Why don't makeup companies make foundations for WOC?

Dec 24, 2012

Shelley W.

My husband works in the industry as a chemist and with a lot of the clients he has consulted for he has always fought for the super light and the super dark color spectrums. Some have been receptive and some have flat out told him its a waste of money and time (especially in regards to the deeper shades). I've been his test dummy for a lot of stuff and its disheartening to come across a line that makes deeper shades but then its so way off that its an embarrassment. And on the lighter end of the spectrum is just as bad...if not worse. In regards to my skintone I find Bobbi Brown and Giorgio Armani to be great matches for my skintone (in foundations). I hope in the next few years companies will wise up and get it together with product shades. And someone mentioned underlying racism....husband has been witness to a lot of that....the attitudes and beliefs exist in the makeup world. :(

Dec 24, 2012

Erin W.

You look fantastic !! Beautiful

Dec 24, 2012

Ginna D.

I was gonna say the same thing @Erin w. whatever foundation you are wearing or even if you are not your skin looks great! Very beautiful!

Dec 24, 2012

Payton K.

If you want to try a BB Cream with a nice shade range for women of color try Maybelline BB Cream, it has 5 shades, unlike some bb creams. (:

Dec 24, 2012

Olivia M.

Covergirl has the queen collection, the shades go pretty deep.

Dec 25, 2012

Linda A.

have you tried mac? I have seen some of their darker shades and they do look really gorgeous!

Dec 25, 2012

Zuri F.

I have noticed that here in the uk a lot of companies hand expanded drastically, Chanel have started to cater for darker skin tones and water Lauder have introduced a wider variety of tones, there is finally a Doublewear in my shade, and for a few companies I am more middle rather than darkest so It's nice to see hopefully this will continue also with fair shades, also he hee get we have sleek Which go very fair as well as very dark, they are a drugstore brand with very reasonable prices,

Dec 25, 2012

Teresa H.

I agree!!! There should be a wider range in general and more shades! Asians have plenty of choices and their own BB creams. It is all not fair, just marginalizing WOC!!!

Dec 25, 2012

Teresa H.

I recommend watching Wayne Goss on YouTube. He is always reviewing things for ALL skin tones! Check gossmakeupartist. Also, try Ben Nye cream foundation and use a damp makeup triangle to apply. 

Dec 25, 2012

Karen M.

I dont find that there arent enough options. i feel like the undertones are still all wrong. I couldn't find my shade with iman or black opal.

Mixing is just the best option. Or using a lighter/darker foundation in didn't places on your face.

Dec 25, 2012

Nycole R.

I recently tried the Naked foundation by UD. I've noticed that they have a wide variety of foundations for all skin tones but you need to try it before you buy to make sure it has the right undertone for your skin color. Hope this helps! 

Dec 25, 2012

Cecilia W.

I know the L'oreal true match foundations go very dark. It is an amazing foundation!

Dec 25, 2012

Stacey L.

Im an army wife and theres a store called the px that sells deparment store stuff you find in sephora and malls and i saw a line that was just for woc ! I forgot what t was called an has many shades ranging from tanish to very deep I forgot what it was called ):

Dec 25, 2012

Stacey L.

I think it was iman !!

Dec 25, 2012

Twana B.

though I've found much more options lately I still have problems with the makeup becoming ashy or being to orange or red

Dec 26, 2012

Tonita C.

Cosign Tawana!!

Dec 26, 2012

Laura H.

try Mary Kay. Lots of shades! I usually have to mix colors to get the right undertone. Lots of times the lighter dark shades look ashy alone. across brands

Dec 26, 2012

Cameron R.

I have this problem with my skin even though I am not of color. I am a true olive tone, which does NOT mean tan or golden like most people/the beauty industry will tell you. Truly olive-toned people can be pale or extremely dark , but will all have an extremely neutral-green cast naturally with no hint of yellow or red. Yellow-orange foundations make us appear plasticy and dull, while red-toned foundations leave us looking sunburned. If I find a foundation that matches my undertone perfectly (which is uncommon) I have to sometime sacrifice the shade and just make it work like I imagine WOC have to do when companies like Revlon think that all WOC have the same Cappucino (orangey-brown) skin.

Make Up For Ever is the only brand I have found that caters and understands true olive skin tones, as well as WOC. Their HD line is fantastic. I really didn't mean to take this away from the issue at hand(which is extremely important), I just felt like I could relate.

Dec 26, 2012

Drea L.

What I don't understand is how cosmetic companies seem to ignore the fact that African American women spend billions of dollars a year on hair products - I don't get why they don't believe this would also transfer to the cosmetic world. It's really sad.

I don't relate in any way, but have tried shopping for a WOC before & we both got very frustrated. I was only with her for a few hours, I can't imagine what it must be like having to deal with it every time a certain foundation runs out!

Dec 26, 2012

Charisse S.

I agree with Cameron it's so hard to match Olive skin. Right now I mix Mac concealers it's not perfect but its the closest yet I think I've totally given up on finding a perfect match. I am a deep olive with yellow undertones foundations either pale me out or make me red so I def can relate to the frustration

Dec 26, 2012

Stefy S.

I'm Asian and I find it's very hard because almost nothing had my undertones! I either get pale or pink! There is a very limited selection add far as foundations go fit colored women. Where I live, they rarely if at all keep any in stock. I haven't tried the make up forever foundation, but I may have to give it a try. I love all their other products

Dec 26, 2012

Alisa D.

I thought about throwing in my two cents about lack of color options, undertones, ashy-ness and all that jazz we all understand and relate to... but then thought better...
It seems a hole in the industry has been identified... thoroughly...a potentially profitable hole... perhaps we could put more energy into fililing it!? Powers combined, energies focused and all that universe connecting hippy stuff could be used for the common good! Usher in an era of colors and undertones galore! Muah hahahahaha! We will make over the world! Take over, make over... whatever... it involves a unicorn, plentiful makeup for all tons ne them over or under, and... cupcakes? ( you ARE bringing cupcakes to the Makeup-alypse, right Andrea?! lol)

Dec 26, 2012

Christine L.

I hope one day Iman Cosmetics (http://www.imancosmetics.com/) gets more shelf space. The little space I see in Ulta is nowhere close to the full color spectrum I see online.

Mar 21, 2014

Dana A.

I think it is probably harder to make foundations to match darker skin because it is so diverse. so many shades and undertones. it will be expensive to test, and develop and finally to reproduce. calls for a lot more pigment, demographic study, trial and error. thinking of it from a color theory point of view, it will take a lot of focused effort, and these companies may not think its worth it. look around you at the millions of dimensions to dark skin, many shades and undertones, which combine to almost infinity. it would be frustration to the researcher lol.

and when research teams spent all the time and effort to come up with almost perfect products, your iman, black opal, black up, black radiance, fashion fair, posners etc, and put an affordable price to back it, I get the feeling black women still arent appreciative, and some even look down on these brands because of their pricing. it will take a while for these big companies to get interested in investing in are&d for ethnic shades. L'Oreal finally came around.

when in doubt, you can always check out theatrical makeup brands which have all the ratings and the shades you love, they may even have the big price tag which some of you seek. Kett, Graftobian, Rcma, Makeup Forever, Illamasqua, Ben Nye etc

Mar 21, 2014

Dana A.

Maybe one day these big and smaller companies will partner and share the big bucks for flawless formulations and the brains, experience and history in developing coloured foundations.