Natasha Caudill, a colorblind TikToker, wants beauty products to be more accessible for the visually impaired

Lisa Azcona

“People just assumed that because I can't see color, I couldn't do my makeup. But that’s just not true.”

Video Transcript

- Color blindness is really rare and a lot of people just don't know that much about it, but I want people to realize that it's not stopping me from doing anything. I can do my makeup, I can go shopping, I can enjoy all the things that I know I enjoy, even if I could see color.

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Hi, my name is Natasha Caudill, and you've probably seen my black and white makeup videos about how I live with complete colorblindness. I was born with a really rare eye disease called a achromatopsia, I am completely colorblind, I also have day blindness, and I also have low vision.

I started making makeup videos for my TikTok in black and white because a lot of people just assumed that because I can't see color, I couldn't do my makeup. But that's just not true. So, of course, I get my foundation and my concealer, stuff like that professionally matched at stores, but my eyeshadow palettes, I just buy palettes that I think look cool.

When people ask me what being completely colorblind is like, I've always said it's probably watching a black and white movie. I don't know that for sure, but that's probably the best example I can give color-seeing people. A lot of brands, they love to like name the colors of their products after really fun and quirky things. And they're cute, but they don't tell you the color of any of the makeup, which is obviously the biggest challenge I have with it.

A few days ago, I was doing my makeup and I didn't know if something I had was a blush or a bronzer. And those are two sort of different colors. I would love for the beauty industry to put color descriptions on their packaging, on their websites, somewhere so that it's accessible to anyone who may need it.

My favorite makeup product is definitely highlighter just because of how shiny and glittery it is. The best hack that I have for doing my makeup is to blend. And when you think everything is blended, continue blending. Like, over blend because I can't tell when the colors have blended nicely together. But if you do it for long enough, you'll get there eventually.

I really love being able to make videos about my disability because I've connected with a lot of other disabled creators, but I think even more so than that, I've just reached people who have never heard of colorblindness or don't know that it exists or think that only men can be colorblind.

I think my biggest message in my videos is that you don't need to do things the same way as everyone else to enjoy them. Like, I don't need to see color to enjoy makeup or shopping or art. And I hope that people realize that there are multiple ways to enjoy things. And there are also ways that we can make things more accessible and inclusive. Honestly, being able to educate about something that is so rare. I didn't grow up with anyone talking about my eye disorder. And to be that person for people today is incredible.

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