Last last week, Tarte and Sephora both released collections that left people of color asking “Where is my shade?” Tarte’s Shape Tape Foundation was highly anticipated within the beauty community. Then they went and released 15 shade. FIFTEEN! 12 shades of beige with 3 “deep” shades thrown at the end. The colors are so fair that some people can’t even mix colors to find a match. Really Tarte? Shortly after, Sephora released a photo on their Instagram of their new Bright Future Skin Tint. AND once again….where is my shade sis?!

In a world where Rihanna released FORTY shades on her first launch I don’t understand how a brand can release 15 and consider themselves “inclusive.” Fenty Beauty’s foundation sold out within the first week! So clearly when brands include us in the beginning we show up and show out! Not to mention, POC are the trendsetters in the beauty and fashion industry. We’re human. We don’t want to be and shouldn’t be an afterthought! And to make matters worse, in a statement after the release, Tarte stated that they focused on lighter tones as warmer colors tend to be “seasonal” and 10 more shades were coming soon. Really? Being a woman of color is NOT seasonal. I’m black in the winter, spring, summer, and fall. Even MakeupShayla, a very popular beauty influencer who worked with Tarte plenty of times, couldn’t find a match that was a fit.

Related: Small Black Owned Businesses

And beauty isn’t the only industry that is leaving us out. Denisse of thugnanny & Jessica of thecatchmeifyoucan both exposed brands for excluding people of color in the travel industry. In her blog post, Denisse talks about how popular clothing brand Revolve didn’t include any influencers of color in their most recent press trip. Jessica takes it a step further and shares an email she received from The Four Seasons location in Nevis which states her “demographic is not in line with [their] brand.” I guess people of coloring traveling is just as seasonal as our skin tones huh?

Picture from PopSugar Beauty

If you don’t understand what influencer marketing is, it may seem like not such a big deal to you but it is. But let’s not get it twisted. These influencers aren’t “complaining” about free product or “begging” for free trips. They simply want to be held at the same standard of their fair skinned counterparts. In a society where less people are listening to radio and more people are listening to podcasts, influencer marketing is very important! You can make 6 figures on YouTube when it takes most people a lifetime to achieve that. But just like anything else, influencers of color get the short end of the stick. And it’s time to say enough is enough in all aspects.

We have to start deciding which brands we want to shop with and support brands that support (and value) us! When you look at Revolve’s Instagram account you see the same thin, blonde hair, blue eyed models. It’s as if they have just ctrl+C ctrl+P repeatedly! The same thing happens when you look at Tarte’s Instagram. You have to scroll a few times before you see someone with darker skin. This should be a sign! We don’t quite fall “in line” with their brands so we definitely shouldn’t spend our money with them. It does not hurt to be inclusive but I also don’t think we need to beg these companies to put some RESPECK on our complexion.

It’s time to start holding these brands accountable. Whether it’s in beauty and fashion or travel. Two of my favorite YouTubers teamed up to talk about their Tarte PR packages. At the end of her video, Alissa Ashley gave suggestions for more inclusive brands and this is the example we should be following! I’m making it my mission to start seeking out more inclusive brands and you should to!

Have an inclusive brand you think I should check out? Leave it in the comments below!

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My friends and I heard mixed things about the show and what time to arrive — some people said it’s best to avoid the crowds and get there late, others said vendors sold out in the past so it’s best to get there early. We went out the night before (not  the best idea) so we arrived to the show waaayyy later than intended. We got there around 2pm (it was over at 5) and were still able to catch some good deals and experience all IMATS had to offer. The line to get in was non-existent by that time, the crowd had died down, and booths still had a lot of products. The longest line we had to wait in was for Morphe and that’s because they had an amazing deal on brushes!

Now to answer the most popular question I’ve been asked about attending the IMATS: “Did you get a lot of free stuff?!” No, quite frankly it’s a trade show! And a trade show is where people in the same industry get together and show off their newest products and innovation. So although I didn’t get anything free, most of my items were discounted (the items I bought are listed below), Lime Crime launched 2 new lipsticks during the event, there were artist doing make-up demonstrations and full body paint demonstration, and I also got to see Anastasia, the owner of Anastasia Beverly Hills, and celebrity make-up artist Mac Daddyy (he’s worked with Kaurreche, Chanel Iman & Erica Mena).

We stayed until 5pm when the event was over because we were in so much awe that we were trying to think of things to buy just because. We left feeling like we should have gotten so much more. I mean, girls were leaving out with suitcases full of make-up! And this wouldn’t happen again for a whole nother year! I was even mad that I had brought some things beforehand instead of waiting for IMATS (for instance the ABH Glow Kit that I paid $40+ shipping for was only $30 at the show!).

The trip was definitely worth it. I would love t go again next year.
*prays that I’m available because make-up is life*

What I bought:
– Real Techniques Beauty Blenders $10 (also $10 at Walgreen’s)
– Morphe Brush Set 502 $35 (Originally $90)
– Dose of Colors Matte Lipstick in Mood $15 ($18+ shipping online)
– Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar & Lip Brush $14 (Originally $18 each)
– Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Soft Lilac $17 (Originally $20)
– Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara $15 (Originally $21)

The post IMATS NYC 2016 appeared first on Running Erins.