Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) recently launched its "Make Me Blush" collection, sparking online discussion and criticism regarding the brand's commitment to shade inclusivity. Featuring six new shades, YSL promoted the collection as "The Perfect Flush For All Skin Tones." Beauty influencers and consumers are questioning whether these shades truly cater to all complexions, especially after the release of PR packages to various content creators, many of whom have expressed disappointment in the range's limited inclusivity.
TikTok beauty influencer Golloria George, known for advocating for greater shade inclusivity in the beauty industry, voiced her frustration with YSL’s new blush collection. In her viral video, which has over 20 million views, Golloria swatches all six shades from the collection. The results left many viewers dissatisfied as the blush appeared chalky and left a white cast on darker skin tones, failing to complement melanated complexions. Golloria expressed her disappointment, stating that YSL should “take it back to the lab.”
The discourse on this blush continued as customers with even paler skin tones faced issues with ashy and white casts on their skin. The question “Who was this blush made for” seemed not to have a clear answer. Meanwhile, some users with very fair skin tones,
like albino influencer Oceanne Comtois, found some of the shades flattering. In her TikTok video, Oceanne noted that while she loved how the blush looked on her cool-tone fair skin, the product is far from universal. Inclusivity relates to all ends of the spectrum, and having shades that complement fairer skin are equally as important as those suited for darker tones. While this YSL collection was inclusive of some customers, the brand’s claim that the blush is suitable for all skin tones did not hold up to scrutiny, and consumers of darker skin tones were left feeling overlooked.
YSL’s failure to deliver on its promise of inclusivity raises important questions within the beauty industry: How can brands better tailor their products to the right audience? How can they market their products truthfully? The collection, which seemed to only work well for paler individuals, missed the mark by presenting itself as universally flattering. This oversight adds YSL to the growing list of brands accused of performative diversity initiatives—claiming to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) without actually delivering products that meet the needs of diverse consumers.
As Golloria George aptly put it, YSL needs to “take it back to the lab” and reconsider its approach, ensuring that future products truly live up to their inclusive promises.
Sources:
Edited by: Natalie Diedericks
Comments