KEY POINTS:
From Boh Runga to Jaquie Brown, New Zealand's music and television darlings are stepping out today to "break the silence" on World AIDS Day.
Dozens of New Zealand celebs around the country are fronting up to their local M.A.C make-up counters to help raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in
New Zealand and support Positive Women, an organisation aimed at assisting HIV positive women live with their disease.
During the day, M.A.C will present Positive Women with a cheque for $100,000, which will go towards a national programme aiming to destigmatise the disease.
Positive Women National Co-ordinator Jane Bruning said the campaign would target mainstream New Zealand women.
"It will raise awareness and bring it home that this could happen to you as well. It's not 'out there', it's not in Africa or South America. It's in New Zealand and it could be you."
Bruning said the campaign would not be possible without M.A.C's contribution, all of which is money raised from Viva Glam lipstick sales over the past year.
Every cent of the selling price of M.A.C's Viva Glam range of lipsticks is donated to their Aids fund.
The campaign will begin in March next year and feature viral (internet) videos, newspaper and magazine advertisements, postcards, posters and a television commercial.
The last national HIV/Aids awareness campaign was in 1998, said Bruning.
"As a result, I think there has been some complacency and that complacency is now being shown in the increase in diagnoses."
Recent statistics show the number of people with HIV, infected through heterosexual contact, is steadily on the rise in New Zealand.
Ineligible for Government funding, Positive Women is entirely dependent on donations and sponsorship.
Internationally, a long-time supporter of the Aids cause, M.A.C began sponsoring Positive Women in 2004, with profits from the Viva Glam range.
The first Viva Glam lipstick was released in 1994, with 100% of the purchase price donated to the M.A.C AIDS Fund. Today, there are six Viva Glam lipsticks and the fund has raised more than $120 million, supporting Aids organisations around the world.
Today's World AIDS Day message is "break the silence," which Bruning says is in keeping with the destigmatisation campaign.
Celebrities will help tend M.A.C counters in all the major centres throughout the day, selling lipsticks and Red Ribbons.
M.A.C CHANCERY LANE, AUCKLAND
10.30 am - 11.30am Boh Runga from Stellar*
11.00am - Noon Jaquie Brown
11.00am - Noon Fleur Saville from Shortland Street
11.00am - 1.00pm Antonia Preeble from Outrageous Fortune
11.00am - 1.00pm Siobhan Marshall from Outrageous Fortune
1.00pm - 2.00pm Carly Binding
3.00pm - 4.00pm Kirsten Morrell from Goldenhorse
4.00pm - 5.00pm Robyn Malcolm from Outrageous Fortune
M.A.C AT SMITH & CAUGHEYS, NEWMARKET
10.00am - 1.00pm Drag diva, Buckwheat
10.00am - 11.00am Shavaughn Ruakere from C4
10.00am - 11.00am Jane Yee from C4
12.00 noon - 1.00pm Designer, Cybele Wiren
12.00 noon - 1.00pm Designer, Mala Brajkovic
M.A.C AT KIRKCALDIES, WELLINGTON
10.00am - 11.00am Miranda Harcourt
11.00am - 2.00pm The NZ Underwater Hockey Team (being bodypainted with VIVA GLAM)
Noon - 1.00pm MP Charles Chauvel
12.30pm - 1.30pm Ellie Smith
Plus:
All Day: Singer Deva Mahal
1.00pm - 2.00pm Mini concert by Hollie Smith, Lisa Tomlins & Deva Mahal backed by Chris Yeabsley (Twin Set), Darren Mathiassen (Rhombus) and Jeremy Toy (Open Souls)
M.A.C. AT BALLANTYNES, CHRISTCHURCH
9.00am - Noon Singer, Thomas Coffey
9.00am - 9.45am What Now! Presenter Serena Cooper
9.00am - 9.45am What Now! Presenter Charlie Panapa
1.00pm - 2.00pm Band, Atlas
M.A.C AT ARTHUR BARNETT, DUNEDIN
10.30am - 4.00pm DJ Alex