"Can't Tell Apart from Black Paint"...Strong Criticism of New Black Foundation Product

US Cosmetics Company Usporia
Releases Black Foundation for Black Skin

A U.S. cosmetics company has faced criticism for releasing a black foundation for Black people. The backlash stems from the fact that they launched a pitch-black shade without considering the actual Black skin tones, which tend to be closer to brown.

Black beauty influencer Gloria Joji. [Image source=TikTok]

Foreign media outlets such as CNN reported that the controversy over the black foundation began in September last year with Black beauty influencer Gloria Joji. Joji, who has 1.5 million followers, introduced the darkest shade from the U.S. cosmetics company 'Usporia' and checked whether it matched her actual skin tone. However, the product was much lighter than advertised online. Joji pointed out that the product did not suit her skin tone, and subsequently, criticism arose that the company had not considered Black people with various brown skin tones.

Later, in March, Usporia added 10 more shades to the product line. However, this time, the company released a shade that was too dark, sparking further controversy. The company introduced the darkest foundation shade called '600 Deep Neutral.' However, this shade was pitch black with no trace of brown tones.

Joji introduced the product in a video, applying '600 Deep Neutral' on one side of her face and black paint on the other. She said, "I cannot tell the difference between the two." Some netizens recommended mixing the product with a lighter shade. However, when Joji actually tried mixing them, the result was gray, which did not match her brownish skin tone. The video has currently recorded 24 million views. Netizens reacted with comments such as "Who is this black foundation for?", "Isn't this an insult to Black people?", and "The black shade is an absurd color. Humans are not black or gray tones."

Despite the growing controversy, CNN reported that the company has not issued any significant statements. Meanwhile, Usporia appeared on the U.S. ABC network's startup discovery program 'Shark Tank' last year and received an investment of $400,000 (approximately 546 million KRW) from a billionaire.