The industrialization of makeup became tremendously popular starting in the early 1900’s, yet the relationship between diversity & makeup is much shorter. Today we will explore the history of makeup in relation to race & diversity because there’s still work to be done!
The earliest iconic makeup & fashion looks began in the 1920’s, or the ‘flapper’ era. Natural makeup was out & bold makeup was in. Makeup formulations began improving, yet there were little to no products suitable for women, or men, of color. Additionally, beauty advertisements & campaigns only featured white or white-passing women during this time. We know why there was no representation or diversification present in the makeup industry at this time: support of Jim Crow laws reinforced a system of racism. Essentially, Black Americans were expected to be ‘separate but equal’ in all aspects, which included the makeup & fashion industry.
The 1960’s would be a milestone for the beauty industry in relation to race & diversity. Between the Civil Rights Act of 1964 & the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Jim Crow was finally eliminated. Opportunities opened for Black Americans within the makeup industry as darker complexions began to feature in makeup advertisements & campaigns. However, it was still a challenge to be seen & represented.
The first Black-founded & owned makeup brand, Fashion Fair, emerged in 1973 to resolve the gap in the industry. Fashion Fair was founded by Eunice Johnson after witnessing Black models mixing several foundations to match their complexion. There was an obvious gap in the market, & the launch of Fashion Fair was a success! There was finally a brand that catered to Black women & women of color. Other Black-owned brands began to launch in upcoming years, such as Iman & Black Opal, to create more options for women of color. It appeared only Black-owned brands offered diversity in makeup selection until the launch of one specific brand.
Fenty Beauty’s launch in 2017 finally pressured mainstream brands to cater to deeper complexions. Robyn Rihanna Fenty, or Rihanna, founded Fenty Beauty to diversify the makeup industry. Rihanna had immense influence over the makeup & fashion industry since the early 2000’s, so Fenty Beauty’s launch was highly anticipated. The launch showed the makeup industry & world that it wasn’t hard to include & represent women & men of color! Fenty Beauty pushed the makeup industry to diversity & broaden their products.
The short history of makeup in relation to race & diversity shows us how important representation matters! Of course, there is more to be done. Supporting Black-owned brands or brands that cater to diversity helps urge the makeup industry to expand & progress. Want to know where to start? You can learn more about our favorite Black-owned brands.
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