The Ed.
Well-Known Member
The simple fact is that the beauty industry still isn't catering to women of all colour. Those in the industry suggest that the economy is dictating the limited options available, but if statistics are to be believed, black women spend a disproportionate amount of money on beauty. So, what is it all about?
Fashion blogger, Sade Strehlke, got incredibly frustrated when she realised she couldn't get her hands on the latest beauty craze. All she wanted was a BB cream that suited her skin tone and after failing to find one, exasperated she wrote a to-the-point article entitled, I'm a Black Woman and I Just Want a Damn BB cream.
Why do all of these creams despite being offered by so many brands come in only two to five shades? she wrote. Let me tell you, none of these work for my black skin tone I admit that I havent tried every single BB or CC cream out there, but I shouldnt have to search high and low for a product that is offered by every brand.
She obviously hit a nerve. The essay quickly racked up tens of thousands of hits with black women complaining of exactly the same problem. There are a (small) handful of brands that offer a range of products for women of colour but they are few and far between. One such brand is Iman Cosmetics, set up and run by the supermodel Iman. She does admit that "the game has changed a lot for black women" but that there's still a lot of work to do.
In July Bobbi Brown announced that they will release its BB cream in three darker shades, "because one shade doesn't fit all."
Whatever the reasons, cosmetics companies are missing a trick by not catering to this market and I, for one, am surprised more companies are stepping up to fill the gap.
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
Image courtesy of Sade Strehlke
Fashion blogger, Sade Strehlke, got incredibly frustrated when she realised she couldn't get her hands on the latest beauty craze. All she wanted was a BB cream that suited her skin tone and after failing to find one, exasperated she wrote a to-the-point article entitled, I'm a Black Woman and I Just Want a Damn BB cream.
Why do all of these creams despite being offered by so many brands come in only two to five shades? she wrote. Let me tell you, none of these work for my black skin tone I admit that I havent tried every single BB or CC cream out there, but I shouldnt have to search high and low for a product that is offered by every brand.
She obviously hit a nerve. The essay quickly racked up tens of thousands of hits with black women complaining of exactly the same problem. There are a (small) handful of brands that offer a range of products for women of colour but they are few and far between. One such brand is Iman Cosmetics, set up and run by the supermodel Iman. She does admit that "the game has changed a lot for black women" but that there's still a lot of work to do.
In July Bobbi Brown announced that they will release its BB cream in three darker shades, "because one shade doesn't fit all."
Whatever the reasons, cosmetics companies are missing a trick by not catering to this market and I, for one, am surprised more companies are stepping up to fill the gap.
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
Image courtesy of Sade Strehlke
