These looks feature some of Beauty Team’s favorite products from @fentybeauty and @juviasplace. Thank you to Jasmine and Ruth for sharing some of their thoughts and experiences with the beauty industry as black women:
“It’s alarming to think that it was not until 2017 that Black women began to receive what is now being perceived as proper or adequate representation in the beauty industry. In recent years many brands have attempted to rewrite their images by marketing to more BIPOC and “expanding” their shade ranges, although many of these missions have been called out for pandering. Following Fenty Beauty’s extremely successful debut, it seemed as if the beauty world was launched into battle, brands expanding their shade ranges endlessly in hopes to outdo the last, almost making a game out of the situation: “Which brand loves Black people the most?” Performative action/activism, in all areas, has no purpose other than to simply make a mockery of the very real hardships Black people have experienced for years. Brands that market to Black communities but do not actually do the work required to actively listen and help us, stand only as a representation of everything we are actively fighting against. Moreover, with the recent events that have brought the Black Lives Matter movement to the forefront of current events, brands were explicitly called out by Sharon Chuter, of UOMA Beauty’s, #PullUpORShutUp challenge, where consumers demanded multiple companies to make their hiring demographics public knowledge. As many quickly learned, most of the large beauty corporations who did participate accompanied their dismal statistics with a statement claiming that in the future they will do more work to ensure there is always diversity in their businesses. To see the same course of events repeat themselves time and time again only proves that the interests of Black people continue to be actively being ignored.
As a dark-skinned black woman who has grown up in a society that has always tried to tell that my interests, my beliefs, and my person, are not valuable enough, it is important to me that the companies I buy from and support, support who I am as well. This is exactly why I encourage everybody I know to shop black-owned everything. Without fears that these companies are ever being disingenuous to my beliefs, shopping from black-owned brands has always made me feel represented and cared for as a consumer, something I believe many take for granted. I will always remember walking into Sephora on the day that Fenty Beauty dropped their first foundation and being shocked that for the first time, there were multiple shades that were even darker than me. Walking into a drugstore and being able to find makeup that matches your true skin tone is a privilege that most Black people do not get to experience. To be actively ignored and only spotlighted when there is a greater benefit to be earned by the presenters than the actual action being done is a burden that I no longer care to entertain. We all must do our part to make sure that Black voices continue to be heard and more importantly, start to be appreciated. I may not be able to change the past, but I know that I will do my part to make sure that our future will be just one. Whether that be shopping from black-owned businesses or using your voice to stand up for what you believe, we all must do our part.” – Jasmine Turkson
“I began experimenting with makeup at a young age. More often than not, I would struggle to find foundation and concealer that matched my complexion and eyeshadow, lipstick and blush that were pigmented enough to appear on my skin. For many years, I felt ignored by the mainstream beauty industry, and I felt that those products were simply not made for people who looked like me. Thankfully, with the rise of brands like Fenty Beauty, leading the way with over 40 shades of foundation, more and more brands have started to move towards inclusivity. Supporting Black-owned beauty brands is important because it allows for representation of women of color in the beauty industry. Specifically, giving Black women recognition in the beauty industry and buying directly from Black-owned brands is one of the many ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Lastly, supporting Black-owned makeup brands like Fenty, Juvia’s place, and Beauty Bakerie allows society to challenge beauty ideals and shape them more to include people of color.” – Ruth Goshu
Check out more brands on Instagram: