The BARE. Theory - it is possible to create with deeper skintones in mind and still be inclusive. There is something interesting about how color cosmetics are described and displayed in makeup advertisements. When we see a digitally generated makeup swatch, it is usually created with a lighter skintone in mind and it usually has a white background. When we see a product color description like “dusty rose” or “cool tan”, the underlying assumption is that color description applies to everyone. But as we know from color theory, what looks like a deep pink on a lighter complexion is going to look like a light pink on a darker complexion. I wanted to explore what it would be like to create a product in the reverse.
What would a color description be if the makeup swatches were on a black background instead of a white one. Would we discover different undertones? How would a makeup collection look if it were assumed that there customers with black skin instead of white. The BARE. gloss collection does just that. Each shade is created with a specific skintones in mind while simultaneously seriously considering how each shade would look on a deeper skintones. After careful rounds of testing the BARE. glosses, we can confidently say, there’s a shade for everyone and THIS GOES WITH EVERYTHING.