Kim Kardashian West's new concealer line hasn't hit the shelves yet, but it's already making waves on social media for its lack of inclusivity. As Teen Vogue writes, the celebrity debuted her makeup line's new range of concealers on Instagram and Twitter and the reactions were not all positive. Though the campaign featured models of a variety of ages, skin tones, and sizes — representing all 16 shades included in the concealer’s promised range — many noticed that most of the shades cater to lighter skin tones.
One of the models featured in the campaign responded to claims that the concealers aren't inclusive enough. In the comments on the brand's Instagram, Mouna Fadiga responded: "I can tell you that they did not chose (sic) me only to pretend; I had the makeup on and It fits perfectly my skin color. I am not wearing any makeup usually so I know when I have it on if it’s good or not and here it was the case, I even keep (sic) it on me and went have diner a friend."
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This isn't the first time makeup brands found themselves dealing with backlash from a lack of inclusivity. Tarte Cosmetics was under fire back in January for the same issue with the launch of their Shape Tape Foundation. Despite the disappointment, it was the brand's initial responses — deleting comments from their social media — that raised the issue, and social media users responded. IT Cosmetics dealt with a similar social media backlash.
Women of color have been wearing makeup for centuries, including deeper skin tones within shade ranges. After seeing the major success of inclusive lines such as Fenty Beauty, it seems only now makeup brands are prioritizing inclusivity — and that is a problem. In continuing to center lighter skin tones in product launches, makeup brands are continuing to showcase just how little they value consumers of color. Despite concerns saying otherwise, inclusivity isn’t just a way to increase profits. It is necessary to show communities that have been systematically pushed out of the beauty industry that they matter, too.
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