Shoppers demanded more from the beauty industry. These brands listened.
Beauty aisles and counters have undergone a dramatic makeover. A decade ago, the selection of cosmetics, skin and hair care was largely driven by a small group of manufacturers and the industry’s history of perpetuating blond, European women as the faces of beauty.
But in the past ten years — and in the past year, especially — a shift to creating products that are inclusive of the diverse population of America has radically transformed the beauty space as we’ve come to know it. This is why Yahoo Lifestyle is thrilled to announce our second annual Diversity in Beauty Awards (the DIBs), which highlights the personalities, brands, and products that embody inclusiveness and innovation.
The leaders of this movement? None other than the shoppers.
Frustrated with wasting money on hair care that doesn’t live up to its promises, mixing multiple foundations just to find the perfect match, or engaging with campaigns that paint one image of beauty as being superior to others, consumers are no longer remaining silent or settling. Social media has given them a platform to call brands out for their shortcomings, and communicate that they will spend their hard-earned dollars only on products that truly fit their needs.
Industry insiders refer to this seismic shift as the “Fenty Beauty effect,” linking it to the groundbreaking launch of Rihanna‘s beauty line in 2017, when the singer-turned-cosmetics mogul unveiled a 40-shade foundation range that reflected her rainbow of fans and followers.
Ginger King, the founder of cosmetic product development company Grace Kingdom Beauty, believes Rihanna’s connection with beauty lovers contributes to the brand’s success. “With her celebrity status and that kind of drive, you have people saying, ‘Yeah, we have been waiting a long time for this. Finally, someone has spoken up for us’,” explains King.
Tellingly, it was Fenty Beauty’s darker shades that sold out first.
The dark Fenty Beauty foundation shades are sold out everywhere! This is for all the makeup brands who think the dark shades won't sell well pic.twitter.com/JDKddaMa5r
— Affinity Magazine (@TheAffinityMag) September 10, 2017
There have been brands, including Iman Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, and NARS, that have always offered a wide scope of makeup for different skin tones. But many brands have — and still — create eight or 16-shade foundation ranges with an average of two deeper hues in the collection.
The financial impact of women of color shouldn’t be overlooked. African-American consumers are still buying into beauty more than any other ethnic group. In 2017, “black shoppers spent $473 million in total hair care (a $4.2 billion industry) and made other significant investments in personal appearance products, such as grooming aids ($127 million out of $889 million) and skin care preparations ($465 million out of $3 billion),” according to a recent Nielsen report.
For the 2018 Diversity in Beauty Awards, Yahoo Lifestyle’s editors collaborated with six experts who champion diversity in their careers and cover all bases of the beauty industry to vote on the best in makeup, skin care, hair care, and more. Judges include celebrity hairstylist Vernon François, wellness advocate and personal trainer Massy Arias, beauty vlogger Ellarie, cosmetic chemist Ginger King, celebrity makeup artist Joanna Simkin, and Beauty Director Dana Oliver of Yahoo Lifestyle.
A Diversity in Beauty Awards seal is awarded to winners in 16 categories, including the Influencer for Change award to beauty king Patrick Starr, Beauty Campaign With a Powerful Message award to CoverFX for their thought-provoking “Nude Is Not Beige” campaign, and awards for Best Inclusive Foundation and Best Beauty App.
Without further ado, here is the full list of 2018 Diversity in Beauty Award nominees and winners.
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
• What it’s really like working as a black fashion model in Russia
• Are plus-size women fashionable? Apparently not, according to street style photos
• How this curvy blogger hopes to change the fashion industry’s diversity problem
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Diversity in Beauty Awards: The judges
Our team of editors collaborated with six experts who champion diversity in their careers and cover all bases of the beauty industry to vote on the best in makeup, skin care, hair care, and more. Judges include celebrity hairstylist Vernon François, wellness advocate and personal trainer Massy Arias, beauty vlogger Ellarie, cosmetic chemist Ginger King, celebrity makeup artist Joanna Simkin, and Beauty Director Dana Oliver of Yahoo Lifestyle. (Art by Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)
Diversity in Beauty Awards
The makeup categories include Inclusive Foundation, Affordable Makeup Lines, and Best Beauty App. (Art by Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)
Inclusive Foundation
Thanks to advancements in technology and formulation, more brands are expanding their foundation range to include diverse shades. (Art by Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)
Inclusive Foundation Nominees
Fenty Beauty, Marc Jacobs Beauty, NARS, and Bobbi Brown. (Art by Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)
Inclusive Foundation Winner: Fenty Beauty
Rihanna not only started her line with 40 shades; the formula is oil-free and extremely innovative, with climate-adaptive technology that’s humidity resistant, sweat-proof, and won’t clog pores. (Art by Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)
Affordable Makeup Lines
Buying quality makeup shouldn’t cost you a fortune! (Art by Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)
Affordable Makeup Lines Nominees
Maybelline, NYX, Makeup Revolution, and Colourpop. (Art by Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)
Affordable Makeup Line Winner: Colourpop
The brand’s intention was to make neutrals for every skin tone that can be used to create everyday looks with a few surprise pops of color — and they accomplished just that. (Art by Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)
