Women of color still face challenges when searching for their shade match

By Latricia Young 

There has been a problem with finding the correct shade when it comes to makeup for quite some time.

For women of color, the challenge of finding a shade that matches their skin tone has been a reality for many years. Until recently, makeup companies did not create foundations deeper than “tan.”

Now, women of color have more choices than ever. Companies like Kat Von D, NARS and Fenty Beauty ensure their foundations are available for women of all colors.

However, the movement toward more inclusive shades continues.Companies like Tarte insist on releasing the “easier to make” light shades and keep women of color waiting for their turn to contribute to the makeup community.

“I typically don’t wear much foundation but I was beyond stoked to try Rihanna’s, she can do no wrong in my eyes. I picked my shade based on looking at the line-up, and surprisingly it matched pretty well,” said Natasha Hatendi on the site.

Companies were over looking women of color in their line of makeup. Until the release of Fenty Beauty the deepest dark foundation could not be found. Will more companies start changing up the color lines? Will their sales be even greater because of it?

In 2017, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty became the breakaway star of the beauty industry with their initial foundation being released in 40 shades.  With 40 different shades, from the lightest to the deepest dark Rihanna’s Fenty has sold over 72 million dollars in media sales, within one month.

Fenty Beauty was released during New York Fashion Week in September 2017. The makeup line has been in the works for little over 2 1/2 years.

“The makeup line I prefer to use would be L’Oréal & Black Radiance.The effects of war on different shades has changed my perspective on makeup brands a lot because as a women of color I feel as though makeup brands are starting to be inclusive and understanding that we don’t all come in either medium , dark or deep dark but we come in shades like cool dark or warm deep dark. That there are women and men who come in different shades,” said junior and psychology major, Breanna Madeus.

Tarte founded by Maureen Kelly is all about the natural foundations. She only has four shades of dark and the rest are of lighter shades. There are many ups and downs in the makeup industry and with each company trying to please consumers the changes have been showing to be a plus with each review. The fight to find a foundation that covers your skin without having to apply so much, was another problem when it came to finding the right makeup brand. Reviews from Rihanna’s Fenty have shown little to no foundation applied, you still end up with a fully covered flawless look.

“I prefer using Fenty. As a black women I have always felt that I was placed on the back burner and never given a second thought by many of these larger brands.We were considered unmarketable,” said junior and communication major, Patrice Snuggs. “Since Rihanna came out with Fenty I’ve noticed more larger brands are just now looking in our direction. But I feel it’s too late now.”

There are so many brands to choose from. From feedback, research color shade and coverage have outweighed any concerns when it comes to the best option. Price is another concern that was mentioned by consumers.

The world of makeup is continuing to meet the standards of women of color in order to establish a fair representation.