Indeed, the trend was picked out as a key driver for the industry recently by Euromonitor’s analyst Joanna Chan, who said: “This is generally a global trend, with regional markets pushing for it in Asia, and in western markets, an increasing number of consumers who are non-white are making up a larger portion of the population.
“A lot of these consumer markets are growing in terms of their disposable income, meaning brands are responding to offer differentiated products to meet their specific needs.”
Awards announced
In confirmation that an emphasis on diversity is now a central industry focus, the UK launched its first Black Beauty and Fashion awards this year, with the ceremony set to take place next November
The organisers of the Black Beauty and Fashion Awards state that the launch has been motivated by the fact there has never been an award event to celebrate beauty products for men and women of colour.
The annual ceremony will be attended by business owners and product developers alike, and aims to be a ‘people’s choice’ event.
MoMineral: cater to all
MoMineral is one company keen to make sure diversity in beauty isn’t just a buzzword: the company is committed to represent the full range of skin tones, and offer suitable products.
“The complex diversity of overtones and undertones caused by the rich melanin pigment in dark skins result in many shade variations. Amidst a plethora of pearly pinks, peaches and nudes, there’s never really been much choice for those with olive and darker skin tones,” the company’s spokesperson, Omolara Tayo-Sobajo said earlier this year.
The company offers 16 shades of foundations, powder, lip colour and mascara, including: Dark Skin-Deep Tan, Dark Skin-Dark Tan, Dark Skin-Medium Tan, Dark Skin-Light Tan
L’Oréal and diversity
L’Oréal was keen to plug the stat that its True Match foundation range now offers 23 shades, and is able to match with 98% of the UK’s skin tones earlier this year.
Its campaign featured 23 of the UK’s “most influential and inspirational ambassadors for diversity”, according to the brand, including the first ever male model to front a cosmetics campaign.