Ever since the whole Tarte Shape Tape debacle, I have been a lot more cognizant of shade ranges in various brands. When it comes to talking about and to women of color, as a white woman, I want to make sure I’m not coming off as overly preachy or like I know best, as clearly, I do not have the same experiences as women of color– especially when it comes to buying makeup. However, my friend Eileen told me that she thought it was important that women and men of color know what brands are out there for them. And though I am positive I am not the first to discuss this topic, I thought I would share what I know – to the best of my ability. If there is a person of color reading this and you want to weigh in on your own experiences, by all means! Please! And if needed, I will edit my blog to reflect your thoughts!
I would like to use this blog as a resource of resources, so to speak. I have some product recommendations but there are other Influencers who have made it their life’s work to talk about the disparity when it comes to makeup for people of color. Jackie Aina is one of my favorite YouTubers, and she consistently talks about shade range in the industry.. Deepica Mutyala is and Influencer and the founder of Tinted, which is a digital community focused on the representation of all the shades in between. In their About page, they say, “While beauty is our starting point, we delve deeper into the stories of women (and men!) who are underrepresented in this demographic through our editorial, video, and community forums.” I also really enjoy watching MakeupShayla, Alissa Ashley and Glamdit. There are so many others I could recommend, but those are the gals I personally watch, and I’m sure you could get more ideas from them!
Historically, the beauty industry as a whole has favored lighter skinned women. People of color have had a difficult time finding their shade/undertone in a foundation at both the drugstore and the department store. Luckily, that is starting to shift — even if it’s just a little bit. I have definitely noticed that higher end brands are definitely upping their game in recent times.
This didn’t START with Fenty Beauty, but Rihanna’s new makeup brand made a huge splash by launching with 40 shades, right out of the gate. Usually, a brand with start with a decent amount of shades and then expand the range if the formula does well. But Rihanna was like, hell no. EVERYONE should be able to find their shade RIGHT NOW. And that was pretty revolutionary.
Of course, as I am writing this, she only has one formula of foundation, the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation ($34) which means that not everyone will find that it will actually work for their particular skin type. It’s a full-coverage, matte foundation, so those with skin on the dryer side may find that this may not work as well for them. But I’ve watched videos where people with dry skin have mixed the foundation with primers/moisturizers/a drop of oil, etc. and they have made it work for them. It can be done! But Fenty has only been around for about a year so I’m positive that they will come out with all sorts of formulas as they grow. And I know they will continue killing it with their shade ranges.
Beauty Bakerie is an awesome indie makeup line owned by a black woman named Cashmere Nicole. So many of their items have cute baking-themed names, which I think is fun. Her Cake Mix Demi-Matte Foundation ($28) has 30 shades ranging from very deep to very pale. The foundation is said to provide medium-to-full coverage for a smudge-proof, skin-smoothing finish, while also being creamy and lightweight.
And she did something really subtle but interesting in the way the shades are arranged on the page: The first shade in the line (#1) is the darkest shade and it goes to shade #59, which is the lightest shade. She said that the darker-skinned girls of the world are sometimes seen as last in more ways than one. So this was just a little way to put them first, which I think is actually a really powerful statement.
Recently, Jouer came out with a full-coverage foundation with 50 shades. FIFTY! I think they started 20+ shades and then added 30+ shades to the range, which is really nice. Their Essential High Coverage Foundation ($38) is said to “create an impeccable, airbrushed matte finish instantly.” Which sounds lovely, but unlike Fenty, it’s difficult to want to buy a foundation from an internet brand. However, they do have a helpful Foundation Finder which can definitely help a bit. However, you are able to receive a full refund within 30 days of delivery, which is nice.
MAC Cosmetics has so many different formulas and a wide variety of shades. There aren’t 40 shades for each formula or anything, but people of color have been able to find their shades in a Mac foundation for many, many years.
Because Make Up For Ever was created by a makeup artist, they have consistently had a good spectrum of shades from light to dark. Specifically, their Ultra HD formula ($43) has 40 shades, which is awesome.
The new NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation ($49) comes in 33 shades, and I’ve heard this is such a beautiful foundation. But it’s the most expensive of the bunch. You should definitely go to Sephora and get a sample of this bad boy to see if you like it before dropping $50! This foundation is said to have medium but buildable coverage, and will provide 16 hours of lightweight, natural, fade-resistant wear.
But not everyone wants to spend over $30 on a foundation. There aren’t as many drugstore options as there are in high-end or department stores, WHICH IS CRAZY TO ME, BTW. EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND A FOUNDATION AT AN AFFORDABLE COST. HOW DID WE GET HERE?! First things first: Black Opal. I have been seeing Black Opal on the shelves for so many years and only recently did I realize that it might have been one of POC’s only drugstore option for many years. They have several different foundation formulas, so you are likely to find one that works for you for around $10.
We also can’t forget about Iman Cosmetics. Like Black Opal, Iman Cosmetics has several different foundation formulas in shades that range from medium to deep.
Maybelline’s FitMe Foundation ($8) line has 40 shades (32 at Ulta) and has gotten rave reviews over the years. It’s awesome that they have a decent shade range that you can find at the drugstore. Their Matte and Poreless version is said to erase pores and absorb oil for a naturally matte and poreless-looking finish. There is also a Dewy and Smooth formula, but that only has a disappointing 16 shades. :-/
Artist Couture, best known for their amazing highlighters, partnered with Influencer Jackie Aina (who is incredible, btw – seriously, you should watch her videos immediately) to create two highlighters that look poppin on people of color. La Peach ($28) is a bit rosy and La Bronze ($28) is, well, bronzy.
Becca Highlighters ($38) have been all the rage for years for their buttery smooth texture and their beaming shine. They offer a ton of shades so people of color should be able to find a shade that works for them! In fact, they just released their new Chocolate Geode shade, which is a gorgeous bronze highlighter and looks incredible on dark skin tones.
Dark-skinned women have sometimes found eyeshadows to be difficult as well, because if shades aren’t pigmented or if they are very light, they just won’t work as beautifully on darker skin. I have found a few brands owned by WOC that make beautiful products, but especially eye shadows: Coloured Raine and Juvia’s Place. I’ve actually tried both and they are LEGIT.
Juvia’s Place is incredibly affordable for the exceptionally high quality you will receive. Their palettes are very interesting, and you can do some insanely artistic beautiful looks or there are palettes that will help you achieve a very natural, every-day look. It depends what you are looking for, but I know you’d find something you will fall in love with at Juvia’s Place. JP also has eyeshadow singles if that’s what you are looking for, but I think their palettes are really where they shine.
Coloured Raine has some incredibly beautiful palettes, like the Queen of Hearts palette ($50) I have always wanted. They also have some of the most beautiful single shadows. If you have heard of Makeup Geek foiled shadows, Coloured Raine offers an almost identical formula for a few dollars cheaper. I have foiled shades from both brands so I know this for myself.
I’m not pretending that this is an extensive list or that I know everything but I hope this can at least be a jumping off point for a few resources. I definitely want this to be as helpful as possible, so please let me know if there is anything I should add or edit.
xo,
Lauren