Why don't makeup companies make foundations for WOC?

Jun 17, 2012

Tia B.

Check Out Makeup Forever HD Foundation Check Out Stila Oil Free Foundation You have Bobbi Brown and some Nars shades depending on undertone 

Jun 17, 2012

Fancie B.

Tia made some nice suggestions. Also look into some drugstore foundations. Revlon and Maybelline go pretty dark too. Check out black radiance, Iman and black Opal too. They're made specifically for woc 

Jun 17, 2012

Ericka B.

But mostly all companies have foundation for women with fair skin, but fall short when ot comes to darker tones...😢😢😢

Jun 19, 2012

Tia B.

The Range of Color has improved drastically over the years I recently purchased foindations from Fashion Fair also and Iman for my kit which were amazing the Maybeline was ok with a Gel Texture 

Jun 20, 2012

Ipek C.

Yeah iman makes a decent range of color for darker skin tones but it is very sad that more variety isnt available yet. I personally think it is the residual effect of racism, it isnt actively racist but it is leaving a certain minority out for a lack of thoughtfulness. Another example is how a lot of products in the electronics industry are engineered for men, not because the engineers are actively sexist but because society is still suffering from undertones of sexism and simply not thinking of another demographic. Sorry for the lil rant, I just notice the lack of selection for darker skin tones when im shopping for makeup and its really careless and ignorant for companies to be focusing on fair skin tones. Makes me mad.

Jun 20, 2012

Aferdita N.

I have the opposite problems sometimes, plenty of brands that make foundations don't go light enough for me because I'm very pale..

Jun 20, 2012

Shelly T.

@Ericka...
<<But mostly all companies have foundation for women with fair skin, but fall short when ot comes to darker tones...😢😢😢>>

I think many companies fall short *both* ways. They don't go light enough for those of us who are uber-pale; they don't go dark enough for darker skins/POC.

High-end wise, Illamasqua goes quite dark as well as pale. Some of the MAC foundations may suit you, too; they tend to do better in regards to shades for POCs than they do for the uber-pale, IMO. You can also try theatrical brands (e.g., Ben Nye, Graftobian, Kryolan) as they're made to cater to an even wider variety of skintones than most other brands. Drugstore-wise, Sleek's foundations have a very wide variety of shades -- probably the widest of any drugstore brand. (You can order Sleek online.)

Jun 21, 2012

Kerrie S.

Hi i dont know what woc stands for im curious to know. Thank you 😜

Jun 21, 2012

Shannon A.

woc...women of color

Jun 21, 2012

Rai C.

Well some brands just don't cater to darker skin tones. Even if they do have "darker shades" a lot of them are still too light. 

Jun 21, 2012

Tiara T.

women of color aka african american women

Jun 21, 2012

Heather H.

Ugh! It's the worst! I am a dark medium olive tone (C40/NC40/42) and almost everything in my shade is way too beige/pink/orange. I have never been able to successfully purchase a drug store foundation.

A couple higher end brands that carry a realistic selection are Bobbi Brown, MUFE, MAC, and NARS (more for medium skin tones).

I think companies need to get with the times and realize that there are much more people of all skin colours purchasing makeup than just people with NW25 skin tones...

Jun 21, 2012

Shelley W.

I feel your pain Tiara. It used to really bother me too but then instead of running myself ragged trying to locate the perfect shade for my skintone I made skincare my focus so I didn't have rely so much on foundation. I'm able to wear Smashbox BB cream in dark during the summer but for fall/winter it won't be my go to because I lighten up and Bobbi Brown liquid foundation has been wonderful to me year round. 

Jul 6, 2012

Jocelime H.

IPEK said it. I stopped wearing foundation because my skin tone changes with the seasons. I also believe they cater to the people with lighter skin because they are the ones at the top of the companies making executive decisions about tones, colors and products. Obviously that's only part of the problem, but if more African Americans worked for the companies, this wouldn't be an issue.

Jul 6, 2012

Jasmine P.

My cousin changes her skin tone depending on the time of year and she's always had issues finding the right shade for her because of it. Luckily I don't have that issue personally, but I've been building up my kit precisely for that purpose. This is the reason why I use airbrush makeup and invest in brands that do carry a wide spectrum of shades. I personally use Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics airbrush makeup. I know it's expensive for a machine, but if you buy a machine separately and get the sample colors of the OCC makeup, it can stretch for a bit of time until you can figure out which works for you. 

Jul 7, 2012

gee m.

That is a very good question! I can usually find a color that fits me well since I am on the lighter side but honestly if a person is a little darker than me usually they will have issues with finding a color that fits them good. Usually the companies come out with 3 to 4 shades that are suppose to fit women of color that you will either have to mix to get your color or the colors are so off that you can't do anything at all with the colors. It's sad! Makeup companies need to do better.

Jul 7, 2012

Turkessa H.

Have you tried Queen Latifah cover girl brand? It can be found in drugstores and there's a pretty good range of colors to choose from

I live Nars but I'm on the lighter shade 

Jul 7, 2012

DimePieceOnaDime D.

To be honest, I don't know if this is true anymore. I mean, it makes perfect business sense to sell products to the people who are buying it most (the majority), and there are sooooo sooooo many companies that do offer foundations that are great for women of color. I tried the smashbox bb cream, and it wasn't exactly right for me either, but then again I've heard all of the US made bb creams suck anyway. Revlon Color stay is fantastic for my skin tone ( NW45) and i love love love bare minerals, my mother in law who is a very very light skinned woman of color uses it and so do I. my mother and sister use it too, and we are all different skin tones. And lets not talk about the many drugstore brand foundations i've been able to use without a problem. I think if you expand the brands you look into, you'll find that there ARE plenty to choose from. Will you be able to find a foundation in your color in every brand out there? Of course not, but I don't think any woman can claim she's been able to do that. If I ever start to complain to my mother about the lack of color selection for women in my skin tone, she laughs in my face. She's over 60 and knows what REAL lack of selection looks like. 

Jul 7, 2012

Raquel E.

My BFF is dark, I mean really dark! She would run into the same problem because of it! With Mary Kay we were able to sit and find the right foundation not only for her skin tone but also her skin type, which is also important. They have a really good variety for those of us in the olive/bronze category. Check it out.

Dec 24, 2012

Whitty P.

Covergirl Queen Latifah, Queen Collection made specifically for WOC! I ♡ it...

Dec 24, 2012

Alyse M.

I was kinda wondering myself and I'm white! Too faced, which is the bb cream I use, only has 4 shades. I think that's strange.

Dec 24, 2012

Niecey S.

You should try Mac and Nars. They both have a wide range of colors for women of color. It looks like your around my shade, so maybe u could try NW 45 in Mac or Macao in Nars

Dec 24, 2012

Elise L.

I agree with Shelly, I tend to fall right in the middle of the color spectrum especially in the summer and I have a heck of a time finding a shade that matches my undertones, its either too light a d too pink or too dark and too yellow. we all just have to realise it's impossible for a makeup company to.capture a foundation color for everyone they would literally have 100s of shades. I suck it up and.buy too shades and mix them, this way its always customized for my skin whether I am tanned or not.

Dec 24, 2012

Elise L.

two** not too aha sorry typing on my phone