Growing up I became used to seeing my mother and aunts using foundation or face powder that was at least two shades too light for them. The familiar chalky residue that it would leave on the faces of the women I loved is evident to this day in the photos taken of them. I often wonder if it is these images that prevented me from wearing foundation well into adulthood, and even now I rarely wear it.
I am lucky that for the most part I don't feel the need to wear foundation. I am however a big concealer girl - hello dark circles due having three children - though I can't just blame my kids alone, the pigmentation under my eyes has been there since I was a child.
The lady at the makeup counter told me that there was only one shade available for me - 'medium'.
When I was a teenager I remembered going to a department store because I'd read about concealers in a magazine. The lady at the makeup counter told me that there was only one shade available for me - 'medium'. On the other hand there were a variety of shades to cater for women with lighter skin tones. At the time I didn't even question this. I accepted this inequality, much like I had accepted much of the inequality I saw as a child growing up in this country. Until very recently I still reached for the trusty 'medium' shade when I was buying concealers, even though what exactly medium was varied greatly.
The popular Instagram account is testament to the fact that shades for darker skin tones vary greatly. Created by Ofunne Amaka so she could compare makeup swatches on deep complexions, the account now has over 150k followers - it seems many people feel the same way about finding a true match for their skin tone.
The launch of Fenty in 2017 was a godsend for many women of colour because the brand released 40 shades of foundation, many catering for darker complexions. However as Ofunne Amaka mentioned in an , most of these darker shades were only available online.
"I’m not sure where the disconnect is happening, but retailers don’t sell deep shades in-store. When brands come out with 30, 40-shade foundation ranges, the customer may not know they exist because it's not in store. So, they’re forced to go online and make guesses, which isn’t a great experience."
Amaka was talking about customers like me. Most of my beauty purchases happen online because I don't find the shades to match my skin tone in-store. And the fact of the matter is, Australian beauty counters lag far behind their American counterparts.
Australian beauty counters lag far behind their American counterparts.
This is something that is only now being recognised by Australian online beauty companies such as Adore Beauty - a wildly successful brand that saw a over Covid-19, when many women turned to shopping online for their beauty needs.
In a recent Adore Beauty’s Founder Kate Morris wrote about how one of her employees found it hard to buy foundation using her staff discount because the company didn't stock shades in her skin colour. In an where Morris went on to launch her #stockallshades initiative, she wrote: "Beauty in Australia isn't as inclusive as you think it is. Many Australians cannot access foundations or concealers in their shade. Why? Because shades catering to people of colour that are sold overseas are currently not available on our shores."
This isn't news to women of colour in Australia of course, as many including myself will testify about their years' long struggle to find inclusive makeup.
Some may also say this is a savvy move by a company trying to increase its user base. But ultimately even if it is, for the consumer at least, having more choice when it comes to makeup is nothing but positive news.
Until the beauty industry catches up, many WOC have turned to different ways of finding beauty products that suit their skin tones. I for example, began buying different shades of concealers and mixing them to find a colour match that works for me. I have also turned to buying from overseas retailers and paying hefty shipping fees to have products sent to me - though that's in my favour.
There are of working out the best concealer and foundation for your skin tone - including determining your undertones and what sort of coverage you are looking for - rather than my haphazard approach of shopping online. But no one is denying the easiest option would be to go a professional at a makeup counter to help you discover the best shade for your skin colour.
Based on my last visit to the shops however, there hasn't been much progress since the 'medium' shade that was once offered to me. Hopefully though, as beauty brands and retailers wake up to the fact that many of their customers aren't being catered for, things will begin to change for the better and no one will have to be photographed with the chalky residue left by mismatched makeup on their face.
