Black and Brown Communities Are Tired of Non-POC Taking Credit for Beauty Trends
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It’s not surprising when trends stemming from Black and brown communities don’t get the proper credit they deserve. I might be immune to it at this point—but I shouldn’t be—since it’s become nearly constant that a non-POC (white person) blatantly takes something from Black and brown cultures then proceeds to proudly take credit for it.
Remember spa water?
But I’m not here to talk about culture-appropriated food, or else we’d be here all day, so let’s talk about beauty trends.
Most, if not all, mainstream beauty trends and standards are rooted in upholding racism, classism, colorism and other toxic societal norms. Eurocentrism—a viewpoint where European (white) culture and looks are favored more—also plays a big part in what is considered “trendy” and “cool.”
Recently, Hailey Bieber received massive backlash for her take on the brown lip liner and gloss combo—which she coined “brownie glazed lips.” So why exactly are people are getting mad about Bieber sharing her fall go-to lip combo?
It’s because Black and brown women have been using this combo for decades. With makeup brands not having a vast shade range, Black and brown women resorted to using what they had access to: brow pencils and eyeliner.
As well-known makeup artist Sam Fine said in an interview with Allure, “Black and brown women had to be the creators of their own beauty with so few references and tools.”
Mexican American women have also been rocking brown lip liner as part of the Chola culture—and beyond—started in the 80s and 90s, which takes inspiration from the Pachuca culture of the 1940s and 50s.
Personally, I’m not enraged about white women using this lip combination along with other trends- that’s the least of my worries. What rubs me and many other women of color the wrong way is that these cultural beauty trends have been categorized as “ghetto” and “trashy” for years, only for them to be considered “trendy” by the masses when a white woman decides to do it.
The “clean girl aesthetic” is another prime example of this phenomenon that, unfortunately, has no end in sight. The slick-back ponies and buns, fluffy (and bushy) brows and hoops are not new to me or any other brown and Black girl I know. I have been rocking slicked-back hair since the first grade, and had no choice given that my mom was the one always doing my hair in the morning. Plus, I remember being made fun of because of my bushy brows.
Black and brown girls have the right to be mad and reclaim these trends passed down for years in each community, and through taking to social media to share photos of their mothers and aunts rocking the brown lip liner, slicked-back hair and hoops, have reminded everyone exactly who these trends belong to.
We’ve become tired of the constant cycle of white people taking ideas from our communities and claiming them as their own, erasing any thought that these trends have already existed—thus erasing our presence in the beauty and fashion spaces.
It’s not hard to give credit where credit is due; honestly, that’s the bare minimum.