Shimmer Face Beauty Time

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been captivated by the enchanting world of makeup. The vibrant and vivid colors of the 80s never failed to mesmerize me! I yearned to own every shade of the rainbow, whether it came in tempting pots, delightful palettes, sleek pencils, or glamorous lipstick bullets. Frosty pink lipsticks, alluring black eyeliners, and electric blue mascara adorned with shimmer and glitter were among my absolute favorites! They added a touch of magic and radiance to my everyday look.

I saw it in all the magazines, on TV and in movies. During this time, there weren’t many diverse women represented in the media. It was always much of the same. The social identity of women in popular culture and mainstream media at the time was predominantly homogeneous.

As a teenager, I would spend the money I earned at my summer job at the mall on makeup. I couldn’t wait until a high school dance or special event so I could wear more glamorous looking makeup. I would have slumber parties with my friends and I’d give them makeovers- I’d dress them up in my clothes and do their hair and makeup!

However, in those days, the mainstream selection of makeup colors and pigments weren’t meant for girls like me. Unfortunately, there were no foundation colors that matched my tanned brown skin. I was very tan in the summer fall months and slightly more fair in the winter. The medium foundation tones always looked either too orange or pink they never quite looked right in the light of day. Most of them came in colors that were so fair they would make me look pasty white. I didn’t care, I wore it anyway. I had to make do with what was available at the time.

Eyeshadow colors and some blush were also not pigmented enough to show up on my eyes or face. A lot of shimmery colors looked chalky or just didn’t show up at all. I wore eyeliner around my eyes to try to make them look rounder and bigger. I was ashamed of my small eyes.

I hated my lips because they were brown toned, almost purple. My lips were big and noticeable and this wasn’t really in line with the beauty standard at the time. I wore icy pink gloss to disguise this. Every model in magazines back then had these pretty pink little Cupid’s Bow lips.

I went to a predominately white high school, I just wanted to blend in. I so desperately wanted to look like everyone else.

The feelings of inadequacy were driven in deeper when I would go to makeup counters and they would match me the best they could. The peachy and pinky undertones still didn’t suit, but I made do with what I got.

When I got older and became a makeup artist, the line I worked for did not have a huge shade range. In fact, I found it so limiting. I hated having to turn people away because we didn’t have a color to match their skin tone. It killed me to have to do this.

Thank goodness for Fashion Fair, MAC & Bobbi Brown who provided a wide selection of shade ranges and better pigmented color! Finally, the industry was just beginning to make breakthroughs in the industry.

Fast forward to now. Diversity is finally everywhere in the media. Makeup colors come in every shade to suit so many skin tones and offer color products with pigments that show up well on everyone! A majority of brands have really caught up! I am so happy to see how far it has come since then.

Now little girls and young women don’t feel like they have to “blend in”, they don’t have to feel like they are “other”. They see models and influencers who have the same eye shapes, skin tones and facial features similar to their own. Women of color don’t have to be turned away from a makeup brand because of their “limited shade range”.

The under-represented are finally being represented. Those who haven’t come around are being called out for their lack of inclusivity and it’s about time!