by
Elle D.
MAC Cosmetics, usually lauded by black women for their shade selection and diverse campaigns, is catching backlash after releasing their selections for their latest global beauty influencer collaboration. The collaboration, scheduled to release a special collection this spring, will allow each of the influencers to conjure up their own lipstick. Selections include Gabriel Zamora, Lar Lar Lee, Fouz Al Fahad, and more, but not one of their collaborators is a black woman.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMR62_uhuf3
Even more, none of the beauty influencers are from Africa, which seems a bit strange when you consider that Africa is the second largest continent in the world. Most of the chosen influencers are white and there are a few people of color. And while I don’t think that black people should automatically be in included in everything for the sake of diversity, MAC, really? Ten people, and not even one of them could be black? I can give them the benefit of the doubt regarding whether the “blackout” was intentional or not, but still, the fact that so many people can make such selections and not even consider race in the beauty industry is a form of privilege. Black women are looking more critically at how brands market towards us, and when we’re ignored or subtly disrespected, so it’s important for brands to pay attention to these seemingly small details.
@darkskinnedmakeupdaily, an Instagram account catering to swatches and tips for darker complexions, addressed the issue as well:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPK-TtmlzAK
It’s frustrating to see these situations again and again in the beauty industry, especially because these are mainstream and visible brands. We can say that an easy solution is to buy black-owned, but most readily available beauty brands are not, and many of us focus on convenience as the #1 driver in making consumer purchases. A lot of people demand we “buy black,” but don’t share black brands (@dupeblack has several MAC dupes from BoBs). The concept is well-meaning, but easier said than done.
Just last year, the MAC Instagram page was bombarded with hateful comments after the brand posted a picture of a black woman with full lips. Some said they would stop supporting the brand for posting the image, so one can’t help but wonder if MAC is in some way trying to cater to a more ambiguous audience.
Is this offense “boycott” worthy? That’s for the individual to decide, but it’s definitely something to take note of. I’ll be skipping this collection.
What do you think, BGLH readers?
