MAKE UP CONTROVERSY??

Question

Ok so I'm sure it's not really a huge issue "racially" motivated issue and that's not what I'm trying to make this post to be. Idk where else to post this.

So with that said I notice with the YouTube MUAs the common complaint in "affordable make up" (aka drugstore/store bought make up ), is the lack of pigment options for darker toned people. It's either too "bronzy" too grey or just lacks any kind of undertone in general. I don't know the exact process in which makeup is made, but I've been considering looking into it.

So far I've noticed basic undertones in "affordable makeup" are pink and yellow and in darker tones almost orange or grey. (Correct me if I'm wrong). Going back to the "YouTubers" complaints is there some kind of solution an individual can come to, to create a more "affordable" makeup that can be sold in more stores as an option for people with darker toned skin? Does that already exist? If so where can stores look to buy to supply it their locations?

UPDATE: I personally use store bought foundation because I have to mix colors and I just can't see myself spending $30 on foundation that runs out fast. So this is for the people who either can't afford high end make up or just simple don't see a reason to spend that much. I'm light to medium skin and up until recently did I see stores having more of a variety for my skin tone.

Answer

I was going to post this yesterday but didn't want to seem like I was trying to make it a race thing. 
I think this is an issue bc a lot of companies truly believe that "black women don't buy foundation" I don't wear much makeup, just foundation, mascara and eyeliner and even then I rarely wear makeup at all. It's incredibly hard to find a shade that matches my skin tone bc not only am I black, but I'm mixed so I'm not light but I'm not dark either, I'm right in the middle. The closest drugstore brand for me is Covergirl True Blend in N7 , but even those "neutral undertones" have me looking orange when I step outside. So I've taken to not wearing foundation at all and just doing my eyes since my skin is clear anyway. I did find a good drugstore makeup line for black/darker Latina women called IMAN . She started it bc she had the same problem as us, having to choose between being orange or ashy or having the darkest color still be 3 shades too light. It's at Walmart and everything is under $20. Pretty good quality for a drugstore brand too.

Answer

I'm very fair skinned and it's not easy to find cheap or drugstore makeup that correctly matches my skin tone either. I don't think it's an issue exclusive to darker complexions. I think it's an issue with cheap makeup.

Answer

Affordable makeup sucks both ways. Unless your "medium" skin tone you won't find shit. I'm the palest person you'll ever come across and drug store makeup would never match me in a million years. Although I think NYX just came up with a foundation with a really good range and a decent price. I haven't tried it out yet though

Answer

I'm not a POC but I have trouble finding foundations to match my skin that's drug store. All the ones that are pale enough seem to have a pink or neutral undertone when I have yellow undertones so they all end up looking terrible. I've found one match in the L'Oréal line. I think all brands should widen their shade range to include shades for every person, from extremely pale to extremely dark, with a variety of undertones for each. I'd rather pay a few dollars more for a matching shade then buy 2-3 to have to mix and match to get a kinda close match.

Answer

Just buy make up created by and for POC.

Answer

I've noticed that both drug store and high end make up brands are extremely poor in producing makeup designed for people with darker skin. Like it seems pretty common for these companies to sell their darkest shade "beige" and then think that's gonna be good enough for all dark skinned people? 🤔🤷‍♀️

Answer

Having worked in makeup store previously I can tell you that there's not really a good range in colors for high end or drug store. Many brands realease the middle tone colors because they are what sell the most first. Over time as the brand becomes more popular and people say they like the formaula and they know it's making money they tend to release lighter and darker shades. I don't think that this is necessarily the right way to do it but that's how it typically works.

Answer

Funny to see pale people saying it's hard on both ends as though it's at all a comparable struggle. Like why's it gotta be brought up? This isn't about our white asses. I'm pale af, my family is whiter still, but I can still find 10 at the minimum drugstore foundations and concealers at Safeway or Fred Meyers that match me to a near T.

You can bet 10 to 1 that any makeup aisle you walk into is going to have more light/white shades, plus products to LIGHTEN those shades, than all of the aisle's dark shades combined. Doesn't matter if it's not an on point shade match, it is not the same struggle as a darker skinned POC walking in to find the darkest dark is a highlight 2-3 shades too light for them. Or the struggle of swatches only ever being done on lighter skinned people.

Granted it's slowly changing with more makeup gurus offering diverse searches via Instagram or YouTube, and yes I get it everyone has opinions, but this is one of those struggle things where you think you're experiencing it as a pale person, but never will.

Answer

I've noticed that it goes both ways. Most companies provide shades for light-medium/medium skin tones. A few of them provide truly dark and pale shades, which is a pain in the ass really. Yeah light medium complexions are quite common but not every individual falls into that majority

Answer

I think...really don't know this is the best guess I have...
I think that the reason affordable makeup is so affordable is because it has less pigmentation.
In order for makeup such as eye shadows, blushes, etc to show up on darker skin tones you will need more pigment to stand out against the dark complexion. Same reason color tattoos don't always show up well on POC.

That's my best guess. I don't truly know much about makeup or how it's made, so we will see.

MAKE UP CONTROVERSY??

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