Beauty for all: Inclusiveness and diversity in the cosmetics industry

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In recent years, inclusiveness and diversity have been in the spotlight in the beauty industry. Inclusiveness has become an increasingly important consideration in the development of cosmetic products, and more and more cosmetic companies are launching inclusive makeup lines. Without a doubt, Fenty Beauty’s 2017 Beauty for All campaign was the spark of a global shift within the industry towards inclusive beauty.

When he launched the revolutionary Pro Filt’r Foundation with a range of 40 shades (now 50 shades available), Rihanna’s beauty line has set a new standard for the beauty industry. By launching such a wide range of shades to its consumers, the brand’s message was clear: they wanted to include all women, regardless of their ethnic origin.

Although people of color have always been a huge market segment, before the launch of Fenty Beauty, the majority of makeup brands had very limited options for people with darker skin tones.

The huge commercial success of Fenty Beauty has made it clear that consumers are looking for products that meet their needs. People of color were tired of settling for a “pretty close” foundation.

Having noticed the strong consumer demand for more inclusive products, makeup brands began to launch an increasing amount of foundation lines with a wider range of shades. Having a foundation with 40 shades available seemed to be becoming an industry standard.

Major brands like Dior Backstage and Estée Lauder have massively increased their range of shades and MAC Cosmetic has pushed its Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 Foundation available in 64 shades.

On a larger scale, various companies have since launched ethnic, gender and age campaigns. For example, Revolution’s 2018 campaign featured models of different genders and ethnicities between the ages of 24 and 90. The Gucci Beauty 2020 campaign also featured Ellie Goldstein: a model with Down’s syndrome. The inclusive lines have also extended to other cosmetic products like concealer, bronzer and blush.

Despite the industry’s seemingly positive attitude towards diversity and its efforts to combat racism, truly inclusive makeup lines are still not the norm. While there has been a marked increase in the amount of darker foundation shades on the market, it should be remembered that this was originally a simple marketing response to competitive pressure. created by Fenty Beauty and to the backlash of customers.

Racism is still ingrained at the very heart of the beauty industry. There are still constant cases of brands, like Givenchy Beauty in 2019, failing to recognize the change that has occurred and producing non-inclusive lines. We are still a long way from having an industry that truly values ​​diversity.

Basically, inclusiveness isn’t just about bringing more shades of foundation to consumers. The industry must address the lack of representation, inclusion and diversity at different levels.

“Foundation for all” is only the beginning of the movement. We need constant changes in the industry and balanced representation at all levels of production. Inclusiveness and diversity shouldn’t be a temporary marketing strategy, but an integral value that guides cosmetic companies towards greater change.

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