Pondering Racial Connotations of "Lightful"

[Me220]

Hey my Beauties of Color. I know I haven't been around much but I'm always here, just never posting. I am curious to have a discussion on MAC's Lightful collection, particularly the connotations. The description reads as follows:
Quote:

A collection of skincare products formulated with state-of-the-art skin lightening technology. All work together to instantly brighten, soften, and protect the skin while combating discolouration. Let the skin glow, full of light: Lightful.

And this is accompanied by a picture of a decidely beautiful woman whose whiteness is the focus which can be found on the website. The only reason I bring this up is the concept of "skin lightening": is this another example of white as the ideal or just business as usual (which I guess is redundant)? Is this isolated item a symptom or a cause of the beauty standard? Is it worth talking about anymore and what are the solutions?

Anywho, I may be rambling, but I am curious to know if there are any thoughts on this, or on the greater issue of the beauty standard let's talk about them here. Much love.

 

[Artemis]

I am interested in those products. I have acne scars and I am almost out of the stuff I use. Those products aren't ment to make you white. They are ment to make skin brighter and more even toned. Trust me, they won't make you whiter. Skin whitening products are popular in asia and the ones that make you whiter are very dangerous.
I don't think MAC is being racist at all.

 

[Me220]

I want to clarify, I'm not saying MAC is being racist at all. I guess I'm using this particular line to exemplify what I feel is a greater problem of what is considered beautiful and why. I understand lightening products, but I also feel that this is representative of a bigger issue. I want to use this to discuss the bigger issue. I hope that makes more sense.

 

[faifai]

I don't think the MAC stuff is the same kind of "skin lightening" that most darker-skinned people have to deal with culturally. If you look at the products themselves, it's about reducing the appearance of discoloration (age spots, sun spots, scars, perhaps freckles?). It is definitely not the same ideal promoted in Asia and the Middle East, or what causes sales of Fair and Lovely to be so high over there.

I do think the whole "being lighter is better" thing is still a problem, but every color has similar problems (like what's happening to people who are very pale...these days they get told they look ghastly and "need to get a tan!"). Either way it is unhealthy. The truly effective skin lightening stuff often contains hydroquinone, which is supposedly known to cause health problems but people use it anyway. Tanning and exposure to UVA/UVB rays is known to cause skin problems, but people do it anyway.

The solution to both would be to promote loving oneself just as you are, but even that is a kind of a paradox, because we're here on a makeup forum, and we use makeup to make ourselves look bettter! Better than what? Why are we improving on ourselves if we should just "love ourselves as we are"?

To figure out the "answer," you have to look at all sorts of things, like where these beauty standards are coming from (why is skin lightening so popular with darker skinned yet tanning is more popular with lighter people? why makes any one thing inherently "better" than another?). You have to look at historical attitudes towards beauty and fashion and compare that with how things are nowadays and try to figure out when things changed and why. And it's a truly fascinating subject, but I still don't know nearly enough about it to answer your questions.

 

[Indian Barbie]

I like this new product range,can't wait to try something.

 

[Kiseki]

I got the feeling that this whole "Lightful" was meant to treat areas that had too much pigmentation and not necessarily alter someone's skin tone.

 

[hyperRealGurl]

I dont understand how everything turns into a racial issue... its cosmetics people. this collections is not about " this new product line to change the color of our skin" This line is to brighten skin, and even out your skintone. It doesnt matter what race u are to have areas on your face that is not even in color, or whatever the issue may be.


So lets not act like its going to be some type of cream thats going to turn ur skin white.. b.c i dont think thats the case. A name is just that.. ( A name) lets not take it literally. its just another line Mac came up with thats all

 

[Tightambitionz]

side note: the woman in the picture looks alien-like to me. lol Its the way the light was cast on her face...all you see are eyes and a triangle head ( = I dont mind lightening products...or darkening products for that matter, i use them both!

 

[claresauntie]

I'm looking forward to this, to get rid of some of the weird spots that have popped up after my pregnancy last year.

I'm super fair, and anyone who tells me I need a tan gets my standard answer: "But why would I want to do that? I look 10 years younger than I am, and if I tan I'll look old and wrinkly...." with a sweetly confused look. (no offense meant to tanners, but I think insulting anyone is rude, so those who do it get my rude answer)

That said, I have always been curious about the urge for fair folks to want to get tan, and darker folks to want to be pale. How weird!

 

[ARmakeupjunkie]

I think it's funny how a group of people can look at the same thing and see something different. When I first saw this collection, I was thinking that this would be great skincare to help put some life back into my complexion. I work 60 hour weeks and sometimes look pale and tired. Maybe give me back that glow and help with the random one or two dark spots I may have.

I don't know if MAC was trying to push the 'white is right' notion of beauty on us but this thread now has me thinking, how many women of color did MAC use to promote collections in 2006? Let me say that as a Woman of Color I have a hard time purchasing from collections. The nearest store is over an hour away, in another state. So often I have to purchase on-line hoping that the colors I pick will work for my skintone. I have never made an on-line purchase and not had to send some of the items back, even after suggestions from MAs on the live chat. I know that not every collection will work for everyone but it just seems to me that I have a harder time.

For the record, I don't think MAC was pushing the 'white is right' idea of beauty with this collection and I hope I am correct in that belief. But I must say, we are a nation that does believe true beauty is blonde hair, blue eyes, and white skin. I also believe that idea will never change.

Please remember, this is just my opinion.

 

[Shimmer]

Why does everything come back to race? Why do people LOOK for "trouble" so to speak?

Good grief. It's a marketing campaign based on making the skin "glow" with "light" from within, hence the phrase "lightful".


Yeesh.

 

[Me220]

Once again, I'm not even blaming MAC for the product line, I'm sure it's positive. I do understand lightening and brightening products for even skin tone. I'm using this as a cross-section of the beauty standard, and to discuss how it plays out in the marketing and concept for a particular product. It's not about blame, I'm not trying to start anything, I'm interested in the opinions of other women of color, which is why I posted this is the women of color forum. (What exactly can we talk about in there anyway, because everything seems to get moved?)

And to be perfectly honest, race plays out in cosmetics all the time. To say it's just cosmetics ignores the struggle for women of color to be identified as worthy of beauty, let alone represented in a cosmetics line. Sure, it's easy to say, it's makeup let's not worry about it, but I like to discuss the world I'm living in. I look for "trouble" because it exists, now let's talk about why there's trouble in the first place?

Thanks to those who've contributed positively to the discussion so far. It's appreciated.

 

[Shimmer]

Why is there trouble in the first place? Honestly? This article addresses a lot of that, IMO.

 

[sharyn]

How many products are out there to make you look more tan?! How many collections are there that are more towards the "bronzed" or tanned ppl?! How should I feel about it, when I am superfair and platinum blonde, prolly never ever able to get past NC 15?! Shall I tell you? I dont care. It does not offend me. These collections are simply not made for me. I do not see any racial issues in it. - cause I live in a world where I have the right to walk past things that are not made for me and leave them in the store and I do not need to chance every thing on this planet that is not made especially for me.

Now you might say I dont know what its like to be different from others or confronted with real issues based on race (eg. violence etc.)... well, I have days where I look like an albino and I have been treated bad for not being 100% german, I do know what it is like feeling like and outcast just because of your race/hair/skincolor.

Even if a collection idealizes super pale skin (which "lightful" does not, IMO) ...I think NC 5 has the same right to be idealized as the "baked" "tan" look or a NC 50

 

[Shimmer]

Sharyn makes a really good point. There are women who are substantially lighter than an NC5 or 10 or 15 who simply cannot find makeup that works for them. It's too dark. They are faced with "Well, if you just wear translucent powder and put some bronzer across your cheeks and forehead...I think it'll give you some color and girl you NEED it look how pale you are???" and it's okay to say that to them because they're not black. Or brown. Or yellowgreenpinkpurpleblue. They're pale, so it's okay to say that to them, right? Because even though they're pale, they're still white, and they still get representation, even though there aren't any products that really work for them.
Like Sharyn said, consumers have the right to simply not purchase anything that doesn't work for them. No one's holding a gun to anyone's head and making them purchase anything from a particular makeup line (MAC or otherwise).

 

[hyperRealGurl]

I dont think cosmetic lines ignore women of color... people of all races stuggle with many products. Finding shades that match, finidng colors that compliments their skintones or whatever the case is. So this does not just apply to women of color. We have so many women out there that has very fair skin that goes through the same issues with finiding products that work for them just as much as a women of color, really im speaking for all races.. I dont think the cosmetic industry puts products out there and are like (oh we are only marketing lighter skin people) The cosmetic industy is always putting out new prodcuts , new shades, new concepts, they rely on the consumers input to bring in better products.

i would go on but Jamie and Sharyn basicly said what i wanted to say

 

[Trunkmonkey]

Oh lord not racism in makeup lines again?

Where's that dead horse and my stick?


Look from my perspective makeup is a product intended to enhance or change a persons natural look to their liking. If someone wants to be lighter, darker, whateverer, there's a product out there to help them along thier way. Racism? NO... Marketing a product for a group of people who may want to lighten thier tone? YES...

THANK GOD FOR CHOICES HUH?

Geez

*climbs back in trunk

 

[tinkerbelle]

Having so many choices and ranges of things is one of the reasons I love MAC. Some of the promotes are for darker skin tones and some are for lighter. Gotta love choices.

 

[claresauntie]

I do not think the OP meant that MAC or any other makeup line is inherently racist. I think she means only to broach the topic of dark-skinned women who may strive to be lighter, and light-skinned women trying to bronze and tan themselves darker.

I think, if I may speak for her, she saw the name "Lightful" and this brought the subject to mind, NOT that she said "Aw, crap, another bit of proof of The (Wo)Man stepping on those with dark skin!"

At least that's how I took it.

And I agree... what is discussed in Beauty of Color if this got moved out of there?

*j

 

[hyperRealGurl]

Beauty of Color is meant for anyone with a deep skintone. Black, Latin, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, or someone with a killer tan! Want to chat about the brands that work for you, or find out what works for others? Do you have a great tip to share? Whether it's Department or Drugstore brands, talk about it here! Please post your recommendation requests in the proper forum.

Anyother post should be placed in the proper forum, recs/swatches/tuts/cosmetic discussions/chatter/ect.. ect..

I felt the need to move this thread for the simple fact that this is a ( Cosmetic Discussion)