Charity

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Felicity Huffman takes cancer — and beauty — seriously. The actress has joined Philosophy and the Entertainment Industry Foundation to raise awareness for the fight against women’s cancers. The Desperate Housewives’s star will appear in a public service announcement that encourages people to submit an original line of poetry to Philosophy’s “Unforgettable” poem — featured on the brand’s Shower for the Cure bath gel — and make a donation to the EIF’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund. Other celebs who have signed on to support the campaign and submitted their own lines of poetry include Rita Wilson, Lisa Kudrow, Lori Laughlin, Angie Harmon and James Caan. All entries will be considered for a special edition of the Shower for the Cure bath gel bottle available for sale in October 2010. To enter, visit showerforacure.com.— Jen Garcia

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Doing good sure did look appealing this weekend at the Neutrogena Fresh Faces of Music event to benefit VH1’s Save the Music Foundation. Two of Neutrogena’s superstar spokespeople, Hayden Panettiere and Vanessa Hudgens, turned out to show their support for keeping music in schools. And the duo did a lot more than just show off their flawless skin — they lent a hand by presenting a $30,000 check to a South Los Angeles middle school to jump-start their music program. “It’s such an important thing, music and creativity,” Hayden tells PEOPLE. “I’ve heard vineyards will play Mozart while the grapes are growing and it really does make a massive, massive difference.” But no beauty-supported event is complete without a little shop talk, and Hudgens was quick to share her favorite beauty must-have. “Things are always on the go for me so I love The Wave,” Vanessa tells PEOPLE of Neutrogena’s deep-cleansing power gadget. “I just throw it in my purse and go on my merry way.” Tell us: What’s your go-to budget beauty tool? — reporting by Nina Tyler

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There’s nothing like shopping and Champagne, and this weekend celebrity fashionistas indulged in both for a good cause. At a DSW Step Up and Step Out brunch hosted by Vanessa Minnillo, who served as the program’s honorary chair, guests were treated to a Champagne brunch at the W New York before getting the opportunity to shop in a private lounge featuring the best of DSW with shoes by Sergio Rossi, Manolo Blahnik, Valentino, Stella McCartney, and the more wallet-friendly Chinese Laundry, among others — all in support of the Step Up Woman’s Network’s charitable programming for women and girls.  “It’s a perfect combination of philanthropy and designer shoe shopping – two things that I love close to my heart!” said Minnillo.  “I think it just hit so close to home for me because I didn’t have my real mother growing up. My dad was always there, but there’s something about a woman’s touch, so to speak, so I’ve literally drawn from so many women in my life.”  And Gossip Girl’s Kelly Rutherford had her own women of inspiration — including her younger costar.  “I’m inspired by so many people — from Barbara Walters to Blake Lively,” said Rutherford.  “I think [Blake] makes really good choices and that’s inspiring.”  And for her own shoe choice of the day, the actress teetered in stiletto peep-toe pumps from Jessica Simpson’s line. “I’m an ad for a cab because these are the highest shoes I’ve ever worn!” she joked.  “This is why Jessica looks so hot, I’ve figured it out.” -– Shruti Dhalwala

Harper’s Bazaar, inset: Karwai Tang/Landov

The fashion world is about to be dazzled by a new Versace It-bag — but this time it’s all in the name of a good cause. In the October issue of Harper’s Bazaar, Donatella Versace shares her newest charity venture: a bag created by children, to benefit children. “When you are successful in your life,” she explains of the impetus behind the new project, “you want to give back.” And when you’re Donatella, you do it with style. This past summer, the designer teamed up with the Art Unites program at the Whitney Museum of American Art in N.Y.C., where she met with dozens of youngsters who created pictures with a friendship theme on squares of canvas. Each of the resulting works of art (along with other submissions around the world) will be made into one-of-a-kind Versace totes and sold for $250 each, with proceeds benefitting Starlight Children’s Foundation and the Jet Li One Foundation. And of the over-1000 canvases that were submitted, two budding artists will have their works featured on the Versace runway this month! Click through for a sneak preview of the October cover, starring Janet Jackson, and enter to win $5,000 in Harper’s Bazaar’s Fabulous at Every Age contest by clicking here.

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Courtesy EIFoundation

Christina Applegate is getting some help from her famous friends to raise awareness about breast cancer and Lee National Denim Day, one of the largest single day fundraisers for breast cancer in the country. Stars like Fergie, the cast of ABC’s Desperate Housewives, Ashley Tisdale and more have joined forces with the breast cancer survivor to autograph one-of-a-kind “I Love…” T-shirts to be auctioned off to benefit Christina’s foundation Right Action for Women. “I’m overwhelmed by so many familiar faces who have designed a T-shirt to help Right Action for Women, which is all about getting high-risk women screened appropriately for breast cancer.” Christina says in a statement. The actress is also serving as this year’s Lee National Denim Day ambassador, which benefits the Women’s Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). The campaign encourages people to wear their jeans on Friday, October 2, in exchange for a $5 donation to support crucial breast cancer research. In anticipation of Denim Day, you can bid on the star-signed T-shirts from now until October 2 only at charityfolks.com to benefit Right Action for Women, or purchase Christina’s “I Love Life” T-shirt, $20, at denimday.com.

Courtesy Roger Vivier, inset: Roger Wong/INF

What better way to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Wizard of Oz than with a high-fashion reinterpretation of Dorothy’s iconic ruby slippers? Some of the world’s hottest shoe designers — including Christian Louboutin, Roger Vivier, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Stuart Weitzman — have taken on the style challenge, and it’s all for a good cause. Singer Ashanti has also joined in the celebration, parlaying her experience playing Dorothy in the Broadway production of The Wiz into a new role as official spokesperson for the film’s birthday. “[Dorothy] definitely needs some stones and diamonds and maybe some Swarovski crystals going up and down the heels,” she tells PEOPLE. And while Ashanti might be somewhat of a modern-day Dorothy herself, she admits that she doesn’t own a pair of ruby slippers–yet. “Giuseppe [Zanotti] made me a custom pair when I did The Wiz, but they were green for the Emerald City,” she explains. “But, I think every woman should own a pair [of shoes] that makes them feel confident and fearless.” And if dazzling red shoes are your idea of fierce, you can bid on any of the 20 designers’ creations — including our favorite Roger Vivier pair (above) — until September 29. All proceeds benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Visit charityfolks.com to view all the designs and place your bid. Tell us: Which pair of ruby slippers is your favorite?

Amanda Schwab/Startraks

Last month we brought you word of Gucci’s limited-edition Twirl watch for Mary J. Blige’s charity Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now. And today the R&B star and the luxury brand made sure all of New York City knew about their mutual admiration by lighting up one of Manhattan’s most famous icons: the Empire State Building. Standing alongside Gucci America’s President, Daniella Vitale, Blige ceremoniously flipped the switch to flood the landmark in white, yellow, and purple light. “I’m so proud of the colors that we’ve chosen,” Blige told reporters, “because they represent the colors of a mythical bird called the phoenix, which never, ever dies — it just keeps regenerating itself out of beautiful things.” This is exactly the spirit that Blige hopes to inspire in women through FFAWN. But why pick Gucci for this memorable partnership? “Gucci is the woman’s store,” a Gucci-clad Blige told PEOPLE. “You can dress it up, dress it down, it’s perfect.” And today, September 16 only, shoppers can shop for a cause at Gucci’s 5th Avenue New York City Flagship store, with a percentage of their purchase going towards FFAWN. If you’re not in the Big Apple and happen have a spare $1895 lying around, you can get the limited-edition watch online and at Gucci stores starting tomorrow.– Shruti Dhalwala