This Black-Owned Brand Lists Foundation Shades From Dark To Light & Here's Why It Matters

Browsing endless foundation lines just to not find the perfect match is a struggle that women of color know all too well. It's a frustration that Beauty Bakerie won't allow its consumers to feel, introducing a complexion line that labels foundation shades in reverse order. And it's kind of revolutionary.

Ever since the brand debuted, Beauty Bakerie has been one to watch. The black-owned indie brand launched setting powder in flour bags, blending sponges in egg cartons, and so many more incredibly adorable, desert-themed goodies that looked good enough to eat. If it wasn't its yummy packaging that turned heads, its diverse offerings were enough to get beauty lovers on board. We're talking winners like tinted setting powder that doesn't ash out deep skin and concealers that actually hit the deep end of the complexion spectrum. So, when word spread that Beauty Bakerie foundations were coming soon, it got the beauty community chatting. 

The brand didn't just create an expansive 30-shade range that put tan to deep skin high on the priority list. Beauty Bakerie founder and CEO, Cashmere Nicole, did the unthinkable by numbering her soon-to-be-released Cake Mix Demi-Matte Foundations in the most empowering way.

Officially launching on April 19, the Cake Mix foundation line numbers shades from dark to light, unlike the traditional order that puts the lightest shades first. It's a powerful change that puts deeper skin at the forefront, rather than making these shades a mere afterthought.

"There are constant reminders, subtle and overt, that being a woman of color is second best," Cashmere Nicole told Refinery29. "For foundation, I know what's important to me as a Black woman — that's why the order is from dark to light. I wanted equal representation, and for everyone to feel just as beautiful."

Even just a glimpse of the Cake Mix foundation range speaks volumes. It's apparent that Beauty Bakerie is on a mission to leave no one out of its new offerings, even going as far as asking for help from its consumers to craft the perfect shade ranges.

The foundation joins the beauty revolution calling for more inclusive shades. It falls in line with releases like Fenty Beauty's Pro Filt'r Foundation and Kylie Cosmetics' concealer that have answered beauty lovers' requests for deeper shades. But Beauty Bakerie's numbering system completely sets it apart from any other brand.

Beauty Bakerie isn't exactly the first cosmetics company to market their shades opposite from the norm. When Fenty Beauty dropped the 40-shade foundation that shook the beauty community, the brand used advertising that ordered swatches from dark to light. Beauty Bakerie took things up several notches, however, by officially labeling their bottles in reverse, a rare to nonexistent way of listing shades that deserves praise.

The switch-up is certainly something beauty enthusiasts can appreciate. It tells consumers that Beauty Bakerie isn't just catering to lighter skin, as many other brands have a tendency to do when releasing lines that lack tan to deep hues or only producing such shades after an initial launch.

Although it's always worth celebrating diverse makeup brands, they shouldn't be the exception to the rule. Beauty Bakerie's reverse ordering is more than just a way to appeal to the masses, but rather Cashmere Nicole's attempt to normalize all-inclusive makeup lines.

"Shonda Rhimes once said that she hates the word 'diversity,' because it suggests something 'other.' She uses the word 'normalizing'," the CEO mentioned. "I apply this directly to the beauty industry. I’m normalizing it. It isn’t genius. I’m making this brand look like how the world looks."

When the beauty industry ignores people of color, Beauty Bakerie is here to push towards equality by representing makeup lovers of every complexion, and there's so much to love about that.