The cost of colour: 3 brown women unpack their experiences shopping for makeup in St. John's

On paper, these women of science should be at the forefront of cutting-edge research and community health. Prajwala Dixit speaks with four of them.

Cosmetology Association of NL acknowledges more needs to be done to diversify products

Prajwala Dixit · for CBC N.L. · Posted: Jul 23, 2020 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 23, 2020

Mini Nair, left, feels a boost in her confidence when she applies makeup, while Sarojini Ramnarine-Lang wears makeup more for an occasion than for everyday use. (Submitted by Mini Nair and Sarojini Ramnarine-Lang)

Imagine walking into a store to look for a cosmetic product — one that you may need right before a professional commitment, or simply because it may be a confidence booster — only to be disappointed because there is not a single product suitable for the skin you are in.

That's the reality for a lot of women of colour in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"It isn't easy to buy [makeup] in St. John's," said Mini Nair, an early childhood educator who has called the province home for a decade.

"I went from store to store asking … for the right colour, and what they thought [could work] was right wasn't right for me."

Growing up, Nair was told that she was 'dark,' an adjective that is not considered a standard of beauty in many South Asian cultures. (Submitted by Mini Nair)

As a solution, Nair would stock up when she would travel to India, her country of origin, to replenish her makeup supplies.

She isn't the only woman of colour who struggles to find suitable products in this province.

Often, to find the right shade that suits their skin, women of colour like Nair — either due to the lack of product or proper service — end up buying multiple shades and mixing them.

This does not faze Diya Tapan Trivedi, 15.

"I wouldn't say that is fair. But still, if you want to look for the makeup that suits your skin, then it's whatever you're going to do, right?" said Diya.

Growing up in St. John's, straddling her Indian and Canadian cultures, Diya has witnessed the differences in how makeup is used.

"Here, people wouldn't mind wearing makeup every day. You could go to school wearing it or go to work every day," she said. "But whereas over there, you would only wear makeup once when you dressed up."

It does make me sad that we are here, and we are adding to the economy, but there is nothing for us here.- Mini Nair

In addition to a lack of shade options, stores in St. John's seem to lack sales associates and cosmeticians of colour, whose experience is vital.

For Sarojini Ramnarine-Lang, this absence is a key part of her shopping experience.

"I find the difference mainly between being served by a woman of colour versus a non-woman of colour is that they would have gone through similar experiences and they would know more of your struggles and challenges," said Ramnarine-Lang.

'More work to do'

Having lived in Canada for more than three decades, Ramnarine-Lang said if stores had cosmeticians of colour, then the suggestion of a product would be based on actual experience and not a mere recommendation.

"In terms of makeup in St. John's, what I would like to see is more sales associates and cosmeticians [who are] women of colour," she said.

Fleeing the tensions in Guyana, Ramnarine-Lang immigrated to Canada as a teenager. Looking at her pictures, she often finds her makeup tone mismatched with her skin tone, a struggle that continues to this day. (Submitted by Sarojini Ramnarine-Lang)

"I really feel, even though I've been here a long time, I still think we have a little bit more work to do."

Nair, too, would like to see more products — foundations, concealers, and press powder, to name a few — on shelves in tones that suit her skin.

"Frankly speaking, it does make me sad that we are here, and we are adding to the economy, but there is nothing for us here," Nair said. "It does make me feel sad."

Buying online may be an option, but for these women it's not a replacement for an in-store experience with a cosmetician or cosmetologist.

It can be hard to find the right shade online, there isn't anyone helping you out and you may have to spend more to buy multiple shades.

The Cosmetology Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is a new committee, started in March, that has yet to meet and organize its operations, but director Lee-Ann Fleming said she is aware of the challenges women of colour continue to face due to lack of product availability and services in the province.

She has noticed a shift inside stores and schools in the last five years to a more diverse product and educational offering in the field, but acknowledges that more needs to be done.

"In the schools we teach makeup and skin care for … people of colour. A lot of times the books aren't up to date, because you're looking at a book where the pictures are 90 per cent white [individuals]," she said.

Still in its nascent stages and yet to formulate an organized strategy, Fleming said CANL intends to address these unmet needs through educational tools for store owners, cosmeticians, and cosmetology students.