The Story Behind This Photo of My Mum Is Exactly Why Makeup Matters

I'd like to share a little story with you about one of the main reasons why I'm so passionate about bringing more inclusivity and diversity to the beauty industry...

As a kid, my mum was teased by her peers because of her dark skin and curly hair texture. She recalls running in tears to my grandma, who comforted her with these words:

"Your skin colour and hair texture is not a measure of your intelligence. What matters is what comes out of your mouth, how you behave and how you treat others."

My mum grew up to be an intelligent, gentle and courageous woman. She worked a 9-5 job, ran a successful family business, all while being a wife and a mum to three kids.

But I remember one particular occasion that really broke my heart and stuck with me as a child. It's what I see when I look at this photo.

Before her sister's wedding, Mum paid to have her makeup done by a professional because makeup products like foundation and concealer weren't (and often still aren't) accessible for her skin tone. I guess she was hoping the professional would know better and be able to help her.

All she wanted was to look glam and feel special on such a memorable occasion. Instead, the makeup artist made her look sickeningly grey.

More than two decades later, my mum still remembers how uncomfortable and self-conscious she felt wearing that casket-ready foundation, and I still remember feeling so sad with and for her.

But she didn't have a choice back then when it came to makeup. Sadly, to this date, the makeup options for the Australian Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) community are still VERY limited.

My mum's experience isn't unique, and it's one of the reasons I decided to become an inclusive makeup artist.

To some of you, makeup, hair care and skin care might be superficial. "It's just makeup... why does it matter?"

For me and many MANY others, it is our work. It is a form of expression and a way of showing self-care and self-love.

I choose to believe that 2021 is the year of change. And I dare to dream that someday soon, BIPOC people like my mum and I will be able to walk confidently into any Aussie beauty store and find our beauty needs sitting on the shelf.

What: Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation - A foundation that blurs imperfections and absorbs oil throughout the day for a mattified finish that lasts.

I've wanted to try this foundation for a while, and I'm so excited to have found my shade ( Toffee 330 ). The first thing I noticed was that the foundation needed to be poured, as the bottle does not have a pump.

The coverage is medium but buildable, and it gave my combo skin the velvet-matte finish that I was after. When I road-tested this foundation, I purposely did not set it with a powder as I wanted to see how it performed throughout the day.

I'm happy to report that my face looked fresh all day and that my makeup did not budge. This definitely gets my seal of approval.

If you believe beauty in Australia should include everyone, sign our Global Shades digital petition today and share it using the hashtag #StockAllShades. Together, let’s commit to elevating the voices of Black, Indigenous and people of colour.