Consumers are not stupid. And one thing about Gen-Z, is that they completely changed the way that we hold brands accountable today.
Youthforia has already faced backlash once for their VERY limited shade range, so they recently announced 2 new shades to their foundation range.
However, what they messed up on, is creating a foundation that is JET black. I'm no cosmetic chemist, and neither is your average consumer - but all skin has a unique blend of different undertones, such as red, yellow, etc. Having a pure black, or even pure white foundation - just doesn't work.
It's very clear that Youthforia put all of its efforts into perfecting its lighter skin foundations, and very little effort and care into developing its darker skin foundations. It doesn't take a genius to look at the image below and see it for yourself!
They made behind-the-scenes videos eluding to "how the Founder wanted to make this product come out for everyone ASAP, so what should've taken 1 year, we made happen in 4 months"....
The point is, that kind of language doesn't work on consumers anymore, to make them feel important and cared for.
Consumers need to see brands take real action.
Because consumers will always find out... about your formulas, your processes, your team and the fact that most brands have enough revenue to stack up on the shelves in Sephora, but not to create foundation ranges that are accommodating to everyone.
I don't see Youthforia bouncing back from this right now - let me know what you think.
It's also important to mention that this, very obviously, highlights how important it is to have an *actually* diverse team, as well as include real-life diverse models.
Thank you, Glossier, Inc. and Roya Shariat for believing in Black-owned beauty brands and the impact we can collectively make on our industry when we're supported and resourced. We are honored to be included this year's cohort and are so grateful for this amazing opportunity! 💙