Racism in MUA & Cosmetic Industry

Many of you may have heard the model Nykhor Paul speaking out about her experiences in the fashion industry regarding make up artists not stocking her colour. Or maybe you've heard from Victoria's Secret model Leomie Anderson (pictured below) talk about being forced to bring her own make up and watch all the other white models have their make up done.

As a woman of colour, and in my experience pre-vegan, going to the MAC store or even just at Mecca, colour matches are difficult. I've been told I have a 'weird' skin tone on several occasions and am always given the wrong colour. That's why I always colour match myself. 

When these people spoke out about what was going on in runway or the fashion industry, something inside of my brain clicked. I looked back on all my experiences while trying on make up, being told about my typical Asian skin and being incorrectly matched and not being listened to when I mention I'm also aboriginal, so my skin is a few shades darker than just 'yellow'. Perhaps it's because my facial features are screaming 'ASIAN' at them that they can't actually hear me talk about my own fucking skin. 

If you're trying to understand my frustration as a white person think of it like this: mansplaining. You know when you're talking to a man and you're trying to tell him something, and he mansplains you? Like he's listening but not hearing you and explains the thing to you as if you have no idea what you're talking about? That's how it feels when you're sitting in the chair with a woman inches from your face almost mansplaining your own skin colour to you as if you have no clue as to what you're talking about. 

Make up basics is not a hard topic to learn. Things like skin tone and colour matching can easily be learned without going to a course. It's extremely readily available. What's more is, I've been on this pony long enough to know what matches my skin tone and what doesn't. People need to understand you're not always just one race and need to 

I can't have an opinion or speak for anyone else's experience but my own. So here are some real life experiences either given to this article or posted online, you can click for sources.

"I feel just because I’m Asian they automatically assume I have a really yellow/olive skin tone and incorrectly color match me..."  - Gina

"As a woman of colour model I always carry my foundation and concealer just because I know some MUA's don't have my skin tone foundation n it's really sad and makes me sick to be honest." - Natalinaa KoNn

Matu Bordolo: Being a model of colour, i've rocked up to jobs where they didn't have my shade of foundation. They had a dark foundation but was not my colour and we ended up using my foundation that i took along with me. From that day forward I always take my foundation with me just incase.

POC should not have to bring their own make up to runway, a photoshoot or anything else because the MUA simply doesn't cater for POC. That is racism. And if the MUA has never worked with anyone of colour a) that highlights further racism in the industry and b) shows how ill equipped and unprepared the MUA is. Either way, the make up artist should be sent home, that is not an unreasonable request. 

This year I have made it a 'resolution' if you will, to stop white washing myself to become white passing. I am not a white person, so there's no need for me to continue trying to come off that way by buying white foundation when I'm clearly brown. Below you can see a picture from last year and a picture of me now embracing my skin colour. 

Go into Priceline, or really any store that sells make up. Look at the foundation shades. Shades usually range from white to tan and nothing further. I even just checked the Revlon page for one of their foundations and it only goes to 'Natural tan'. This is supposed to be Australia's #1 long lasting foundation. Number 1? So you mean to say this is Australia's top pick but it's only for white to not even a deep tan? 

I know darker foundations exist, but why is it so difficult to buy? Why is it more accessible for white people but people of colour that aren't white passing need to order it? Perhaps it's further proof that our society still caters for white people as the majority, or maybe it's the fact that Revlon CEO is a known racist...

The Revlon CEO, Lorenzo Delpani (native to Italy), claimed he could "smell black people when they walk into a room". He's also alleged to have discriminated against the former top scientist, Alan Meyers, for being Jewish. He was forced to hold a whiteboard covering his head and torso for 30 minutes in a meeting. According to court papers filed, the CEO hates living among 'dirty' americans and can't wait to get back to a 'real country'. (Lorenzo Delpani, CEO pictured below, middle)

There are so many different types of POC, some may fit in to a light tan if they're white passing, others don't. I don't, especially not in summer. And from what we already know of the Revlon CEO being extremely racist, why is the discussion in AUS about this topic so quiet? Just like the discussion of cosmetic animal testing, make up brands and racism seems to be forgotten when we look at the price and convenience of the brand. Don't be bought by a billion dollar racist make up brand.