Cosmetics

Redefining Nude

By Shannon F. Brehmer 4 years ago

RedefiningNude-1360X680

Neutral tones are finally reflecting reality.

The term “nude” as a colour descriptor is rooted in exclusion, just like the beauty and fashion industries that often employ it.

When i was a young girl and signed up for ballet classes, I couldn’t find a leotard, tights or slippers that matched my skin tone. And when I was a teenager shopping for nude bras, underwear and lipsticks, the same problem resurfaced. Even when I started working as a makeup artist at a Bobbi Brown counter in 2012, it and M•A•C were the only cosmetics brands that carried “mochas,” “caramels” and “terracottas.” “It was challenging for me to find diverse shades at the beginning of my career,” concurs makeup artist Andrew Ly. “You really had to dig deep and search multiple brands to make sure your kit was fully prepared.”

To me, as a woman of colour, this lack of options was another reminder that the world we live in was not made for us. The term “nude” as a colour descriptor is rooted in exclusion, just like the beauty and fashion industries that often employ it. Though there has been some improvement, the current systems still foster an environment in which lighter skin tones are prioritized and valued over darker ones. Take Band-Aid Brand, which launched a new product line that embraces diversity only last June. How it took it 100 years—and last summer’s protests—to acknowledge that “flesh tone” is not a universal one-size-fits-all colour is beyond me.

Even today, few beauty brands have a truly inclusive range, but we’re headed in the right direction. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty is making a positive impact with its broad spectrum of shades, and Dior, NARS and CoverGirl have all extended their offerings in the past five years. Like Rihanna, Canadian Gina Delisme founded her brand, Nagi Cosmetics, to celebrate the melanated and provide products formulated with women of colour in mind. This gradual move toward inclusivity has been noticed by con- sumers and industry professionals alike. “I personally noticed the industry shift back in 2013, the year NARS launched its Radiant Creamy Concealer in 10 shades—now available in 30,” says Ly.

Gallery: What’s on the ELLE Editors’ Radar for May (ELLE Canada)

Table of Contents

All the functional essentials we’re after atm.

SERPENT STYLE

Italian label BULGARI—best known for its coveted jewellery and accessories—is collaborating with Greek designer MARY KATRANTZOU on a line of handbags and minaudières (available April 15). “I feel that the Bulgari woman and the woman I design for have a lot in common,” says Katrantzou. “They are both strong, daring and elegant.” The collection, Serpenti Through the Eyes of Mary Katrantzou, incorporates the iconic elements—luxury materials and snake-head hardware—that made Bulgari’s Serpenti Forever an instant success, and the designer, known for her jubilant and poetic maximalist prints, brings to life a message of optimism, rebirth and change.

LIP SERVICE

Combining the intense pigmentation of a lipstick, the radiance of a gloss and the moisturizing power of a balm, Chanel’s new ROUGE COCO BLOOM lip colours have arrived just in time to add some pop to that pout for spring. The patented formula coats the lips in a vibrant shade (there are 20 to choose from) and, thanks to microdroplets of oil, makes them shine for up to eight hours. Now that’s something to smile about!

Price: $52

LICKETY-SLIP

Put your best—and most cushioned—foot forward this spring with the help of L.A.-based designer Beatrice Valenzuela, who has brought vivid colours inspired by her Mexican heritage to her sandal line. The MONOCOLOR SANDALIA comes in six rich new shades, and the brand offers a little trivia lesson on how each came about: “Pitaya” is named after a pinkish-purple tropical fruit, while “Cochineal” is named for an insect that’s used to create a bright-red pigment. Made with a dense foam sole and cushioned bands wrapped in lambskin, each pair is slightly different as a result of efforts to waste as little material as possible—so they’re built with comfort and sustainability in mind.

Price: From $320

SQUEAKY CLEAN

What’s the best, most sustainable way to keep your kicks looking brand spanking new? Why, with SHOE LAUNDRY, of course—an eco-friendly kit that includes a natural cleaner, a bamboo brush and a reusable cloth. This spotless idea is courtesy of Amir Alam, a Toronto-based research scientist and DJ (he has even toured with The Weeknd) who decided to jump into the world of sneaker maintenance while his music career is on a pandemic pause.

Price: $40

BY EAR

Made with statement resin and polymer-clay pieces that bring punches of 1980s colour all the way into 2021, each pair of earrings crafted by former printmaking student Amanda Sampson at Ottawa’s NIGHT MOVES ATELIER serves up a hefty dose of pep. If you like your jewellery less bold but still beautiful, she makes plenty of small cotton studs decorated with pretty geometric and graphic patterns, and they start at an oh-so-affordable $10. The eclectic designs extend beyond the lobes too—they can be found on cute hair clips as well as trinket trays that help keep all your adorable goods in one safe spot.

FERMÉ FOR BUSINESS

Launched by designer and creative director Anjela Freyja last spring, FERMÉ—which comprises a capsule collection of T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps and totes emblazoned with messages like “Be a good neighbour and support local business,” “Sorry we are closed,” “Utopia” and “Human kind”—was inspired by all the “closed” signs in windows of stores and restaurants during the first wave of the pandemic. The French name is a nod to Freyja’s Montreal roots, and the project was designed to give back, with all proceeds from each purchase going to the Canadian or Mexican Red Cross or Feeding America. Having raised over $30,000 for charity, Freyja is expanding her spring/summer 2021 line with more apparel and a more sustainable business model.

Price: From $25

Dad ROCK

For her seventh album, DADDY’S HOME, released on May 14, Annie Clark—a.k.a. St. Vincent—took a personal turn by touching on her father’s incarceration and subsequent release from prison. “Daddy’s Home collects stories of being down and out in downtown NYC: last night’s heels on the morning train, glamour that’s been up for three days straight,” says Clark. With the album’s first single, “Pay Your Way in Pain,” and its accompanying music video, the ever-evolving artist leads us through a fierce funk romp that feels like being in a ’70s time warp.

GET THE SPECS

Often seen perched on the noses of Kiernan Shipka, Spike Lee and Dan Levy, California- based GARRETT LEIGHT CALIFORNIA OPTICAL eyewear, made by a stylish father-son duo, has been a frame favourite since it launched in 2010. Now, with a few beloved lines under its belt, the brand has finally headed north of the border and opened an outpost in Toronto. Book an appointment at the Queen Street West shop to get a pair of oversized sunnies or round metal glasses customized to fit just right—or bring the two options together with a pair of fashion- forward clip-ons that won’t remind you of your grandmother.

Price: From $200

CRUELLA INTENTIONS

Created in a novel by Dodie Smith that later became Disney’s 1961 animated hit 101 Dalmatians, Estella “Cruella” de Vil was as well known for hunting spots as she was for her black-and-white hair. Glenn Close brought the character to life 25 years ago, and now Emma Stone is filling the cruel shoes with enough vampy style and swagger to make you consider a drastic dye job. In CRUELLA, hitting screens on May 28, Stone introduces us to a decidedly more punk-rock version of the dalmatian-obsessed dame; Ms. de Vil’s origin story takes us to the streets of 1970s London with plenty of flames, high-speed chases and pups.

MOTHER NATURE

This ONE WILD LIFE by Angie Abdou is out just in time for Mother’s Day. The author of The Bone Cage, a Canada Reads finalist, pulls us into a wilderness memoir that recounts how one summer she headed out into nature once a week with her daughter in an effort to move the girl’s focus away from team sports and confront her growing shyness. Anyone who has ever been pushed to do something outdoorsy because it was good for them—or who has been the parent doing the pushing—will find this sweet tale about a growing and changing parent-child relationship all too familiar.

11/11 SLIDES

“It’s important for me to make sure that clients sitting in my chair feel welcomed, appreciated and celebrated.”

Though the beauty industry finally seems to be listening, this may in part be because there’s money to be made: In 2017, Black shoppers in the U.S. spent $580 million on skincare alone. Black culture is also influencing countless trends right now, in everything from music and fashion to art and entertainment. BIPOC represent the majority of the world’s population; in Canada, they make up 22.3 percent (that’s about 8,502,744 people), and it’s projected that they’ll make up a third by 2036.

If brands want to stay relevant, they have to be serious about catering to a diverse group and make an effort to speak to consumers who have historically been ignored. Though it has been a long time coming, “nude” is finally starting to be shown in all of its hues.

Mayillah EzekielRedefining Nude

a close up of a cosmetic

© Provided by ELLE Canada

© Provided by ELLE Canada

© Provided by ELLE Canada

© Provided by ELLE Canada

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Tags: Nude, Redefining