150 Beauty Products Made for Dark Skin Are Coming to Target
For years, women of color have had to search high and low for makeup that properly blends and matches our skin tones, and as the beauty industry continues to make major shifts toward diversity, Target has joined the list of retailers working to ease the plight of brown girls everywhere. Beginning today, eight new diverse cosmetic brands will be available online at target.com—with the in-store options landing on May 20. In total, the retailer is adding 150 more products that are aimed specifically toward medium to dark skin; including eyeshadows, lipsticks, and highlighters, along with more than 60 shades of foundation.
While the lines are pre-existing, Target reps say that it was a lengthy process to determine which eight made the cut; which includes Coloured Raine, EveryHue Beauty, Haleys, Hue Noir, Makeup Geek, Reina Rebelde, The Lip Bar, and Violet Voss. The biggest consideration was that each had to be owned by people of color. That way, the products are coming straight from those who not only know what's missing in the market, but also know exactly how to satisfy those needs.
According to Christina Hennington, Target senior vice president of beauty and essentials, the retailer is also working closely with each of the brands to help market them for success. Like, for example, making sure they have the infrastructure in place to handle the massive demand that comes from selling at such a big box store. (This is also why Hennington says they'll be rolling out limited numbers at first, just to ensure the demand doesn't harmfully overextend the brands.)
These lines, of course, are not the first multi-cultural brands to be stocked on the shelves at Target. Instead, this move highlights how retailers are now deepening their commitment to having more inclusive offerings—and not just hidden away in the back corners of the beauty aisle. "We went from having nothing but a wall of relaxers in the back of the store to assortments that speak to every hair and skin type, with messaging that's inclusive," said SheaMoisture owner Richelieu Dennis during an inclusive beauty panel hosted by Target today in Manhattan.
Jasmin Foster, Target's senior beauty buyer, says the products will be featured in prominent displays on the end of beauty aisles—which is considered prime real estate for a beauty brand, given that there's a stronger chance shoppers will see your product. While product testers are still just a pipe dream, in-store, brand-led events are also on the way to give shoppers the chance to test products and find shade matches. And as of today, Target's website lets you filter by foundation shade—think Sephora's Shade IQ program, but for mass brands.
Above all, Target is making inclusive beauty more accessible. Where a Fenty foundation or shade from Make Up For Ever falls in the $30 to $45 range, everything from these brands will cost between $10 to $25. The reason? Because women of color have been demanding it. "Social media is holding the industry to task and saying diversity is a need," EveryHue Beauty co-founder Gizelle Bryant said at the inclusivity panel. And from whence it came, the response has been overwhelmingly positive:
So just when I thought my Target obsession couldn't get any worse, they turn their beauty aisles into a haven of black girl magic. Thanks, Target, you're getting all of my coin.
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