From Fenty Beauty to Pat McGrath Labs, women of color are at the forefront of a new beauty movement, and moguls, muses, consumers, and the entire industry are taking note.  Actually, a lot of notes – African-American women alone spend $7.5 billion annually on beauty products.

It’s not about inclusion as an afterthought.  We need shades from ebony to ivory to complement our melanin, undertones from warm to cool to reflect our depth, and a kaleidoscope of colors from the subtlest shimmers to the boldest red to mirror our mood. Beauty is not just about makeup, it’s about ritual, pride, and artistic expression.  Sometimes we woke up like this and other times we need to ring the alarm. We need my packaging instagrammable, our models editorial, and our products accessible. We need beauty that reflects the range that is us. Vox created a great video highlighting the ever-changing landscape of the beauty industry for women of color.  

So, while 40 shades of foundation may not be a completely novel idea, leading with an ethos of inclusivity – not cookie cutter beauty standards – is catching our attention.  Just like these Lust swatches are catching mine.