When I’m in the field freelancing for the major cosmetics companies, I sometimes get ethnic women wanting to buy a foundation that is too light for there skin tone. I had an Asian woman who wanted to buy the lightest foundation that Lancôme had to offer. Also, I had an African-American mother with crème skin who insisted that the foundation I picked for her brown skin daughter was too dark. I’ve encountered this often from women of color. Even after an explanation and demonstration as to why the color I’ve selected is best, they will often insist on the lighter selection. I will sell them what they want despite my training and knowledge that could help enhance their beauty.
When your foundation is not close to your skin tone, it is more noticeable. The foundation part of your makeup, your canvas, should look natural. In addition, there will be demarcations from the face to the neck. In pictures, there will be a green hue and you will look older.
In looking further into this tendency of women of color wanting to wear a lighter color than their skin tone, I discovered the phenomenon is called colorism. “Colorism” is a form of discrimination whereby people are accorded differing social treatment based on skin color. The preference often gets translated to economic status because of opportunities for work. An example of this was during slavery the fairer skin salves were often used for work in the “big house.” Colorism can be found across the world. This phenomenon also occurs when non-white people discriminate within their own ethnic groups. The term colorism usually refers to lighter skin tones being preferred and darker skin considered less desirable. In the U.S. this phenomenon occurs in various ethnic groups such as Chicanos and other Latinos and Indian immigrants. Also labeled as colorism, but rarely discussed, is the phenomenon of darker-skinned people discriminating against lighter tones within the same ethnic group. While colorism still exists in the African-American population of the U.S., it has diminished since the civil rights movement and the black power ideology of that same era.
In the global market in Japan, China, India, Korea cosmetic companies make skin whitening products which lighten the skin. They have creams, serums, and soaps. Avon, L’Oreal, Ponds, Estee Lauder, and Garnier all manufacture and sell these products. “Fair and Lovely” made by Unilever was one of the most successful products of this type. The advertisements for such products show darker skinned women becoming lighter and how happy they are once their skin is lighter. A few product names are “White Perfect” by L’Oreal, and “White Radiance” by Oil of Olay. The ads imply once your skin is brightened you will look younger and your skin more radiant. There are ads that convey once you become lighter you will get married, or promoted, or climb the social ladder. However, they don’t say that if such products contain a synthetic ingredient called hydroquinone and if overused may damage the skin.
All skin tones are beautiful with proper skin care. All skin tones can be even more beautiful with proper makeup. Embrace who you are as you were created with gratitude for the gifts you’ve been given, and then become all you can be thus radiating to all what real beauty is inside and out.
Nalo Jones professional makeup artist and beauty expert based in Los Angeles, can view web page at http://www.naloinc.com
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