Fran Drescher has once again joined forces with Laura Geller Beauty to launch a limited-edition palette in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The star of “The Nanny,” who first discovered the cosmetics brand on QVC, fell in love with Geller’s mineral-based, paraben-free formulas, especially as a cancer survivor.
Nearly 30 years ago, Drescher was diagnosed with uterine cancer, which led her to establish her own charity, Cancer Schmancer, in 2007. The nonprofit focuses on empowering consumers to make informed choices for their own health — including eliminating toxic, carcinogenic substances — by packing their products from home.
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Fran Drescher’s Cancer Schmancer Kit, priced at $59, features Geller’s best-selling baked formula in three different shades for both face and eyes. The accompanying dual-ended tool includes an angled brush on one side for bold lift and contouring and a smaller, tapered brush for precise application and shading on eyelids. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sale of this special package will be donated to Cancer Schmancer.
Below, WWD chats with Drescher about the importance of detoxifying at one’s home, Cancer Schmancer’s charitable work, and her advice for women when it comes to embracing aging.
WWD: After being diagnosed with cancer 24 years ago, detoxing at home became a big part of your life and is also a key initiative of your charity Cancer Schmancer. Why is this so important to you?
Fran Drescher: I’m the kind of person who wants to understand causality and prevention. I truly believe that unless you determine causality, you will continue to fuel the fire even if you try to fix the problem. On the back end, it didn’t make any sense to me, and it’s a very common way Western medicine works. When I was diagnosed with cancer there was very little information on the internet and perhaps some sort of emerging functional or alternative medicine exploring this field, but I really feel like I was one of the people pioneering this. and it became my obsession.
I want to find and eliminate things that cause cancer in our daily lives. First of all, let’s not get cancer. How is the treatment? I don’t want us to be chronically ill. I don’t want us to become the unhealthy nation we are now. We launched a home detox campaign because it turns out that your home is the most toxic place we spend the most time in and, ironically, the place we have the most control over.
WWD: What attracted you to working with Laura Geller in the first place?
: For me, I have to do the talking and I can’t promote anything. I need to really believe in the product and be able to use it. I totally believe in Laura Geller. It is entirely produced in Italy and is a safe cosmetic. I tried the product for a few weeks before deciding to use it and [Laura Geller was] He is very patient with me.
Interestingly, everyone who has tried Laura Geller in my life since I became her spokesperson loves Laura Geller cosmetics, and the reason is because it is a very good product. They’re also philanthropic, it’s like they support what I do as a health activist as much as I support what they do as a makeup brand, and we’re both on the same page to deliver a message. This is truly in the interest of women. This is a mutually supportive relationship that I am extremely proud to be a part of.
WWD: You’ve previously collaborated with Laura Geller on products benefiting Cancer Schmancer. How has this helped your organization?
: When you’re a nonprofit, everything makes a difference. With Cancer Schmancer, I just wanted to help people, so I’m always trying to raise funds for my organization. We are an education-based, nonprofit organization and our mission is to educate, motivate and mobilize patients to help them become conscious consumers and make more informed choices about how they live their lives.
Throughout the year, we organize a master’s level health summit featuring doctors from various fields of medicine. We usually have a theme from year to year, and people who attend this learning event say it is a life-changing experience. [The summit] It is organized in what we call the Edu Series, available online for free for people around the world to learn. You can purchase it for your video library because it’s information-dense and is another way we fund Cancer Schmancer.
We also partner with other nonprofits to help marginalized women who may not have access to certain types of testing. We’re trying to expand a little bit, but mostly we’re focusing on getting people to see what they’re doing that’s compromising their immune system and creating inflammation, and those two things are actually a cocktail for poor health.
WWD: Palette. Tell us why you love it and how you would wear it.
: Everything about it is beautiful. It has a small mirror. It is easy to put in the bag. Believe it or not, everything you need is here. It also comes with this cute little two-sided brush. So I use the smaller one on my eyes and the larger one on my cheeks. You can create a smokey eye, use this beautiful blush, and then there’s a highlighter that you can apply to the upper part of your cheeks.
WWD: Laura Geller’s mantra is about celebrating women over 40. How have you dealt with sexism in Hollywood and what advice do you have for women on how to embrace aging?
: First of all, no one will get out of here alive. We all have to face the fact that we are getting older, and we cannot stand by the objectification of women, making it a no-win situation. I don’t want to feel bad about living a long and healthy life. Develop yourself as an engaging person and be confident in what you need and be able to express it with kindness and respect. Always let your heart’s wisdom guide you and do what makes your heart sing.
As head of SAG-AFTRA, he led this massive strike that sparked a worldwide labor movement, while the opposition received a huge PR hire from Washington, D.C., which had a reputation for representing the bad guys. They immediately went for the low-hanging fruit: discrediting the female leader. People said we should ignore it, and I said: “No. “I now realize that the real story here is not about the contract, but about what women in leadership look like for women and girls.”
I felt a responsibility to show that I didn’t have to mimic male energy to lead. I can lead with wisdom, empathy, and intelligence and still rock a red lip. I turned everything against them by making a video of myself expressing this while wearing make-up while preparing to enter the negotiations, and it went viral. That’s why women and girls, and especially maturing women, need to ignore some of the current commercial lies. I think it’s time for women to stand up. And you know, if there was ever a time when we needed a woman leading the free world, it’s now.
Fran Drescher’s Cancer Schmancer kit is now available for purchase at laurageller.com.
Launch Gallery: Fran Drescher’s ‘Nanny’ Style Photos
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