FENTYBeauty is most known for it’s release of the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation and it’s impressive range, which includes 40 different shades. The representation shown throughout the campaign has made an impact on black women around the world and highlighted the issue of exclusivity of these women in media and the beauty industry, which has been a problem for as long as the beauty industry has been standing.
Rihanna was even seen talking about the importance of this shade range, and has even promoted these shades on her Twitter account. She makes a huge emphasis on the importance of making products inclusive for all skin tones and types.
Rihanna was seen in a video discussing the process of making her cosmetics line, she would bring ideas to the table by saying “we need something for a pale girl, we need something for a dark-skinned girl.” Rihanna’s concern for representation in her cosmetics line has generated a positive impact, especially for this albino woman who says she has finally found a foundation that has matched her face and neck for the first time ever.
The beauty industry has been confronted by multiple black beauty influencers, like Jackie Aina (who is also working on creating an inclusive shade range of her own with Too Faced), about it’s racism and it’s habit of excluding dark skin women in their complexion cosmetics. Nyma Tang has also confronted the beauty industry through her “Darkest Shades” segments.
But, there has been a wave of cosmetic companies that has hopped on the bandwagon after it was reported that most/all of FENTYBeauty’s foundations in the dark shades have been sold out. Since companies are seeing that it is profitable to market to dark skin women, makeup lovers on Twitter have been calling them out. Rihanna has even called out the company Makeup Forever for this by commenting on their instagram post.
Will Rihanna’s undeniable impact influence cosmetic companies across the globe to finally gear in the direction of including dark skin black women in their campaigns and makeup releases? Here’s to hoping!
Photo credits: cover photo, 1