Black Girls Need Range

The other day I was scrolling down my Instagram feed, as I do regularly, and I came across an ad/post from Anastasia Beverly Hills. If you don't know, Anastasia Beverly Hills is a HUGE makeup company that is loved by makeup users everywhere. They are one of my favorites, especially their eyeshadow palettes. But when I came across this ad/post, I was extremely disappointed.

The company decided to launch a new product called a face palette. It includes a blush, highlighter, and bronzer. This a rather genius idea because the three products are so closely connected but there are three reasons why I was not impressed. Let's get into it.

Reason #1: The Price

The face palette costs $58. Let me break down why I feel this is ridiculous. If not included in a palette, the products are worth $10 each. $12 max. This puts us in the $30-$36 range. Then you put them all together and charge maybe $5 for convenience. Now we're at $35-$41. So how they came up with $58 is beyond me! I understand that they are a pricey makeup brand so it's not surprising, but by the end of this, you'll understand that they are overcharging by a lot.

Reason #2: It's Been Done Before

In this day and age, creativity is the key. In order to really sell a product, you have to stand out. There are a few companies who have done face palettes before. Tarte has one with many more options, for less money ($45). Urban Decay also has one with a better range (we'll get into that next) and it's only $36. To say the least, Anastasia Beverly Hills isn't doing anything groundbreaking by coming out with this palette. While it is not a crime to release a product that has been done by another company... at least do it better sis. Offer me something new about the product. Give me a reason to buy yours instead of theirs. This is also why their price doesn't make sense to me.

Reason #3: The Range is Trash

This is the main reason I have decided to even write this post. Now, I will go ahead and address the elephant in the room... I am a rather lighter skinned woman. I am fully aware of my skin tone and the privilege that comes along with that and I typically don't have a problem finding my shade. But I still reserve the right to be concerned about the availability (or the lack thereof) of products for those who are of darker complexions. With that being said... I didn't even see my shade. I honestly didn't see shades for anyone who has brown skin (black people are not the only people who are brown). I have a picture of all three products below. If you didn't know any better, you'd think it's the same palette over and over! If you know nothing about makeup, the color furthest to the left of the palette is a bronzer and is supposed to darken your skin to add dimension. It typically is a few shades darker than a person's actual skin tone, so you can imagine why I'm so disappointed. Their deepest palette is my literally my skin tone.

As a avid makeup user and a black woman, I feel like it's my responsibility to speak on things like this. Makeup companies have got to do better. When you leave entire groups of people out, you are sending a message that you do not care for them, think about them, or need their business. That's dangerous because what are we telling our society? Especially people of color. All skin tones, no matter how dark, should be represented in every single complexion product released by any makeup company. Simple as that. If it's too hard or too expensive... oh well. I do not care. There is not a good enough reason to not do it because there are companies who are making it happen. #AnastasiaBeverlyHills (and any other makeup company leaving people out), you can do better than this and I expect better.