Five Beauty Brands That Have Been Inclusive From The Beginning

Written by: Mary Carolonza

Photographed by: Alex Chua

Inclusion is a critical component of beauty because everyone deserves to find a shade that matches and works with their skin tone and makes them feel confident. While inclusion in makeup shades is becoming more common among brands as consumers get more vocal about their demands, here are some brands that have have always been inclusive and conscious about offering a range of shades right from the start!

I. Fenty Beauty

Fenty Beauty, Rihanna's eponymous beauty brand, launched in 2017 with 40 shades of foundation, something that was unprecedented when compared to most other brands that operated at the time. Offering a wide selection of shades was a given to Rihanna, who is quoted on Fenty’s website saying that when it comes to makeup, “Nothing is more important to me than making sure that everyone feels included." One touch that I really appreciated is that on the foundation’s information page there is a slide with four arms of different skin tones that together have all the shades swatched, so that every shopper has an idea of what the shade will look like on their skin tone. Fenty’s mission to be inclusive is validated in heartwarming stories that have been highlighted in the media. In a social media post, Krystal Robertson, who describes herself as albino, explained that because she lacks pigment she has always struggled to find a correct shade and that #110 finally fit her skin tone (Wu 1). In addition to individuals’ praise, Fenty has also had strong recognition from notable names in the industry, such as being named one of Time’s inventions of the year for its inclusivity (“Mackenzie, 1). 

II. Flesh

Flesh was founded by Linda Wells, one of the founding editors of Allure and chief creative officer of Revlon. The inspiration for the name goes back to Wells’ editing days, when a writer would describe something a peach/beige color as being ‘flesh color’ and she as the editor would have to emphasize that ‘flesh’ does not refer to one skin tone. Her cosmetics line strives to reinforce that flesh color belongs to every skin tone and staying true to this mission, the Firm Flesh Thickstick foundation is offered in 40 shades  (Panych, 1). Another gorgeous, inclusive product is the Fleshpot, a versatile gloss for eyes, cheeks, and lips that comes in gold, pink and red pigments. The product can be applied directly to the skin or over makeup to add an aesthetic shine and smudge to every skin tone!

III. Fluide Cosmetics

Fluide Cosmetics has been passionate about creating a beauty campaign to emphasize that people of all orientations deserve proper representation in the beauty industry. As their website describes their makeup is for “him, her, them, everyone.” It was founded by Isabella Giancarlo and Laura Kraber, who wanted to create a makeup brand that embraced all skin tones and gender orientations. They noticed that even as beauty brands were offering more inclusive shades, a lot of time it was white, heterosexual women being represented in campaigns and they wanted to change that. They stay true to being an inclusive brand by not only using queer models in their campaigns, but also by using queer photograpers, makeup artisits, and stylists when possible and by donating 5% of proceeds to organizations that support the queer community(Leiva, 1). One exciting product that Fluide offers is acrylic glitter and biodegradable glitter that can be applied to the body or face. The glitter produces a gorgeous, eye-catching shine on the models and is a reminder of the brand’s mission for people to shine with pride about their sexual orientation!

IV. Uoma

Beauty brand Uoma (pronounced Oma) means “beautiful” and offers 51 shades of foundation, split into 6 categories. It was created by Nigerian-born, former beauty executive Sharon Chuter, who was listed by WWD as one of the 50 most forward-thinking executives shaping the beauty industry. Chuter’s leadership and dedication to empowerment can be seen on Uoma’s  website lists, which lists its gorgeous values and beliefs behind the makeup: self expression and being authentic, colorful living and celebrating life, African pride, empowering tribe and being confident, inclusivity, and a beautiful rebellion of being bold. which is a strong representation of Chuter’s belief that an industry, “we need to learn to embrace differences, uniqueness, heritage, and identity”(Robert 1). 

V. Mented Cosmetics

Mented Cosmetics was founded by KJ Miller and Amanda Johnson, who met at Harvard Business School. They were frustrated by the lack of nude lipsticks for deeper skin, and starting with their own skin tones they designed lipsticks to flatter women of color and created a line that ranges from a rosy “Peach Please” to a rich chocolate “Dark Night”(Abelman 1). Additionally, the Everyday Eyeshadow Palette, which is currently sold-out online, is a nude eyeshadow that according to Mented’s website “complements the skin tones and undertones of all women of color.”

It is incredible to see that all these brands understand how important it is that people can feel that their orientation and skin tone is embraced and celebrated with they shop online or walk into a store and that they can see themselves represented in the campaigns. It is an important reminder to always love yourself and surround yourself with people and messages that affirm your worth!