For most women, a trip to the local drugstore for makeup items like foundation can be seen as a quick in and out, but for other women such as Issa Rae, a speedy pickup was not always an option.
"The most frustrating thing is going to a store in a pinch and trying to get your shade and finding that no one is checking for you. It’s such a gut punch to be like, 'Oh, no one even thought of me. No one is even checking for my skin tone,'" Rae told InStyle.
Although many major brands have taken notice of the outcry from women whose shades are often not represented and have attempted to make changes, the shelves of drugstores are still experiencing some hardships in terms of providing a full range of shades.
"I’m a big drugstore beauty shopper and I went to college in a predominantly white rich old neighborhood and even just going to the local drugstore to try to find my shade was impossible," Rae told People. "I’d have to go to east Palo Alto which is the black part of town to be able to find it, and even the shades were limited. I was like, 'This is a black neighborhood. What’s the problem?'"
In October of 2017, Rae became a CoverGirl ambassador, and she was determined to use her position to be a voice for women like her who have struggled to feel represented in the beauty industry and entertainment world. She is now the face of CoverGirl’s truBLEND Matte Made Liquid Foundation, and she's proud of the brand she represents for taking a step in the right direction by becoming a more inclusive drugstore beauty brand.
"That there’s so much attention being paid to making sure that people are being included and represented, and CoverGirl is making that a priority and I feel like I can get behind that. This particular foundation and the messaging overall has people embracing who they are and their individuality in a way that’s really being celebrated right now," Rae said to People.
The campaign surrounding the new foundation is called "By The Infinite" and was said to have been inspired by an infinite amount of women who spoke up about their foundation/beauty needs. Unlike other campaign videos, at the end of the showcasing of women of a variety of skin tones, ethnicities and styles, the company runs a thank-you list that scrolls for at least 12 minutes!
"Mothers and dads come up to me and say they’re happy their kids can have someone who looks like them and who’s doing things that their kids can aspire to do. That’s something I never thought of — CoverGirl works to represent the everyday woman and that’s very much what I feel like," Rae told People.
Check out the campaign video here:
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