2022 TRENDSETTERS
Makeup as diverse as beauty
An advocacy campaign and a challenger brand joined the global push for better representation in foundation ranges in 2021 . The local beauty industry has taken note .
Start-ups and multinationals alike are recognising the fact that the beauty industry needs to be more diverse and present a greater selection of skin shades in cosmetic products such as foundation and concealer .
Despite the success of Rihanna ’ s Fenty Beauty brand , which launched in 2017 with 40 different shades of foundation – it currently offers 50 – many mainstream brands still don ’ t offer a wide range of medium and dark shades with different undertones .
In March , Adore Beauty launched the Global Shades Initiative to increase the range of foundation and concealer shades it stocks on its website . The concept came about after the online retailer ’ s head of campaign and strategy , Shanthi Murugan , alerted company founder Kate Morris to the fact that the site didn ’ t stock a single shade of foundation that was dark enough to suit her skin .
“ I suddenly realised that the series of simple decisions that the business had made to try to manage inventory levels and cashflow , such as only ordering stock of the most popular eight or 10 shades of any makeup product , had led to the exclusion of most people of colour ,” Morris wrote in a post on LinkedIn .
“[ Murugan ’ s ] courageous email was the start of Adore ’ s long journey towards inclusivity , and addressing the problem caused by my ignorance .”
Australian supermarkets were pushed to take action this year following a petition started by Rebecca Willink to make beauty more accessible and inclusive for people of colour .
Both Coles and Woolworths agreed to make changes as a result of Willink ’ s Make the Space campaign , starting with trials of darker foundation shades in collaboration with beauty giants Maybelline and L ’ Oréal .
Prior to the trial , supermarkets rarely stocked any foundation shades darker than beige , Willink says .
“ These trials are a first for the
Australian beauty industry , as no supermarket in Australian history has ever stocked a full range of shades ,” Willink told Inside FMCG . “ Australia is also the first country globally to expand foundation shades in the grocery sector during these trials , which is very exciting to see . Hopefully our country can pave the way for other countries to do the same .”
CONSUMERS AROUND THE WORLD EXPECT MORE Maybelline New York first introduced 40 shades of its best-selling foundation Fit Me Matte + Poreless in 2018 , and a year later launched a collection of Colour Sensational Lipsticks called Made for All , featuring six “ universal lip shades ” from nudes to pinks to plums , to complement a variety of skin tones .
“ Born in the most diverse city in the world , diversity is at the core of Maybelline New York and our mission is to make innovative and effortless makeup accessible to all ,” Maybelline New York ‣