February 3, 2020 – By Ella Wingfield
For decades darker skin tones have been widely ignored at the hands of beauty companies. Recent years have seen the beauty industry finally beginning to become a more inclusive space. But what kick-started this much needed shift to increasing diversity, and how much further do we still have to go?
The Fenty Effect
No one nude works for all. A revelation it has taken the beauty industry far too long to act upon. Especially when many consumers have continuously struggled to find a shade to match their skin tone.
Fenty Beauty is the overnight sensation that catapulted inclusivity into the core of the beautysphere. Rhianna’s Fenty launch in September 2017 saw the release of 40 core foundations, allowing under-represented consumers to finally shop their shade. Home to an equally diverse concealer collection, and named one of Time magazine’s best inventions of 2017, Fenty was only the beginning.
2017 saw the launch of Flesh Beauty’s 40 shade-inclusive stick foundations. With the tagline “Flesh comes in every color of you”, Flesh Beauty aims to redefine the industry’s definition of nude.
From foundations to highlighters, Flesh Beauty wasn’t the only brand following in Fenty’s footsteps. The stereotypical idea of beauty was (thankfully) being challenged, making room for a wider spectrum of women. A spectrum inclusive of all races, ethnicities, cultures and religions.
NYX has extended their Lip Lingerie collection to include 24 nude shades produced with a vegan formula – another win. The inclusive range consists of variously pigmented matte liquid lipsticks, beyond an array of pale pink.
Many of the most renowned brands are playing catch-up when it comes to inclusivity, making it important to keep their 40 shade launches authentic and high-quality. Because who wants to finally find their shade to be stuck with a cakey foundation that can’t survive a bit of drizzle?
One brand who has got this spot on is Dior. Dior’s Backstage Face and Body Foundation is lightweight, long lasting and found in 40 diverse shades. With a natural dewy finish and organised by 6 undertone groups, this collection has been meticulously planned pre-launch. Rumoured to have been used as Meghan Markle’s wedding day foundation, Dior have produced a foundation that is both natural and buildable.
Inclusive make-up ranges and diverse beauty campaigns are quickly, and rightly, becoming the societal norm. Once-struggling consumers can now not only find their shade on the beauty counter but are also starting to have options on which brands and products to use. A convenience so many of us take for granted.
Where Do We Go From Here?
While beauty brands are working overtime to prove their inclusivity in the form of extensive foundation shades, how much thought is really behind this new era of diversity? There is more to our skin than colour alone. Varied skin tones also mean varied textures and needs.
A product that works well on lightly pigmented skin, will not always ways react the same on darker skin. As a 50 shade foundation range fast becomes the norm, beauty companies will need to learn how to best accommodate differing skin tones in other ways.
One brand to learn from is Uoma. Launched in 2019, Uoma offers 51 shades, six colour families and a unique base for differing skin tones. Uoma is recognising the requirements of various skin tones (beyond shade matching), putting in the time, effort and research needed to help build a fully inclusive industry.
Fundamentally, beauty should be inclusive. While the beauty department is no longer a display of ivory and beige, there’s still a long way to go before we can state the industry is 100% inclusive.
Seeing how far the industry has come in the 2 years since the Fenty Beauty launch is promising. As consumers continue to demand more and brands continue to deliver, hopefully we can begin to see the full inclusiveness that is frankly, long overdue.
Ella Wingfield
Ella is a Fashion Promotion graduate pursuing her passion for ethical clothing and fashion journalism at KeiSei Magazine. You can find more of her work at ellawingfieldfashion.com.
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