Can you really call yourself a Makeup Artist?

Complexion. It’s the key to any makeup application.

The fact is, even if you can craft the most beautiful eyeshadow look, it really doesn’t matter if you can’t make that skin glow. In the professional world. models don’t want a thick layer of foundation in one shade. That’s the influencer look. In the professional world, you need to be able to blend foundation seamlessly into the skin, which will always take a few colors. Plus you have to factor in undertones. And that different points of the face hit the sun differently and have different pigmentation.

The point is, complexion is one of the biggest differences between a hobbyist and a professional. Being able to create that beautiful second layer of skin is the foundation (pun intended) of being a makeup artist.

The good news is, this doesn’t seem to be a problem for pro makeup artists!

Until, that is, someone with darker skin is in their chair.

Why is it that so many makeup artists fall flat once they’re working on someone who isn’t white? Why is it that most of their kits don’t have shades beyond tan? And why is it that all of that knowledge of multiple shades and undertones just seems to go out the window?

Too many models have had to develop the habit of bringing their own foundation to a shoot. Too many bridesmaids have been washed out because they showed up for a wedding and the makeup artist made them look ashy.

Right now, the world is hurting. Not only are we still in a pandemic, but there are riots in all fifty states and eighteen countries after George Floyd was murdered by a cop. Today would have been Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday if the police hadn’t barged into her apartment (not the place they had a warrant for) and shot her eight times in her bed. Black men and women are dying at the hands of cops and this country is only just maybe starting to notice.

The one sliver of joy is that the spotlight is being put on black owned businesses, both beauty and otherwise. People are calling into attention the lack of representation in modeling calls, runway walks, and more. More people are trying to diversify their portfolio, and that’s great! But what good does it do if you just ask your model to bring her own foundation? Or make him look ashy?

It’s easier than ever to find Beauty Businesses made by or for people of color. I’ve always believed that you can’t call yourself a Makeup Artist unless you can perform you services on anyone, and my kit has reflected that. But that’s not enough. I’m committing to having at LEAST 15% of the brands in my kit be owned by people of color (and ideally black women).

Tell me in the comments, what are you doing in your business to commit to change?