#1 thing we can do to make the Makeup Industry more Inclusive
The beauty industry (and what we call the “beauty community”) is multifaceted and complex. There’s always something new happening or changing, but the last year has caused the industry to slow down a bit and for good reason.
You’ve noticed right? A global pandemic and closer attention on systemic racism has shaken the beauty industry.
Some makeup brands have opened up their wallets to donate to organizations that fight racism, discrimination and social injustice.
This is a step in the right direction for sure, but there is more work to be done.
A quick backstory
I was in high school when I started wearing pressed powder to even out my skintone (what I wouldn’t give to get that skin back, ugh).
Back then, Covergirl was one of my only options at the drugstore and 1 of the 2 deepest shades they sold was “Soft Sable”.
In fact, “Toffee”, “Soft Sable”, and another shade I cant recall were the only “deep” shades I remember.
Those shades were in no way deep enough to cover the P.O.C (people of color) spectrum, but I made do with what was available.
For years, the makeup industry didn’t change. I would argue that it still hasn’t changed enough to consistently include shades for all black and brown people.
Fortunately, there is something WE can do to push makeup inclusivity forward.
It will take sacrifice (for some), and closer attention to what products we buy.
Could our spending be co-signing the problem?
I’m just going to put it out there.
The money we spend in support of our favorite makeup brands, act as a co-sign to their business and philosophy.
For example, if a makeup brand releases a new line of pressed powders and we purchase that powder. It tells the brand a few things:
- Their marketing tactics are working.
- The product they created is interesting enough to spend our hard earned coins.
- We support that brand.
This information allows the brand to go back to the drawing board with information on what kind of products they should create next, who is purchasing the products, where they are purchasing and more.
Brands literally create and grow their business based on what we buy (and dont buy).
Where am I going with this?
Purchasing products that are not made for everyone sends a signal to the brand.
It tells them to NOT produce products for everyone, because they’re doing great already.
By purchasing non-inclusive makeup products (ie. concealers in 4 shades, foundations in 3 shades, etc.), we show the brand that they dont need to cater to the full spectrum of consumers. They are already meeting their sales goals with just a small fraction of potential customers.
We may have gotten suckered into marketing, packaging, and sponsorships from Influencers, but did we consider to what extent that covers all makeup lovers?
Read: Meet 75 Black Owned Brand Beauty Founders (from Essence.com)
What is an Inclusive Makeup Product?
Inclusive means “including or involving all parties represented in a group”.
An Inclusive makeup product is a product that can be purchased and used by all parties that desire to wear that product.
This includes all shade ranges, age ranges, cultures, and communities such as LGBTQIA+ consumers and more.
What makes a makeup product launch inclusive?
A well executed, fully inclusive makeup product release should (at the minimum):
- Market to different groups of people (including Black people, other POC, the LGBT+ community and more).
- Show representation of those people in advertising and on social media.
- Create equal access to product for all shades (in-store and online).
As a consumer this makes sense, but for a brand this is a considerable amount of time and money.
In the case of “for profit business”: time, money into, and estimated ROI (return on investment) is their bottom line.
So, will a makeup brand do what’s right for the sake of product equality when it may COST them time and money?
Not necessarily.
In some cases, not if they dont HAVE to.
When we give our money to lack luster non-inclusive product launches we give makeup brands to “go ahead” to continue leaving out important groups of people.
This saves the brand time and money, and also increases profit margins.
Here’s where it gets grim.
The idea that certain groups of people (Black people, POC, the LGBT+ community and more) are not valuable consumers and therefore shouldn’t be marketed to, represented in campaigns, be a paid influencer, or take space on a store shelf is discriminatory.
Even worse than that.
We may be inadvertently co-signing a makeup brands approach, when we purchase a product that is not inclusive.
Brands who don’t show black people and other historically under-represented people on their social media, in their advertisements, and in their staffing are operating under the bias that only certain dollars matter.
But we dont have to stand for this.
We actually hold the power to change and increase equality in the beauty industry.
(Editor’s Note: Discrimination in the makeup and beauty industry as it relates to artists, hiring, production, etc. is another very important topic that deserves an entire post. I hope to deep dive into that topic at some point soon.)
#1 thing you can do to make the Makeup Industry more inclusive
The phrase “vote with your dollars” applies really well to the makeup industry. Although you may not subscribe to the idea of “cancelling” a brand, you (we) can be mindful of which product releases you do support.
If a new product (like a pressed powder) is introduced by a makeup brand you love, ask yourself:
- Does this product have a shade for everyone?
- Sometimes makeup brands will hide behind seemingly reasonable shade range numbers (ie. 20, 25, etc.) but still not offer a wide ranges of colors, fairest to deepest.
- Is the product available to everyone?
- Some makeup brands will offer a range of shades, but the deeper shades are hidden as “online only”.
- Have you seen real swatches (or photos with that product worn) that match the promotional photos?
- Some brands will show promising marketing photos and swatches that are edited to look more diverse in shade depth.
- Does this brand feature and employ people of diverse backgrounds?
- Can your favorite beauty influencers, artists, and creators wear this product?
- Some brands will produce a decent range of products, but continually post (and hire) only white or white passing influencers and celebrities.
How to hold brands accountable and change the makeup industry
If you (as a member of the beauty community) ask yourself these questions, then making a decision on whether to purchase a product may get easier.
ONLY supporting products that drive the movement of inclusivity in makeup should be purchased at this point.
I know I can’t tell you what to do with YOUR money.
This is still a learning process for me too.
But, let me ask you this…
Are you really be helping the makeup industry move towards inclusivity (as it relates to products) if you continue to purchase those pressed powders with 3 shades?!
With endless amounts of makeup brands to discover, you can likely find an alternative, you may even love that new product/brand even more!
The #1 thing you can do to make the Makeup Industry more Inclusive is by purchase Inclusive products.
This is the easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to propel the change many of us are looking for.
Its the easiest because if a product you love is clearly not inclusive, then there is a similar product waiting for you to try from a different brand. I 100% guarantee it, the beauty industry is huge!
Read: These Black Owned Makeup Brands Need To Be On Your Radar (B.O.M.B)
Its the cheapest thing you can do because holding your hard earned money for inclusive products simply saves you money.
Its the most effective way because of what I mentioned earlier. Brands use their sales information to advance their business.
Could you imagine how torn up a brand would be if their most anticipated release was a flop because the beauty community banded together to NOT support it?!
This is not to say that entire brands should be boycotted or “canceled”, that decision and how you spend your money is up to you.
However, you can choose to re-allocate your money to a product (or brand) who is doing the right thing.
(Editor’s Note: Many of us are already doing this without thinking about it. This is because we (Black people, POC, the LGBT+ community and more) are the ones being left out in the first place. We certainly cant buy a product that doesn’t come in our shade, right?!)
My handy dandy chart on how to spot an Inclusive makeup product
It may be hard to know when a product is well rounded and representative of all people.
I cant tell you which brands to support or what products to buy.
But, I did put together a few tips on how you can look for inclusive makeup products.
This chart in no way encompasses everything you should consider, but its a start.
I would love to hear about what things you consider before purchasing a product.
In the meantime, consider sharing and supporting social justice movements (a few listed below) as we wait 5 seconds for the next beauty product launch to compete for our dollars.
Who and Where to Donate/Support Social Injustice:
- Black Lives Matter Global Network
- Human Rights Campaign
- United We Dream
- List of Bail Out Funds across the U.S.
(Editor’s Note: None of the pictures/graphics are intended to critique or promote any specific brand. They are simply visual aids.)
