Black Representation Within The Beauty Industry: Does It Matter? 

As we all know, the beauty industry has played a significant role in womanhood.

But what happens when the luxury of beauty products no longer adhere to ALL women?

For a long time Black women have faced prejudice, so we have always got the end of the bargain.  

It is so important to have Black representation in the beauty industry in ALL aspects.

This not only is in regards to makeup and cosmetic products, but even within the hair as this also plays a role in the beauty industry. Within the entertainment industry, most stylists were only interested in making all hairstyles eurocentric based.

And if they were unable to do a woman with more course textures, they were not even willing to learn.

There was an interview done by a cast member of the franchise High School Musical by the name of Monique Coleman that stated that she came up with the idea to have her character wear lots of headbands as a part of her wardrobe as the crew on set did not know how to do African American hair. 

The entertainment industry has grown in terms of making their Black actors and actresses feel at ease and secure in their voice not only being heard, but something being done about it!

The Evolution of Beauty Brands

The beauty industry has grown tremendously as well in becoming more inclusive, as back then, Black and Brown women did not really have products that catered to us.

Rihanna took the world by storm back in 2017 as she had just launched Fenty Beauty. She was the first brand in a long time that provided foundation shades that made more women feel seen, heard, and beautiful.

She had lit a fire under the cosmetic lines that came before her because she listened to her audience. She developed a brand who catered to ALL women, not just Black.

But she even went as far as creating deeper and darker shades which allowed her to thrive and create a community for women of all shades and complexions.

Golloria’s Impact on Inclusivity for Dark Skin Women

Black representation within the beauty industry doesn’t just stop at making it inclusive for Black women. Eventually colorism comes into play at some point.

Tik Tok Influencer, Golloria, has SHAKEN the table and forced brands like Onesize, Giorgio Armani, and YSL to get back in the lab as the products they had previously released did not cater to women with darker skin complexions. Not just foundations, but blush and concealers as well.

One thing society can say about Generation Z is that they are not afraid to speak their mind and fight for something they are passionate about.

One person may be scared to be vocal about something because of the possible backlash they may experience.

But not Golloria. Black representation within the beauty industry is so important because action is being taken towards making more women of color feel a sense of security and inclusivity. 

If people like Golloria continue to keep showing up for the Black community, we will continue to grow as a community. As a result of this, brands like Onesize have come back even better and stronger. With representation comes criticism which leads to results and getting what you want for yourself and those around you who may face the same struggles!

She even released a new TikTok video as they reached out to her looking to have her review the darkest shades they had relaunched a new line of foundation!

And as Golloria said best, talk about redemption! Moments like these are why Black representation within the beauty industry is extremely important.

Living in a World of Inclusivity 

Black representation within the beauty industry does not just stop at only makeup. Body inclusivity and body positivity have also shifted the world. Back in the 1960’s to the early 2000’s, being skinny was the “it” thing.

And being that women were taught to be slim and petite, this is  what was always advertised. 

As we fast forward to the present, the fashion industry has also taken initiative in creating clothes for plus size men and women; even undergarments.

Representation within the industry takes place in this category as well. Take for example Victoria Secret. If someone were to ask you to describe a Victoria Secret Angel model, the first thing that comes to mind is a size zero! 

Women of all shapes and sizes were not able to shop for fashionable and sexy lingerie and undergarments, such as panties and bras.

Why? There was a time when society was what we now call, fatphobic. Plus size women would have to resort to their “regular-degular” clothing department stores and work with what they had.

Then again, we have brands that launched like Savage X Fenty that developed a new inclusive community.

It is almost as if Rihanna used her “powers” for good. She knew her target audience and what exactly they were looking for. Fenty Beauty was not the first brand to have other companies on their toes!

When Rihanna launched Savage X Fenty, Victoria Secret was what we may call it, DONE for! No one was really checking for Victoria Secret at the time anymore because there was finally a brand that made all women feel sexy no matter their size.

Eventually Victoria Secret tried to rebrand back in the year of 2021, and become more inclusive to all women, but it was too late. Once brands like Skims by Kim Kardashian came along, Victoria Secret was no longer on anyone's radar. 

They had rejected the idea of inclusivity for too long. A major part in them also losing their clientele was the fact that it was ingenuine.

Victoria Secret did not grasp the idea of creating lingerie wear for all women of different shapes and sizes until someone else did it. They then tried to hurry and rebrand and it backfired. 

Inclusivity for the Win!

It is so important that we as a community continue to fight and voice our opinions in a world that tries to conform us.

It is the small victories that remind us, not only does Black representation within the beauty industry matter, but ANY and ALL representation matters; especially within the Black and Brown community. 

If we have not learned one thing from one another it is that one voice can change the world!

Especially being in a world where social media and cancel-culture are a thing, we must take advantage in standing up for not only ourselves and what we want, but for our peers who may not also have the courage to stand for what they believe in.

✍️ Written by Morgan Lyle