When it comes to makeup, I typically end up buying two different foundation shades in order to find a match. And even then, it’s never perfect.
For many black women, especially those who don’t want to shell out $40 or $50 for a high-priced foundation, drugstore brands are a staple. But those brands sometimes don’t cater to the range of skin tones black women come in.
Neutrogena is typically known for its skin-care products, but it also has a makeup line. Recently, the company brought Kerry Washington on as its brand ambassador and creative consultant.
Washington noticed that even though she was repping the company, there wasn’t a foundation that she could use because there wasn’t a range of shades suitable for brown skin.
“When I first started out at Neutrogena, there was not a foundation for me, and there was actually some pushback about that online,” Washington said in an interview with Refinery29. “I very purposefully did not address it [then], because I knew that I was about to engage in this labor of love.”
The company heard not only Washington’s complaints but also the complaints of black women who wrote the company about the lack of diverse shades.
With Washington’s help, the company has now introduced four new shades to its Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 20. And to make it a fun announcement, Washington actually surprised some of the women who wrote into Neutrogena with complaints.
“I wanted to personally deliver the message of our expansion and how proud I am of it, and it really meant a lot to me in particular when people asked about why Neutrogena would bring me on if there wasn’t foundation for women of color,” Washington shared with a woman named Ebony in the video. “I’ve been working really hard on expanding our foundations.”
Ebony’s reaction was priceless:
Inclusivity is a win for everyone, especially the companies making these products. You’d think they would realize that the more inclusive they are, the bigger their profits.