Mentor/s
Mahfuja Malik, PhD Suzanne Marmo-Roman, PhD
Participation Type
Paper Talk
Abstract
I will present my findings on racism in the beauty industry, the topic that I chose to research for my Honors Capstone class last semester. This is a bigger issue than many people think. I found that although these issues have improved in the last few decades, it is still difficult for many women of color to walk into a makeup store and have someone correctly match a shade of foundation to their skin. I found that within the past ten years, many Black women have started independent brands to give darker skinned women of color more foundation options to choose from. Rihanna’s brand, Fenty Beauty, is not an “indie” brand, but her foundation line made almost $100 million within a month of its launch. I researched harmful trends that occurred because of the lack of shade options and the general ignorance about makeup for darker skinned women of color. These included colorism, and the use of skin lightening creams and other products that can be toxic. I also found that people have been calling for more representation of all types of people. They are calling for a wider representation of models, employees, and executive officers. Racism in the beauty industry could be worse, and it has been worse, but it is still systemic and the only way to stop it is within the companies.
College and Major available
Media Arts BA, Theater Arts
Location
Digital Commons
Start Day/Time
5-5-2021 1:00 PM
End Day/Time
5-5-2021 4:00 PM
Prize Categories
Most Meaningful
Racism in the Beauty Industry
Digital Commons
I will present my findings on racism in the beauty industry, the topic that I chose to research for my Honors Capstone class last semester. This is a bigger issue than many people think. I found that although these issues have improved in the last few decades, it is still difficult for many women of color to walk into a makeup store and have someone correctly match a shade of foundation to their skin. I found that within the past ten years, many Black women have started independent brands to give darker skinned women of color more foundation options to choose from. Rihanna’s brand, Fenty Beauty, is not an “indie” brand, but her foundation line made almost $100 million within a month of its launch. I researched harmful trends that occurred because of the lack of shade options and the general ignorance about makeup for darker skinned women of color. These included colorism, and the use of skin lightening creams and other products that can be toxic. I also found that people have been calling for more representation of all types of people. They are calling for a wider representation of models, employees, and executive officers. Racism in the beauty industry could be worse, and it has been worse, but it is still systemic and the only way to stop it is within the companies.
Students' Information
Amy Hall, Class of 2022, Media Arts and Theatre Arts double major, Honors student