Why R We Always Left Out?!

[ebonyannette]

Arggh!!!

I have a gripe about cosmetics companies. I always read and hear these rave reviews on a product and then I go to get it and they dont make my shade!
Whats up with that?! how hard is it to make colors for darkers skin tones? It obviously must be VERY difficult because only a few brands have make up for dark skin tones worth buying.
Its pretty upsetting to have your hopes up for a particular foundation or product only to go to the counter and they either look at you with that "we have nothing for you look" or they "just try" their darkest color on you, knowing good and well it will do nothing but make me look ashy.
I mean things are getting better, and honestly alot of companies have come a long way but I think alot of dark skin women dont wear make up because of the hassle of trying to find their shade or when they do find their shade its a formulation that breaks them out. I know plenty of people like that young and old. Why cant cosmetics companies get their acts together?
So thats my gripe for the day, if anyone has any comments or suggestion I would appreciate it

 

[LineausBH58]

I'm NW45 Studio Fix... and I so know what you mean....drug stores... nothing nothing nothing.... only Department stores for me... and only like 3 brands... MAC, Smashbox, and Clinque.... and Clinque I looked too red...

I have no idea why the drug store brands can't get it together...do they think that we don't wear makeup?? Or that we don't want it?

That is why I don't consider Drug Store brands as REAL Makeup brands...or you know what... even some of the Department store brands don't have colors for deeper skin tones... it's sad...

Any brand that does not have a BROAD band of color choices I will no longer consider a MAKEUP brand...

 

[MAChostage]

I just received a coupon for a free bottle of the new L'Oreal HIP foundation. I'm normally turned off on drugstore brands but I'm going to go claim my free bottle of this and see how it works out.

Keep in mind that Iman's line is now drugstore, and it used to be my favorite line when it was in Penney's!

 

[sexypuma]

you are sooo right. i guess that's why i fell in love with MAC. I also need to vent a little about something that always happen to me (it's not makeup related though, but since we are venting...) shopping for bras is such a pain! everytime i spot a cute bra, they don't have my size. they try to make me wear 34b. i am a 32c and 34b just doesn't fit properly! my boobs always come out of the cups. then they try to make me understand that the size is unusual but I am sure i am not the only one having this size so why can't we find bras???

 

[MeganGMcD]

My skin is olive complected. Not YELLOW undertoned, Not PINK undertoned.
Yellow undertones turn orange on me
Pink turn pepto bismol.

Just because my skin isn't super dark does not mean I am not olive.
I am super tired of foundation.

 

[ebonyannette]

Yes exactly! there are alot of people who are olive complection and they always say your "medium" or "deep" and its like No its OLIVE. I think companies try to save money and just do a few shades of what they think is most popular of course the one "DEEP" shade you have doesnt sell becuase it doesnt work for EVERY dark person.

I am interested in the Loreal HIP foundation too, I tried the 2nd to darkest one on my hand (im a bad girl I opened the top and tested it on my hand) But I havent bought it yet, but more brands can take a hint from Loreal. I bet the only reason why they decided to carry a broader range is because they have Beyonce as their spokesmodel and there is probably more complaints by dark skinned people now.

I agree I dont see how they can even call themselves "make up" when they dont carry a full line of colors. If it wasnt for MAC I dont think I would even wear make up because its so frustrating finding dark colors.

I remember back in the day Mary Kay really marketed hard for dark skinned people's business and almost every woman I knew wore Mary Kay, well of course as time goes on there are different trends and I personally think of Mary Kay as like "Aunty" make up. Its cute but maybe for my 44 year old aunt who wears marroon lipstick and dark green eyeshadow everyday.

I am interested in Iman's line as well, there are companies that "Cater" to darker tones like Black Opal and Black Radiance but I have never tried them. Plus I never really hear rave reviews about their products.

I dont know if its too hard to get the formulation right but if they can come up with 30 products for fair skinned people why cant they spend a few research dollars and come up with some for darker skinned people too?

and I also have bra issues sexypuma but my issues are because Im a 42 DD, if it werent for Lane Bryant I would be wearing the box playtex "cone" bras! ha ha!!!! LB is the only company that has really cute designs/patterns with enough support. For the longest time I couldnt get a matching bra/panty set to save my life. I guess they figure fat peoples draws dont have to match!
LB is kind of pricey, I have to invest in a $30 Bra but at least they are worth it I guess

 

[devin]

yeah it really is sad.

that's a complaint i hear from black women all the time at my counter. it really is sad, and that's why i explain to other races the reason for MAC being so popular, especially among women of color. It is really hard to find companies that create makeup that is flattering for women of color and that is because it is soooo difficult to pinpoint a specific skintone. I read somewhere that there 40 or more(don't quote on me that

) different shades for african american women and not even half as many for caucasian's. so i guess it is just easier for companies to not take the time and do the research to try and figure it all out. it is crazy though, that in 2006 this is still a problem. i also hear that Becca has a great range of colors for women of color, although I have never used them personally.

 

[erica_1020]

Hey I just noticed this sub forum it's awesome. Anyway I am always on the hunt for the HG foundation. Always hated drugstore never looked right and MAC-love them for most stuff irritates my skin or I didn't like the wear. I recently gave drugstore another try and I have been wearing Revlon Colorstay Softflex in Caramel (Halle Berry's shade) closest match I have received in a while from drugstore or dept store (other than MAC) it is a tad light because of the sunscreen in it but so far no break outs and it lasts long and looks natural. I will post pics in fotd sometime this weekend. I am NC45 for reference and Caramel was the next to the darkest shade

 

[MAChostage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexypuma you are sooo right. i guess that's why i fell in love with MAC. I also need to vent a little about something that always happen to me (it's not makeup related though, but since we are venting...) shopping for bras is such a pain! everytime i spot a cute bra, they don't have my size. they try to make me wear 34b. i am a 32c and 34b just doesn't fit properly! my boobs always come out of the cups. then they try to make me understand that the size is unusual but I am sure i am not the only one having this size so why can't we find bras???

Babygirl, try this site for some 32C's: http://www.barenecessities.com (Mods, I hope this isn't against any Specktra policies!)

 

[MAChostage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebonyannette I remember back in the day Mary Kay really marketed hard for dark skinned people's business and almost every woman I knew wore Mary Kay, well of course as time goes on there are different trends and I personally think of Mary Kay as like "Aunty" make up. Its cute but maybe for my 44 year old aunt who wears marroon lipstick and dark green eyeshadow everyday.

Ok, Girlfriend, now you're stepping on toes with that 44-year old comment!

Seriously, though, I think Mary Kay's problem is that it is such a limited line (although it has really improved over the years in terms of the diversity shown in its shades). I have known at least 3 sisters of different shades who all wore the same MK foundation color! (But *this* doesn't even look 44-year-old is MAC all the way! Hee hee!

)

 

[Beautiful1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by devin yeah it really is sad. that's a complaint i hear from black women all the time at my counter. it really is sad, and that's why i explain to other races the reason for MAC being so popular, especially among women of color. It is really hard to find companies that create makeup that is flattering for women of color and that is because it is soooo difficult to pinpoint a specific skintone. I read somewhere that there 40 or more(don't quote on me that ) different shades for african american women and not even half as many for caucasian's. so i guess it is just easier for companies to not take the time and do the research to try and figure it all out. it is crazy though, that in 2006 this is still a problem. i also hear that Becca has a great range of colors for women of color, although I have never used them personally.

Becca Is My Holy Grail I Loveeee Her Line! And She Is Not Even Black, She Is Australian! Now Check That Out! She Hit It Right On The Head With Not Only Her Foundations, Her Powders, Lip Glosses, Everything! She Has Rocked It Out For All Skin Tones

There Are A Number Of Foundations For Darker Skinned Women, The Problem Is That People Only Go With The Obvious And A Lot Of Times They Don't Have It Right! There Is Another Holy Grail Line That I Found Just Rocks Like Fire It It Is Called Gerda Spillman, Another Line That Has All Skin Tones. I Had The Privilage Of Being Turned On To This Cream Foundation When I Was Doing Some Fashion Shows. Gerda Spillman Is Pricey But She Got The Darker Colored Foundations Down To A Science (Another Woman Who Is Not Black)

I Don't Wear MAC Foundations Because I Find That They Don't Wear Well, On Myself Or On Other People That I Am Doing Make~up On (Plus With MAC You Have To Mix And Match The Foundations To Get The Perfect Match And Not Only That Black Women Tend To Have Different Things Going On With There Skin, So Our Skin Most Of The Time Calls For More Than 1 Foundation To Be Used). I Have Been Doing Some Extensive Research On Darker Toned Foundations So I Will Do My Best To Keep Everyone Posted!

 

[MAChostage]

My Lawd!! I just went to the Becca site... don't think I've ever seen foundations in so many different shades... still looking!!

 

[Beautiful1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAChostage My Lawd!! I just went to the Becca site... don't think I've ever seen foundations in so many different shades... still looking!!

LOL!

 

[maxcat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexypuma you are sooo right. i guess that's why i fell in love with MAC. I also need to vent a little about something that always happen to me (it's not makeup related though, but since we are venting...) shopping for bras is such a pain! everytime i spot a cute bra, they don't have my size. they try to make me wear 34b. i am a 32c and 34b just doesn't fit properly! my boobs always come out of the cups. then they try to make me understand that the size is unusual but I am sure i am not the only one having this size so why can't we find bras???

Yep, off topic but IT SUCKS. The 34s crawl up my back. All dept stores and even Victoria's Secret have NOTHING in a 32C.
If you're willing to invest, Lejaby is great. I've had some luck with DIM - they're 34s are really small cut across the back. Or... my fave solution - go to France. I'm not kidding. The whole country is a 32C. Tonnes of cute stuff. I spent three hours in the lingerie dept of Printemps. And their staff know what they're doing. They'll grab you around the ribcage, get a literal feel for you - and almost everything they hand you will fit perfectly.

 

[sexypuma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebonyannette Im a 42 DD, if it werent for Lane Bryant I would be wearing the box playtex "cone" bras! ha ha!!!! LB is the only company that has really cute designs/patterns with enough support. For the longest time I couldnt get a matching bra/panty set to save my life. I guess they figure fat peoples draws dont have to match! LB is kind of pricey, I have to invest in a $30 Bra but at least they are worth it I guess

Thanks for the tip. my sister is the same size and she also had trouble finding cute bras. she is visiting me for 2 weeks so we will check LB out.
Btw, is there any MAC in belgium?

 

[ebonyannette]

Belgium as in overseas? Im not sure?

 

[MAC_Pixie04]

I hate that certain powders and the MAC MSFs come in "light, medium, dark, deep dark" that shit is NOT fair range. Dark looked ashy on me, Deep Dark was too damn orange. I can't complain about blot powder, because it's so sheer it really doesn't matter, but Benefit is a brand I've had problems with. I wanted to use their Playsticks because I hear they'd be really great for my skintype and would help keep blemishes under control. Well, their two darkest shades are too light for me AND my lovely light skinned mother, (i'm nw45, she's nc45-50). And their get even powder, light, medium, dark. None of these work for normal skintones. Unless you're one of the lucky THREE women who have light, medium or dark skintone by this definition, it's not going to work for you.
Lancome doesn't match me. I thought it did, until I took a flash photograph of myself wearing it. Hello my name is Floaty Face. It completely altered the color of my face in comparison to my neck, i looked gross.
IMAN's line is good for skin of color, but I hear it doesn't wear very well. My sister in law lives in Georgia and she said it looks disgusting when you put it on. It looks really heavy and caked. However, she lives in a hot and muggy climate, which could be a factor. Another however, it's not available everywhere. I've never seen in in my area, and when I looked it up the nearest retailer was in NorCal...i'm not going to NorCal for foundation. But yeah, Becca has TONS of shades and prescriptives doesn't personalized colormatching, but it's very expensive. Bobbi Brown has been rated really high among medium and dark skintones, but IMO their range is limited as well and I can't stand their pushy "natural" philosophy of makeup.

I can't say that I've been particularly left out of most brands, but I've experienced off colors and bad formulas for my skintype. Hopefully Perfectly Real Makeup by Clinique will work for me. Don't give up ladies! Someone's bound to wise up. Hell, my career goal is to be CEO of my own Cosmetics Line SPECIFICALLY for Women Of Color. i know it's been claimed to have been done before, but I'm out to be the revolution because spending a month looking for a new foundation is bullshtuff.

 

[Beauty Mark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexypuma you are sooo right. i guess that's why i fell in love with MAC. I also need to vent a little about something that always happen to me (it's not makeup related though, but since we are venting...) shopping for bras is such a pain! everytime i spot a cute bra, they don't have my size. they try to make me wear 34b. i am a 32c and 34b just doesn't fit properly! my boobs always come out of the cups. then they try to make me understand that the size is unusual but I am sure i am not the only one having this size so why can't we find bras???

You have a few options. One is fit yourself in the cup and pay (or do it yourself) someone to take in the sides.

The other is try Nordstrom, Macy's, or one of those other decent dept. stores. I've had some luck (same size.)

Figleaves.com is a Godsend. They carry almost every size imaginable. You have to order online, but they have a great return policy from what I hear. I've had great luck with them.

 

[Kels823]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAChostage Babygirl, try this site for some 32C's: http://www.barenecessities.com (Mods, I hope this isn't against any Specktra policies!)

THANK you for this!!! Im @ the other end of the spectrum (38ddd/e) and I have never seen so many pretty bras in my size..

 

[devin]

I will definitely be looking into the Gerda spillman line. I have been doing research also, b/c I am getting ready to really build my kit and I want to make sure that I have all the best. Thanks for the info. Do you get a discount with Becca and Gerda Spillman and if so how do you go about getting it? Thanks again!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beautiful1 Becca Is My Holy Grail I Loveeee Her Line! And She Is Not Even Black, She Is Australian! Now Check That Out! She Hit It Right On The Head With Not Only Her Foundations, Her Powders, Lip Glosses, Everything! She Has Rocked It Out For All Skin Tones There Are A Number Of Foundations For Darker Skinned Women, The Problem Is That People Only Go With The Obvious And A Lot Of Times They Don't Have It Right! There Is Another Holy Grail Line That I Found Just Rocks Like Fire It It Is Called Gerda Spillman, Another Line That Has All Skin Tones. I Had The Privilage Of Being Turned On To This Cream Foundation When I Was Doing Some Fashion Shows. Gerda Spillman Is Pricey But She Got The Darker Colored Foundations Down To A Science (Another Woman Who Is Not Black) I Don't Wear MAC Foundations Because I Find That They Don't Wear Well, On Myself Or On Other People That I Am Doing Make~up On (Plus With MAC You Have To Mix And Match The Foundations To Get The Perfect Match And Not Only That Black Women Tend To Have Different Things Going On With There Skin, So Our Skin Most Of The Time Calls For More Than 1 Foundation To Be Used). I Have Been Doing Some Extensive Research On Darker Toned Foundations So I Will Do My Best To Keep Everyone Posted!