Think pink to raise breast-cancer awareness

Breast cancer affects the lives of so many women, either because they've been diagnosed with the disease, recently been tested for it or know someone who has it, which means the disease affects the lives of many shoppers.

The fashion and beauty industries are giving all these shoppers a chance to do something to fight breast cancer.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means there will be more bows, candles and other accessories in pink, the color that symbolizes breast cancer awareness.

Avon's Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer lipstick is the company's Brilliant Moisture Lipcolor, offered in six different shades, including Courageous Coral and Spice of Life. Packaged with each tube of color is a guidebook, available in English or Spanish, with information about early detection, medical and support resources and a glossary of terms.

A portion of the proceeds of each $4 lipstick will go to the Avon Crusade. Over the past decade, the initiative to fund access to breast-cancer care and to fund research to find a cure has raised approximately $200 million.

Other breast-cancer fund-raising projects include:

Ann Taylor supports the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by selling an $18 white T-shirt with an embroidered pink ribbon detail and a $6 pink enamel ribbon pin at all its stores. The company says 100 percent of the net profits will go to the foundation.

New Balance Athletic Shoe has dedicated a collection of running, walking and cross-training sneakers to its Lace Up for the Cure project. Each shoe features an embroidered pink ribbon on the tongue. For each pair of these shoes sold, the company donates $5 to the Komen foundation, up to $50,000.

QVC presents "FFANY Shoes on Sale," the Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation's ninth annual fund-raiser, on Oct. 16 from 7-10 p.m. ET. More than 100,000 pairs of shoes from brands such as Nine West, Easy Spirit, AK Anne Klein, Birkenstock, Coach Footwear, Cole Haan and Stride Rite will be offered at half the retail value. Net proceeds benefit hospitals engaged in breast cancer research and awareness.

Stuart Weitzman asked male celebrities to decorate a stiletto shoe as part of the shoe designer's second annual Celebrity Breast Cancer Awareness Auction. The participating stars include Tom Hanks, Al Roker, Ben Stiller, Antonio Banderas, Hugh Jackman and Billy Crystal. The shoes are on display in the Stuart Weitzman stores in Beverly Hills, Calif., and New York and on stuartweitzman.com through the end of October. Half the money raised goes to the Komen Foundation and half to the Fashion Footwear foundation.

Sleepwear designer Karen Neuburger has created limited-edition Pink Ribbon Pajamas with a pattern of pink roses and ribbons. She also offers a bed pillow featuring a subtle pattern of pink ribbons. With the purchase of each pair of pajamas, $2 will go to the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research at Georgetown University Medical Center's Lombardi Cancer Center. Each pillow sale will result in a $1 donation.

Pier 1 Imports offers its commemorative Komen Candle, pledging to donate 25 percent of the proceeds from sales of the candle to the Komen Foundation. This year's design features a pastel pink candle in a clear glass jar with a chrome-plated lid and is tied with a sheer pink ribbon. The label includes an enamel pink ribbon lapel pin.