It’s been obvious for many years that the U.S. has become a deeply diverse nation.  The election of Barack Obama was, to us, final proof of the fact that we’re getting to the point where we can see a non-white face not only as beautiful but trustworthy, intelligent and wise.  That’s a huge step, and here’s another: a company called Thevi Cosmetics is debuting lines of beauty products designed specifically for women from different ethnic groups.  Companies have been marketing specialty lines of foundation, eye shadow, lipstick and other prodcuts to African-American women for years, but now this company is targeting the estimated 44 million women in the U.S. of Latino, Asian, South Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent.

This is a fantastic development.  As we talk about in The Beauty Prescription and this blog, not all colors are for every woman.  Color palettes are based on skin tone, eye color and hair color, and women from different ethnic backgrounds have exotic combinations of these elements that demand attention.  Well, they’re getting it.  Thevi and other companies are using color science to develop new palettes based on undertones like red-brown, red-gold, olive and golden.  The reason this is so important goes far beyond giving women from Pakistan, Greece, Syria, Sri Lanka or Brazil the ability to accent their most beautiful features.  That’s important, of course, but the real benefit goes deeper.

Essentially, by opening our eyes to wider world of cosmetics, companies like these are saying to women of different non-Caucasian ethnicities, “Yes, you are beautiful, too!”  By acknowledging these women, they are contributing to the inner beauty of all ethnic women.  Part of inner beauty is seeing beauty in others and knowing that others see beauty in you.  In this context, ethnocentric beauty products become tools of recognition and empowerment.  That may seem like quite a burden to place on lip liner, but hey, it’s not easy changing the world.

Stay beautiful,

Debi & Eva