By: Susan San

My mornings start the same way every day. I wake up, snooze my alarm clock about five times, and cuddle with my dog Milo. Then I drag myself out of bed, brush my teeth, and sit in front of my mirror to do my makeup. Makeup has become a gigantic industry. With eyeshadow, concealer, mascara, bronzer, foundation, contour, and so much more, this industry has made its way into each one of our homes. Within the past decade, a generation of “beauty gurus” has emerged on the internet, reviewing products and some even starting their own makeup lines. Although it’s continued to grow, one aspect of the makeup industry has continued to cause controversy: inclusivity.

With so many people using makeup in the current age, there are a plethora of skin tones, all of which need different shades of foundation and concealer to match. Some brands have adapted to this demand, but others have not.

In January 2018, the makeup brand Tarte Cosmetics launched their “Shape Tape” Foundation line with 15 different shades. Tarte Shape Tape concealer had been a hit in the past, so many eagerly awaited the launch of this new foundation. However, when the product launched, consumers were stunned at the shade range. There were 15 shades, and only three of them were suited to darker skin tones. The beauty community blew up, with tweets claiming the brand was racist, and many vowing never to buy from them again.

The thing that shocked so many people was that 80% of the range was dedicated to lighter skinned individuals. The brand had accounted for 12 different shades of light skin from their color “fair sand” (very light) to “tan honey.” Darker skinned individuals and especially African American consumers were limited to a measly three shades. People weren’t mad that lighter skinned people had a lot of options, they were more upset that the same consideration wasn’t given to darker skin tones.

As a person with dark tan skin, I’ve gone through a lot of stores to find my perfect foundation match. Sometimes when walking into stores, I see a wide range of light and light-tan colors at the forefront of a display, and then have to go to a small side section to find my color.

In my opinion, everyone should be able to buy a foundation, no matter what color they are looking for. For this reason, I was excited when I heard about Rihanna’s makeup line, Fenty Beauty. Apart from being an amazing singer and pop icon, Rihanna is from Barbados. She has dark tan skin, and I hoped that she would understand the struggle that people with skin like ours went through. Well, I was not disappointed.

The Fenty Beauty launch shook the entire beauty community. She came out with 40 foundations, spanning from a very light, almost white foundation, to an intensely dark foundation. There were shades for everyone, and an equal number of shades for dark and light skin. The line was very well received, with raving reviews about how people had found their perfect foundation and that no other beauty product had matched their skin as well as this one. Moreover, people liked how the shade names were neutral going from shade 100 (the lightest) to shade 490 (the darkest). Everything about the range was equal, and available to everyone. I have yet to try the product, but I can’t wait to in the future!

Makeup is something that has definitely become a big part of many people’s lives. No one should have to go to 10 different stores just to find their shade of foundation. Fenty Beauty has set a new standard, in which everyone is included. But the many controversies it’s taken to get to this point show how hard it is to change an industry. It also begs the question of why there have traditionally been so many more light shades than dark shades in makeup lines. Well it had a lot to do with beauty standards. In many countries around the world, lighter skin has historically been seen as more beautiful than darker skin. Even though in America we like to think that we’ve overcome that, many brands have not. But the tide is turning and brands are starting to become more inclusive. As women of color like Rihanna start making their own beauty lines, more and more options are becoming available. The standard of beauty in America and around the world is becoming more diverse. Different skin tones are being embraced in ad campaigns, and I think that’s an amazing thing. Everyone should feel beautiful in their own skin, and everybody should be able to find products.

The road to inclusivity in the beauty industry has been a long one. However, brands are realizing more and more that they have to account for everyone’s needs. It’s about making sure everyone feels like they have been thought of. Fenty Beauty took a giant step in the right direction, and I can’t wait to see the strides that the beauty industry will take in the future.

Sources:

http://www.thisisinsider.com/tarte-cosmetics-shape-tape-foundation-range-2018-1

https://www.fentybeauty.com/

https://www.wmagazine.com/story/how-rihanna-fenty-beauty-changing-beauty-industry