Makeup brand Youthforia criticized over darkest foundation shade

via @golloria

Makeup brand Youthforia’s darkest foundation shade is being criticized by beauty influencers for resembling blackface.

Key points:

Youthforia previously drew backlash for its lack of options for darker skin tones.
The brand expanded its shade range in March to include darker shades, but similarly received negative response.
Beauty influencer Golloria George compared Youthforia’s darkest shade to black face paint in a viral video.

About Youthforia:

Youthforia is a makeup brand known for its “makeup you can sleep in” tagline. The company gained prominence on the television show “Shark Tank” in 2023, with founder Fiona Co Chan securing a $400,000 investment from Mark Cuban.

The details:

Youthforia was heavily criticized when it launched its first 15-shade foundation last year for the lack of offerings tailored for those with darker skin tones.
At the time, Chan apologized for the shade range, calling the initial launch a “proof of concept.”
Prior to the launch of the new shades, Youthforia uploaded a TikTok video where Chan expressed difficulty finding models for their darkest shades. The brand later posted another clip showcasing models they found in a mall.

On April 29, George posted a video dramatically comparing Youthforia’s 600 Deep Neutral shade to black face paint. “Which side of my face is the black face paint or the Youthforia foundation?” she asks with both the foundation and black face paint applied on her face. “Tea, you can’t tell. You know why? Tar in a bottle.”
George suggests Youthforia reformulate existing shades with different undertones. The video gained over 25 million views, as of this writing.
Makeup experts point out that Youthforia’s darkest foundation relies solely on black pigment, suggesting a lack of effort in shade development.
Ayeyi, a beauty industry professional, says brands intentionally limit darker shades to cut costs, hinting that they were offered begrudgingly only in response to backlash.

What’s next:

Tangent:

Beauty brands Hourglass Cosmetics and Tarte have both similarly faced backlash over limited shade offerings for darker skin.

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