I woke up today and a friend sent me this video Products Black People Wish Existed and it's sarcastic and funny but it really got me thinking. Living in Australia, a predominantly white nation, it does not Cater to black people. I have had a few moments of frustration, thinking that yes I live here but I don't belong here, because if I did, there would be products to cater to me.
My sister recently was shopping for foundation and we went to a few different places but found nothing that was her skin tone. If you are a dark skinned woman, access to make up is difficult, so what do I do? I outsource, I buy my products in America because even though they may face the same issue, they are more progressed than Australia is.
I find that even make up artists I have met in Australia only know how to deal with light skin. I remember going to my school dance and got a make up artist who said she knew how to work with dark skin, and when I looked in the mirror, it was as though I was a ghost, I was white washed and it was to the point that I had to go in the bathroom at the dance to wash it off. So after that, I don't get my make up done by white make up artists because they don't understand my skin. Fair enough though because they have not been taught you how to cater to black people.
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| Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JTKLMAHxA8 |
Not only is it just make up products, it's clothing. The amount of times I have gone shopping, to try on clothing, like a pair of jeans that are designed for a white female with a smaller behind than mine even at the same size, and it never looks as good as it should. Then you go to hair products and the mainstream shops have nothing for black African hair, you have to shop at African shops that are expensive and limited in your area. So what can you do?
You buy products online, you learn how to do your own make up and hair. If the mainstream society doesn't want to cater for you, then you cater for yourself.
How can black be viewed as beautiful if we are not even recognized in products, clothing or advertisements?
