There are still makeup brands in 2024 who are failing to provide diverse shades of foundation. When Youthforia, a makeup line created by Fiona Co Chan in 2021, was criticized for their lack of shade ranges, Chan’s response was to add a few more deeper shades, one of which is Youthforia’s darkest foundation shade: a jet-black foundation with, according to internet users, zero undertones. The Internet is rightfully outraged.
Youthforia first released their Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation ($48) in August 2023, a foundation that was made to be slept in. They were called out online for severely lacking an inclusive range of shades. So, in March 2024, their response was to release more “inclusive” shades, one of which included a completely black foundation. With over ten colors for lighter complexions, there is still an obvious lack of effort considering how few deeper shades they have. IMO, Youthforia’s “darkest shade” of foundation disregards the existence of undertones in people with darker complexions. Her Campus reached out to the brand for comment, but did not hear back.
At a price as expensive as $48, there’s especially no excuse for this foundation shade to have no dimension. TikTok creators have compared the shade #600 to black face paint. Amidst the Internet’s uproar, Youthforia is still selling the item on their website as of May 1. TikTokers have since been sharing their opinion on this shade and advocating for its removal.
Beauty influencer @golloria posted a TikTok of her trying out the Youthforia foundation shade #600 and voiced how wrong the company was for dropping a shade like this.
“Not only in 2024 is this so disgusting and disrespectful, but this needs to be pulled off the shelves,” said Golloria.
“Take the browns that you’ve made and create undertones and do what you need to do in the lab so it’s a darker shade of brown… there’s literally only four to five shades [on their website] for people that actually have dark complexions. Not really for Black people, if we’re being honest,” she said.
She explained that even people with a darker skin tone than her wouldn’t be able to use a foundation like this.
“There’s no undertone, no depth, no dimension, and that’s a problem. It goes far beyond just being damn near black,” she continued in a second TikTok about the product. “Obviously, there are darker people than me, however, I know that when it comes to the end of the spectrum in tone, color, and complexion, I am one of the darkest. The shade literally lacks color because it’s flat. It would not complement any skin tone, let alone the one they’re marketing it for,” Golloria said.
Model Awuoi Matiop felt that Youthforia’s foundation was a slap in the face.
“This should be a crime. This is what we get when we ask to be included in the beauty industry because there’s just no way in 2024 we’re getting this,” said Matiop. Given the beauty industry’s history of racism, Youthforia should be ashamed.
Javon Ford, a cosmetic chemist, posted a TikTok identifying three different colors in the ingredient list to one of Youthforia’s lighter foundations. Their darkest shade only has one pigment, which is just black iron oxide. It’s as if the company stopped trying when it came to color-matching deeper complexions.
“This foundation literally only has pure, black pigment… this problem is so avoidable, she literally could’ve used NARS or Fenty foundation as a benchmark. This brand does not care about us,” he said.
TikTok isn’t the only platform outraged by Youthforia. X, formerly known as Twitter, also explained their frustrations with the company and pointing out Youthforia’s apparent lack of research when it comes to dark skin tones.
The anger against Youthforia is rightfully deserved, in my opinion. So far, the company has not made a statement in response nor have they removed the shade from their website.