.
Help raise awareness of teen suicides by wearing Conscious Step Socks That Save LGBT Lives. For every pair of socks sold, Conscious Step donates a portion to The Trevor Project to provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth. These high quality and incredible comfortable socks are a great addition to wear to the parade, to help raise awareness. They are available in Black or Grey or in a 3-Pair Set (Purple, Blue and Plum) with a rainbow stripe design.
There are some trendy Totes to hold your things and some gorgeous Sustainable Jewellery inspired by nature too!
We hope you enjoy the Mardi Gras celebrations, but most importantly let's remember how far we have come with equal rights, but also how far we have to go, not just with LGBTQI but things like the Gender Pay Gap and Animals used in Sports or as Cosmetic Testers too.
It's been proven time and time again that when we unite together, we shine bright and our voices are heard louder. We absolutely love seeing how effective communties, countries and the world are when we come together and unite as one! We need to see more of it.
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