Confidence boosting, skin enhancing, complexion perfecting - all phrases we often find ourselves writing as beauty journalists. But with International Women's Day coming up on 8th March, we're loving the fact that we can add another one to the list: life-changing.

Because although we love our Huda Beauty highlighter, and we'll happily spend most of a month's pay cheque on Bobbi Brown foundation, sometimes it's easy to embrace the fun side of beauty, and forget the important impact these brands can, and are, having on women all over the world.

Read on for the three game-changing beauty brands supporting and empowering women on a global scale. Because lipstick can be so much more than just make-up.

1. The Body Shop

The Body Shop

Although The Body Shop are already well in our good books for their cruelty-free and vegan formulas, the iconic high street brand are sharing the love with their female employees.

With 95% of their products containing ingredients sourced through their Community Trade programme, The Body Shop is supporting female communities all over the world, helping them to find financial independence and empowerment.

Providing 646 women of The Tungteiya Women's Association in Ghana with a fair wage and a premium fund, The Body Shop's trade of shea butter is just one example of the positive impact the brand is having on a global scale.

And it's not just women feeling the benefits of this work. The money earnt from the production of shea butter is used to invest in local projects that provide safe water, schools and medical centres, actively affecting 46,000 people.

2. Avon

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The original beauty brand designed to empower women to be financially independent, Avon, is now a major supporter of charitable causes helping women everywhere.

Whether it's working to stop domestic violence through the £2.4 million donated to charity and global campaign that aimed to shine a light on the different forms of non-violent abuse experienced by women around the world, or supporting local causes that are important to their community of women, Avon are seriously committed to change.

This year the brand teamed up with Breast Cancer Awareness initiative Coppa Feel! to raise awareness around the early detection of breast cancer. The Pink Light Project launched a digital learning tool, CoppaCollege, that aimed to educate women across the UK about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

A boobipedia of information if you will.

With just 30% of women checking their breasts on a regular monthly basis, this easily accessed information is invaluable. Time to get touching!

3. Senteurs d'Orient

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Founded by mother daughter duo, Hana and Sarah, Senteurs d'Orient is the artisan beauty brand handcrafting seriously beautiful soaps and oils inspired by the bathing rituals of the Middle East.

You only have to get lost in their otherworldly Instagram account to see the quality and time that goes into each and every product, but more importantly than that, it's the company's ethos of supporting women that marks them as exceptional.

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Not only are Senteurs d'Orient committed to hiring women in every role throughout the company, but in 2011 they launched the Senteurs Women Initiatives, a program in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme to empower and educate Women in Lebanon.

The brand goes on to write on their website, 'Every year, Senteurs Women Initiatives selects a local non-profit grassroots organisation to enable Lebanese stakeholders to implement projects addressing the empowerment of women, and to reach as many of them regardless of religion or area.'

Now that's what we call women for women.

4. Elemis

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In honour of last year's International Women's Day, Elemis joined forces with Women For Women International, an organisation working to change the lives of women affected by war and conflict.

Getting involved with the organisation's Message For My Sister initiative, from the 6th to the 8th March Elemis promised to donate £1 to charity every time you share a #messageformysister and tag Elemis on social media.

Additionally, for a third year in a row, the skincare brand's legendary Pro-Collagen Marine Cream was reimagined with limited edition underwater-inspired packaging, with £35,000 from sales being donated to Women For Women International.

And if that wasn't enough, the legendary skincare brand also support Breast Cancer Care every year with a limited edition pink version of their Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, raising over £136,000 since 2001.

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