A Dangerous Lack of Diversity in Colour

Kelly Saynor
Nov 5
3 min read

Kelly Saynor, Renew’s skin expert, shares her updated perspective on the enduring debate surrounding diversity, inclusion, and shade matching in the cosmetic industry. While much progress has been made since 2016, the fight for true equity is far from over.

The Seismic Shift: Post-2017 & The Fenty Effect

The conversation around the lack of products for deeper skin tones reached a tipping point around 2017. The launch of Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, with its unprecedented 40-shade foundation range, didn't just meet a demand—it exposed the industry’s massive failure.

This launch reset the standard, forcing global brands to hastily expand their shade offerings to remain competitive. Today, a new foundation launch is expected to have at least 40 shades, if not 50 or 60.

Modern Market Data: According to reports, the multicultural beauty market (defined as products marketed to African American, Asian, and Hispanic consumers) is a powerful segment. Statista estimated the U.S. ethnic hair care and cosmetics market was valued at nearly $4.5 billion in 2022, demonstrating the immense purchasing power of this demographic.

The Modern Shame: Where Are Brands Still Falling Short?

While most major brands now offer a wide range of shades, the execution often fails, leading to new forms of frustration:

Poor Distribution and Availability: The issue that blogger Nadia Gray faced with Maybelline in 2016 is still prevalent. Often, the darkest and lightest shades in a 50-shade range are only available online or in select flagship stores, leaving consumers in standard retail locations (like drugstores) with a frustratingly limited selection.
The "Range Gap" Problem: Brands often achieve a high shade count by focusing heavily on light to medium tones, creating an imbalance. They may offer six shades for fair skin and six shades for deep skin, but only two shades for rich, dark skin, or lack the nuanced undertones (red, golden, olive) necessary to match complexions accurately.
Beyond Foundation: The focus on foundation has often overshadowed other categories. It’s still a challenge to find diverse shade ranges in products like concealers, contour sticks, bronzers, and lip liners.

Why is Change Still So Slow?

The core reasons identified years ago—economics and lack of familiarity—are still at play, but they are often masked by modern marketing:

Engineering Difficulty: As mentioned previously, darker skin tones require a far greater spectrum of shades than Caucasian skin. Darker complexions are more difficult to match due to varying levels of red, blue, and yellow pigments, and products must be engineered to avoid a chalky, gray, or ashy cast that appears on many deeper tones. This technical challenge requires significant R&D investment.
The Inclusivity "Optics": Many large, legacy brands are still primarily founded in Western markets, meaning their initial research, development teams, and leadership often lack the necessary ethnic diversity. Without diverse voices leading the product development process, gaps in texture, undertone, and availability persist.

The New Standard: Who Is Getting It Right Now?

The brands leading the charge today understand that inclusivity is not a trend; it's the foundation of modern beauty:

Brands Founded on Diversity: Companies like Fenty Beauty, Pat McGrath Labs, and UOMA Beauty (founded by Nigerian-born Sharon Chuter) were built with diversity at their core. They set the benchmark for shade depth, undertone science, and distribution equity.
Legacy Brands Responding: Brands like MAC, Estée Lauder, and Dior have significantly expanded their shade ranges to keep pace, demonstrating that legacy brands can pivot successfully when the commitment is there.

As a Black skin expert, I remain deeply committed to promoting true, systemic change. It’s no longer enough for a brand to simply claim "40 shades." The question today is: Are those 40 shades equally available, equally nuanced, and equally advertised?

The next phase of the beauty revolution demands that brands look beyond simple shade counts and invest in the science and distribution required to genuinely serve all 7,000+ global skin tones.