“Black is a Color” is a slogan used by human rights activists for a reason. Strictly speaking, black is not a color, but rather the absence of color; However, if you mean skin color, it is never black, but actually always dark brown. This may only be a nuance, but the difference is essential, especially when it comes to cosmetics. The product developers at the US company Youthforia would have preferred to have been aware of this earlier.
On Tiktok African-American Golloria George tested Youthforia’s new foundation on Monday. The brand released a new range in March with darker shades so black people can prime their facial skin. In the clip, George wears “Shade 600” on one cheek and pitch-black theater makeup on the other. What’s what? “You can’t say,” says George, “it’s tar in a bottle.”
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In just a few days, the video was liked millions of times and shared more than 70,000 times, and many other Tiktok users took up the topic and put the product to the test. Awuoi Matiop looks with his chin blackened into the cell phone camera: “We South Sudanese are among the darkest-skinned people on this planet. If the color shade doesn’t suit any of us, then it doesn’t correspond to any skin color.” She adds: “It’s one thing to make the mistake once, but to make it twice is just a slap in the face.” Because it is not the first time that Youthforia has come under criticism in the black community.
Fiona Co Chan founded the group in 2021, but Youthforia only became famous a year ago after a television appearance on “Shark Tank”, the US version of “Lion’s Den”. Youthforia’s blush in particular was well reviewed on Tiktok, and the product went viral in September. Tiktoker Golloria George also heard about the company for the first time, which markets itself as particularly inclusive. She tested the darkest shade in the “Date Night Foundation” range and stated: The foundation is not dark brown like her skin color, but light like café au lait.
Managing director Co Chan promptly apologized for this lack of sensitivity in a now-deleted Tiktok video. To make up for it, she announced that she would be expanding the foundation range to include ten darker shades, including “Shade 600”. The cosmetics entrepreneur has not commented on the current allegations, even when asked by the SZ.
The fact that black people cannot find suitable foundation is a well-known problem. Singer Rihanna was one of the first to offer a range of colors for both black and white skin when she founded her brand Fenty Beauty in 2017. Your now billion-dollar company produces foundation in 54 shades. Other manufacturers had to follow suit. Even though almost all cosmetic brands now have dark make-up in their range, the selection of shades for black people is still small. Cases like Youthforia’s also show how the cosmetics industry deals with the issue. However, one thing is certain for founder Co Chan: she can brush off the applause of her customers, who are sensitive to racism, for the time being.