May 2nd 2024.
The Youthforia foundation has been facing a lot of backlash recently, all thanks to TikTok. It seems that the popular social media platform is a hotbed for intense criticism, especially when it comes to makeup brand Youthforia. The brand launched its Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation with much fanfare, but things took a turn when it dropped its latest shade, 600.
This controversy is not the first for the brand, which has only been around for two years. Initially, when it launched, it received flak for only offering 15 shades of foundation, which many beauty influencers felt were not inclusive of all skin tones. In response to this, Youthforia added more shades, but unfortunately, the move backfired with the introduction of the darkest shade, 600. The shade was criticized for being too dark, with some even calling it "jet black."
One of the leading makeup influencers, Golloria, known for swatching beauty brands' darkest shades on TikTok, put the Date Night foundation shade to the test. In a video that has now gone viral with 17.9 million views and 1.3 million likes, she called out the brand for being disrespectful towards Black people. Golloria even went as far as to say that the shade was "tar in a bottle" and compared it to black face paint. She also pointed out that the second-darkest shade in the range, 590, was much lighter and warmer than 600.
The Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation offers a large array of shades for white and lighter skin tones, but the range for brown and darker skin tones is still very limited. This is not the first time the brand has faced criticism for its limited shade range. In October, Golloria had tried their darkest shade at the time, 495, which did not match her skin tone. She had called out the brand then as well, for the shade appearing darker on the website than on her skin.
In an interview with TIME, Golloria expressed her disappointment, saying, "Last year, the shade wasn't dark enough. Not only do you miss the mark once, you go back and miss the mark again. That just says a lot about the ethos of the brand. It rubbed me the wrong way, and I thought, 'This is really hurtful.'" She is not the only one offended by the brand's limited shade range; many other influencers on TikTok have also expressed their disappointment with the product.
One such influencer, Wumi, pointed out that Black people come in shades of brown and that the darkest person you know also has an undertone. She called out the brand for using "pure black pigment" in their darkest shade, while the lighter shades have a mix of different pigments. Another TikToker, Javon Ford, who is a cosmetic chemist, also called the brand out for this approach and compared the darkest shade to the lighter shades, which had multiple pigments to achieve the desired shade.
It's no surprise that the brand has disabled comments on its TikTok posts, especially after its founder, Fiona Co Chan, claimed in a now-deleted video that the limited shade range was a "proof of concept" before a full shade range launch. However, beauty influencer Jackie Aina was not convinced and called out the brand for its response. In a TikTok video, she said, "I understand why this woman gave this response, but here's why I'm going to tell you it's also bull***t. You're basically saying that anybody who is lighter than a tan is going to be the case study for this product."
Inclusivity when it comes to shade ranges for makeup brands is not difficult to achieve, as proven by brands like Fenty Beauty and Anastasia Beverly Hills, which offer a wide range of shades for all skin tones. While Fenty Beauty's Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation has 40 shades, its Pro Filt'r Hydrating Longwear Foundation has 50 shades. Similarly, Anastasia Beverly Hills' Luminous Foundation also has 50 shades to choose from, compared to the Youthforia range, which only includes 25 shades.
The Agency has reached out to Youthforia for comment, but as of now, the brand has not responded. This issue has sparked an important conversation about inclusivity in the beauty industry, and it's essential for brands to listen and cater to all skin tones. After all, everyone deserves to feel represented and included. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing us at [email].
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