Perspective
Newsflash: it’s not about shade number – it’s about shade range
Until recently, my relationship with make-up was one-sided. I’ve always been drawn to the creative expression it provides. I love experimenting with foundations, concealers, blush and more. It’s just that the companies that make this stuff haven’t always loved me back – or, honestly, seen me at all.
In school, I’d wander through make-up aisles and not be able to find a single complexion product for my dark, South Sudanese skin. I’d get angry as I watched my lighter-skinned friends shop without a care in the world. Later, as a fresher at uni, I remember the embarrassment I felt when an associate at a make-up counter picked up the darkest shade of a new concealer and swatched it on my cheek – only to reveal a chalky orange hue four shades lighter than my skin. I once again left empty-handed. Where was my shade?
Lately, some brands have started waking up to the issue,offering foundations and concealers in more than 40 shades. But simply having a wider range of shades doesn’t make you inclusive, especially if the majority are for light or medium skintones... and if even your darkest option is still several shades lighter than my skin.
It wasn’t until I tried Fenty Beauty’s foundation that I saw a formula blend seamlessly into my skin. I felt so beautiful. So seen. But also still frustrated. Fenty is one of only a handful of truly toneinclusive brands out there. Why do these continue to be the exception, not the rule? Every make-up brand should be celebrating all shades of deep and dark skin. We’re not some monolith; our skin comes in so many shades and tones, and make-up lines should reflect that.
By January 2022, I’d had enough. I started a TikTok account dedicated to make-up for dark skin, where I celebrate the brands getting it right – and call out those getting it wrong. I knew I had to talk about my struggles to push for change.
It’s been a rewarding journey, but not an easy one. Time and time again, I see other beauty creators raving about new complexion products and when I go to check them out, there are – you guessed it – no shades for me. Or the darkest shade in a viral contour launch still leaves my face looking grey. Or a PR person from a make-up brand sends me a blush palette to try and each of the peach, pale-pink or mauve pigments disappears the second I tap it on to my cheeks.
My plea to the beauty industry is simple: work with more Black people. Hire Black employees, shoot campaigns with Black models and give creators with darker complexions the chance to be shade consultants. An
