“It’s Time for Change” – Why Adore Beauty is Calling Out Beauty Brands

The Global Shades initiative puts a spotlight on beauty brands that do not supply foundation, concealer and other beauty products that cater to Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC), and recognised that it has contributed to the lack of diversity in its past.

Adore Beauty, a leading online beauty retailer, hopes to drive conversation around the issue and empower change.

Furthermore, Maria Thattil, Miss Universe Australia 2020, is joining the retailer to raise awareness and has issued an open letter inviting Australians to show support for equality and inclusivity in the Australian beauty industry.

“Prior to becoming Miss Universe Australia, one of my previous jobs was working as a makeup artist and I struggled to find suitable shades to fit myself and my clients. I’m extremely grateful and proud to be a part of Adore Beauty’s movement and help call on everyone in the Australian beauty industry to champion a more positive and inclusive future – that caters to all the people it belongs to,” shared Maria Thattil.

Adore Beauty began its journey towards inclusivity in 2017 when it began identifying gaps in its product portfolio that lacked representation, the retailer explained. The retailer then began working with brand partners to gain access to the global shade range for its online shoppers.

The journey began when a team member of Adore Beauty emailed Kate Morris, the Founder of Adore Beauty, to tell her she was unable to buy a foundation shade with her staff discount, as the retailer didn’t stock her shade.

“I suddenly realised that the series of simple decisions that the business had made to try and manage inventory levels and cash flow, such as only ordering stock of the most popular eight or ten shades of any makeup product, had led to the exclusion of most people of colour,” Morris shared on LinkedIn.

“Her courageous email was the start of Adore’s long journey towards inclusivity, and to address the problem caused by my ignorance. First, we started by ordering in all the shades that were available in Australia. We expanded our makeup offering to include brands like Make Up For Ever and M.A.C, which had more inclusive shade ranges.”

Today, Adore Beauty is “working towards ranging over 2,600 different shades from 350 complexion products,” the retailer explained.

“The Global Shades project has been a significant, personal and professional mission that has evolved over four years,” shared Shanthi Murugan, the Head of Campaign and Strategy at Adore Beauty.

“It has been realised through the support of Adore Beauty and its founders. It’s time for us to elevate the voices of Black, Indigenous and people of colour and show the world how beautifully diverse our country is. It’s time for change.”

“We know we’re not perfect and we’re trying to be better and deliver an inclusive experience. The support from the Australian public and beauty industry to rebuild an accurate picture of ‘Australian beauty’ will result in real change and a positive shift for customers. We must share the voices of Black, Indigenous and people of colour and paint a true picture of what it’s like, and more importantly, how it should be.” Australians can sign the petition here.

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