Some collabs feel exciting. Some feel surreal. And then there are the ones that feel deeply personal. They represent growth, healing, and coming home to yourself. This lipstick is exactly that for me.
I am so proud to introduce ARIANA, my lipstick collaboration with Cheekbone Beauty. This shade is about so much more than makeup. It’s about self-love. Self-care. Mental health. Community. And the quiet, powerful act of choosing yourself, even when life feels too full.
Losing Yourself After Motherhood
After having my babies, I slowly lost myself.
Not in an obvious way. Not all at once. But in the way so many mothers do... by putting everyone else first, every single day. My needs felt secondary. My identity became wrapped up in caring, managing, and holding everything together. Somewhere along the way, I stopped checking in with myself.
I told myself it was just the season I was in. That I would come back to myself “eventually.”
But over time, I started to feel disconnected from my body, my confidence, and the version of me that felt grounded and joyful. I was doing everything for everyone else, yet quietly running on empty. I remember looking at myself in the mirror and thinking “who am I?” I didn’t know what I liked to do outside of being a mom. I had lost my hobbies, I wasn’t prioritizing my friendships, and I felt so alone.
This past year, something shifted.
I made a conscious decision to prioritize self-care and self-love. Not as a reward, not as something I had to earn, but as something essential. I started choosing myself in small, intentional ways. And those small choices changed everything.
Why Self-Care Is Not Selfish
There’s a narrative that exists, especially for women and mothers, that caring for yourself is selfish. That taking time, space, or energy for yourself somehow takes away from others.
I’ve learned the opposite is true.
Self-care is not selfish. It is necessary.
When you fill your cup first, you allow yourself to show up as the best version of yourself in every area of life. As a mom. A friend. A partner. At work. In your relationships. In your community.
Self-care doesn’t have to be extravagant. It doesn’t have to look like a full day away or a perfectly curated routine. Sometimes, it’s found in the smallest moments. Moments that remind you that you matter too.
That belief is at the heart of this lipstick.
The Power of Small Rituals
This lipstick represents the idea that even the simplest acts of self-care can be powerful.
Putting on lipstick might seem small, but it can be transformative. It can lift your mood. Shift your energy. Help you feel more confident, more put together, or simply more like yourself. It’s a moment to pause, look in the mirror, and reconnect even if just for a minute.
ARIANA was created to be that reminder.
A reminder that self-care doesn’t have to be complicated. That beauty can be intentional. That choosing yourself doesn’t require permission.
This shade is wearable, effortless, and empowering. It's something you can throw on during your busiest days, knowing that it carries meaning beyond how it looks.
Beauty With Purpose: Supporting Mental Health
One of the most meaningful parts of this collaboration is the ability to give back.
A portion of all sales from the ARIANA lipstick will be donated to CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) to support mental health initiatives in our community.
Mental health and self-care are deeply connected. When we talk about self-love, we have to talk about mental wellbeing, especially for women and mothers who carry invisible emotional loads while continuing to show up for everyone else.
Supporting CMHA felt like a natural extension of this launch. Because caring for ourselves also means advocating for accessible mental health support and helping to reduce stigma around mental health conversations. When I was at my absolute lowest in my early postpartum days, I was embarrassed to even admit that I was having a hard time, and I want that to never be the case for anyone who is suffering. We should be able to speak openly and have access to supports.
When you purchase this lipstick, you’re not just buying a product, you’re contributing to programs, resources, and initiatives that remind people they are not alone.
A Launch Rooted in Community
To celebrate this launch, we’re hosting a party at Miijida, a local restaurant, B-Corp, and organization that gives back meaningfully to our community.
Choosing Miijida was intentional. This launch is about alignment.. supporting businesses that prioritize impact, sustainability, and community connection. Miijida represents everything I love about local businesses that do good while doing it well.
This collaboration reflects what’s possible when values lead the way. It’s not only about celebrating the incredible product, it’s also about celebrating people, purpose, and collective care.
What ARIANA Represents
ARIANA represents coming back to yourself.
It represents softness and strength.
Confidence and compassion.
Care without guilt.
Beauty with intention.
It’s for the woman who gives endlessly.
For the mother learning to choose herself again.
For anyone navigating change, growth, or healing.
For anyone who needs a reminder that self-love can be simple and still incredibly powerful.
A Love Letter to You
If you’re reading this and you feel like you’ve lost parts of yourself…
If you’re in a season of giving everything to everyone else…
If you’re waiting for the “right time” to slow down and care for yourself…
Let this be your reminder.
You don’t need to earn rest.
You don’t need to justify self-care.
You don’t need permission to choose yourself.
If this lipstick gives you even one moment of pause, confidence, or connection back to yourself, then it has done exactly what it was meant to do.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Thank you for supporting beauty with purpose.
And thank you for choosing self-love. One small, meaningful act at a time.
With love,
Ariana 💋
Watch the full-length interview with Ariana Joy Christie and founder Jenn Harper on Youtube