Chanel cosmetics is aiming to reach a broader range of ethnicities with their new foundation line Perfection Lumière launching in mid September, reports WWD.
The new line will include 23 shades, 20 of which will be available in the U.S. The shades are categorized by skin tones ranging from very fair to very dark, and include pink to yellow undertones.
“This foundation was designed to be very universal,” said Christine Dagousset, executive vice president of Fragrance and Beauté for Chanel in the U.S.. “Chanel’s creative director for makeup, Peter Philips, counts perfect skin among the most important features a woman can have and since joining the brand in January 2008, has made it his goal to create a ‘perfect’ foundation: one that adjusts to the skin needs of every ethnicity and stays in place with a flawless finish.”
The company's current leading foundation line Pro Lumiere offers only 6 shades, which is a poor representation of a significant portion of the buying community--minorities.
Mainstream companies such as Chanel, Rimmel London and CoverGirl are starting to take notice of the large amounts of money black women spend on cosmetics. Let's hope this interest extends not only to the expansion of their color choices but also their advertising dollars.
David Alexander of Black Voice News reported that of the $263.7 billion spent annually on advertising within the nation, less than one percent is used to target African American consumers, despite the fact that Black buying power is estimated at around $857 billion, according to the 2010 census.
The campaign for Perfection Luminere will feature Alyssah Ali, an Indian and Spanish model. There is no word on whether a black model will also be represented. Fingers crossed!