When I was in sixth grade, I got bullied a lot for looking like a boy. I had shaggy hair, wore boyish or straight up boy clothing, and refrained from anything pink and sparkly. I didn't wear makeup like so many other girls had started doing. I didn't need to. I was a girl. I knew I was a girl and I expected everyone to know that as well. But the increasing amount of teachers (and even my principal) mistaking me for a boy in front of my peers was starting to take its toll on me. I soon came to think of myself as ugly. At one point, during class when a guest speaker called me 'sir' and the entire class erupted with laughter, I was directed to the school counselor.
I didn't want to go and still wish I hadn't.
She basically said that once my boobs grew (joke's on you, Regina) and once I started wearing makeup, that people would see me as a girl (joke's on you, Regina). So, my mom, after hearing my sad story that day. Took me to Dollar Tree and bought me my first liquid eyeliner and mascara. Womanhood was sure to be mine.
While I would love to tell you my journey to self-acceptance and how I view putting on makeup as a sub-art form that allows me to self-express, I won't. Because there are far more pressing makeup topics in this world. Specifically, women of color.
The drugstore makes up scene does not favor women of color.
I'm not saying this to be rude, or to be hateful. I'm saying this because it's true. Stop reading, go to Wal-Mart or Walgreens, or Target, and look at the foundations for every makeup brand being sold. Go. Right now.
Welcome back. Now, tell me, what did you see?
I'll tell you what I see. Ivory, light ivory, dark ivory, beige, medium beige, fair, light fair, fair light, dark beige, beach, peach, sand, beach sand beige, the most beige beige. When it comes to foundation, white folks and people with lighter skin have at least fifteen to twenty options to choose from. People with darker skin tones have maybe four at best. And even then the formula could be too yellow, too red, it could wash them out.
I was on YouTube, as is my favorite thing to do when avoiding homework, and I watched this video about this gorgeous model, Philomena, trying to find the drugstore foundation that would fit her. She couldn't find anything that came close to her shade. And then she did an interview with Iman. They talked about how limited women of color are when it comes to drugstore makeup. Listen. The fact that Iman. FREAKINGBEAUTIFULGORGEOUS IMAN cannot walk into a Wal-Mart and find a foundation that fits her from the plethora of brands in the makeup section is ridiculous. The fact that black girls other girls of color cannot walk up into a Wal-Mart and find a foundation that fits their skin tone is ridiculous. There are girls who have to buy two different shades of foundation and mix them together to get the shade right. There are girls who are spending double of what I am spending on drugstore foundation so they can get the right shade.
So my question is this: What is the makeup industry afraid of? What is so intimidating about catering to women of color? What is so scary about a non-white girl wanting to find a foundation that fits her? White girls get that comfort. As a white girl, I can say that. I can find a perfect shade for me in almost five minutes. But why not girls of color?
Our country is becoming more diverse. Our women are becoming more diverse. And the makeup industry needs to wake up and catch up.
