# No Luv For The Caramel Ladies In The Uk



## LAMB4LIFE (Jan 27, 2010)

IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION OF LATE THAT DRUGSTORE COSMETIC BRANDS SUCH AS MAYBELLINE,REVLON ETC COMPLETLY SKIP ON THE CARAMEL SHADES WHICH WOC READILY ENJOY IN THE U.S. FOR EXAMPLE REVLON COLOR STAY DOESN'T COME IN CARAMEL IN THE U.K BUT DOES IN THE U.S
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





. WHAT DRUGSTORE BRANDS ARE MY NC42-50 GIRLS WEARING,IF ANY IN THE UK???????


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## Blushbaby (Jan 27, 2010)

I raised this issue with Revlon UK and they gave a crap excuse that their display stands in Boots and Superdrug aren't big enough so they can't stock all the shades. Are you effin kidding me?!! 

Maybelline do a couple of the darker shades.

Try Sleek, they're the only other drugstore range that caters for our skintone. I currently use Revlon Colorstay in Caramel, but only cos I've stocked up on my last two visits to see my boyf in NY.

If I couldn't get my hands on that then I'd prob just stick to the big guns like MACand Bobbi Brown. Illamasqua also do foundations for darker skintones.

I'm sick to death of being unable to get Revlon Colorstay in Caramel over here and find the excuse given downright pathetic!


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## banana1234 (Jan 27, 2010)

i work in boots, and i have raised this question with customer care numerous times and have had similar responses as u from revlon uk. maybelline are the best, but still not brilliant.
I always ask, why do we need 3 shades of really light colours e.g. porcelain, ivory and cream, which are all 'pale' when there is usually only one darker or 'caramel' colour. I am white, pastey pale, so i dont understand some things about make up on different skin tones other than my own, but surely not all women of colour can use the exact same shade of darker foundation, surely they also deserve the same amount of choice? Take away one of the lighter shade so they can add another darker shade??!!?

it seems backwards to me


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## SeaHen (Jan 28, 2010)

See thats what happened to me too. I asked at Superdrug was Revlon colorstay in caramel ever made?? They claim its the stand as well
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. Blushbay i saw 50-11 shades for white skin and just cappaucino dashed off at the end.

I tried sleek the creme to powder foundation.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Terrible, ashy. Just no!
I won't take a chance on the liquid ( i tried noisette)
I use revlon caramel, i don't care i found mine in a market and stocked up. I found my L'oreal HIP  foundation in the market too.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 No shame in my game lol

I'm not sure of the Mac colours since i don't purchase Mac products. But if you live in an area with Afro hair shops you should be able to get Black Opal ( it has good reviews and quite cheap) and Iman. 

Rimmel used to do foundations for darker shades for about 2 weeks then discontinued them


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## Goat Goat Etc. (Jan 29, 2010)

I've thought about moving out of the country here and there---but shit like that stomps all over my precious dream.


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## Goat Goat Etc. (Jan 29, 2010)

Also here in South Texas in the US? Whoa it's like blacks never existed. Can't find Black Opal or Black Radiance in considerably close distance--it's one Walmart near me! It used to be downtown! Cover Girl Queen was absent for years till a local Texas chain picked it up just this past year!


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## spectrolite (Jan 29, 2010)

^I feel your pain. Here in  Australia the deepest shade most drugstore cosmetics come in is "tan." It's like darker skinned ladies do not matter at all. Even some of the high end brands here like Bobbi Brown, don't carry the full range of darker shades.


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## Goat Goat Etc. (Jan 29, 2010)

And the damn magazines! I swear it was either seventeen or marie claire that had a three column makeup guide for fair-medium-and dark women! The DARK woman used was Beyonce! And all the makeup they talked about was her color!

There's is such an ignorance in the industry!!! Whether it be in media or print!
MAC's even being a douche and downsizing colors as well! There should be nothing limited edition or going going gone or discontinued about NC/NW55 dammit! I'm not even that color but I see a trend!


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## SoSoSteph (Jan 29, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Goat Goat Etc.* 

 
_Also here in South Texas in the US? Whoa it's like blacks never existed. Can't find Black Opal or Black Radiance in considerably close distance--it's one Walmart near me! It used to be downtown! Cover Girl Queen was absent for years till a local Texas chain picked it up just this past year! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

What part of Texas do you live in? Like Brownsville/Laredo?


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## SeaHen (Jan 29, 2010)

What i don't understand is that they already make these shades!!! Its not asking for a new formulation of a product, its just why can't in the UK, black women have the darker shades available, that you manufacture anyway????

If you don't want to roll it out to all superdrugs/boots, then do a bit of market research, or google and have them in areas that have a high black population then, that makes sense.
I remeber in another thread another member said that sleek have opened a stand in the english countryside! Sleek are not the level of Revlon/Maybelline/L'oreal, these are multi million pound companies with global offices, i wish they would pull their finger out.

It really grinds my gears


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## Goat Goat Etc. (Jan 29, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *SoSoSteph* 

 
_What part of Texas do you live in? Like Brownsville/Laredo?_

 
I live around the San Antonio-San Marcos area!


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## Vixxan (Feb 1, 2010)

Also here in Florida USA. The manager at Walgreens suggested that I drive to area where more blacks live. I have noticed that recently more stores in my area are starting to carry darker shades.


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## greengoesmoo (Feb 2, 2010)

I have noticed Debenhams are getting better in their variety of darker foundations. Although thier range is called "black up" which I dunno about you guys, but this does not fill me with that much confidence.. 

Also thier website is dire for getting a colour match, you really NEED to head in store if you're considering there. 

However:

Black Opal Mineral Brilliance Powder Foundation

Foundation and Concealer

I know a girl who uses this brand, I have borrowed her Suede Moccha concealer as blush a few times. Very smooth and rich in colour.


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## Blushbaby (Feb 3, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *SeaHen* 

 
_ But if you live in an area with Afro hair shops you should be able to get Black Opal ( it has good reviews and quite cheap) and Iman. 

Rimmel used to do foundations for darker shades for about 2 weeks then discontinued them_

 
Yeah, I know where I can get Black Opal. I may try that when my Colorstay runs out.

Rimmel didn't do any PR (not that I saw anyway) for their darker foundations, which probably resulted in no bloody sales - hence why they were pulled. Arrrrrgh, it makes me so angry! This is the first I'm hearing of them releasing (then discontinuing) darker foundation shades.

Revlon will hopefully be having another blogger PR event this year and if I'm lucky enough to be invited, I'm gonna go to town on them!!!


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## GlamQueen21 (Feb 3, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Goat Goat Etc.* 

 
_Also here in South Texas in the US? Whoa it's like blacks never existed. Can't find Black Opal or Black Radiance in considerably close distance--it's one Walmart near me! It used to be downtown! Cover Girl Queen was absent for years till a local Texas chain picked it up just this past year! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
So true. The Target that I go to by the Woodlake neighborhood doesn't carry darker shades in the Revlon ColorStay foundation! It's so unfair to me and I have to go to either Wal-Mart or Walgreens to get it in Cappuccino.


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## d00mkitty (Feb 7, 2010)

YES. 

The UK brands like Collection 2000, Rimmel, Boots etc. don't seem to make darker shades either. The darkest shade for some of the Collection 2000 foundations is lighter than my skintone. I'm using Rimmel as my daily foundation at the mo and it's the darkest shade they do. I was also looking for Revlon Colorstay in my colour and failed.

I also noticed sometimes they do several shades of light, and there's a gap in shades, and then one brown called Cocoa or something.

I tried the Sleek liquid foundation but none of them are my colour, they're too orange or red or something, so I don't know if Sleek is a viable alternative.

I feel a bit silly about this because it's just makeup, but this no shades for anyone darker than a tanned white girl thing actually pisses me off a bit. It pisses me off even more when the darkest shade has Medium or Beige in its name.

The thing is, why? I can see the different shades of Dream Matte Mousse on the Maybelline UK website, but they're never in like Superdrug or something. You'd think that if they were to stock these caramel shades they'd do it in Brixton but no. This is why I tell off my husband when my husband points out brown girls obviously wearing the wrong foundation in public. Sometimes the choices in your price range suck.

I also noticed that in some mags the lady for their 'dark' skin makeup recommendations consistently stick to lighter brown girls like Rihanna and Beyonce. I see loads of girls darker than that, we should be able to read makeup recs in mags that aren't specifically for black women.

I'm thinking of trying Fashion Fair but the Fashion Fair counter puts me off and everything about it kind of reminds me off my aunts.


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## d00mkitty (Feb 7, 2010)

Blushbaby: where can you get Black Opal in London? 

x


 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Blushbaby* 

 
_Yeah, I know where I can get Black Opal. I may try that when my Colorstay runs out._


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## Blushbaby (Feb 7, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *d00mkitty* 

 
_Blushbaby: where can you get Black Opal in London? 

x_

 
You can usually find it in black hair shops, so check out those nearest to you. I'm surprised it took MAC so long to open a counter in Morleys in Brixton. It's almost packed, is that not proof enough that black women like to spend money on making themselves look good.

I get pissed off just thinking about the lack of dark foundation shades in Boots/Superdrug. There's just no excuse for it in 2010!


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## EllaLan (Feb 13, 2010)

Hi ladies,

I am currently doing school in the uk, originally from the caribbean, and I do agree that the drugstores here don't cater for woc at all. The darkest shade in revlon at boots is mahogany but they've missed out the shades in between rich tan and mahogany.  UK Ladies:  I was messing around on google, looking for a stockist for revlon foundation other than the drugstores, and found a drugstore in bow, claiming to have the caramel in revlon colorstay, I've tried calling but there's no answer, and the website looks a tad iffy.  I plan on taking a bus and getting lost most probably, but i will find it if it's still in business sometime next week, and if they do sell revlon in caramel shade I'll do another post in here giving the web address and directions to the store.  Black Opal can be purchased at paks cosmetics online and finsburry park.  Hope this helps!!

PS:blushbaby, i absolutely love ur blog, keep up the good work!!


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## Blushbaby (Feb 13, 2010)

^^^ Oooh cool, keep us posted on the store in Bow and I love that you enjoy my blog! I've got a million and one posts to do when my boyf has flown home LOL xx


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## jazmatazz (Feb 14, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Goat Goat Etc.* 

 
_And the damn magazines! I swear it was either seventeen or marie claire that had a three column makeup guide for fair-medium-and dark women! The DARK woman used was Beyonce! And all the makeup they talked about was her color!

There's is such an ignorance in the industry!!! Whether it be in media or print!
MAC's even being a douche and downsizing colors as well! There should be nothing limited edition or going going gone or discontinued about NC/NW55 dammit! I'm not even that color but I see a trend!_

 
I agree, it's shocking to see the deepest skintone in magazines/makeup be someone like Beyonce/Halle Berry etc. They are missing so many beautiful deep skintones! Also I notice that a lot of times the deeper foundation get in a line it seems all they do is make them super orange or super red, which doesn't work for alot of folks. As a WOC, I find it hard to find the right undertone in my shade. I've got at least 3 foundations at home that I thought would work, but are actually way to orange. And I live in the US, were there is more variety. Hopefully in time these brands will realize they are missing a huge demographic and money and wisen up to the needs of consumers.


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## EllaLan (Feb 16, 2010)

Update on trip to Bow:  As expected, I got lost like nobody's business and to add insult to lots of injury (it was raining, it is still raining); the drugstore has disappeared.  I walked up and down the street more than once, twice, thrice and it's not where it was supposed to be. I'm sorry folks, I was so hoping that I wouldn't have to beg my sister to buy revlon color stay in NY and post it but I have no choice and that london ladies would have an outlet to get color stay. Oh well, the hunt still continues.


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## luxury (Feb 18, 2010)

I hate that they do this. here in the states they jump from caramel to deep mocha in a single bound like no one in between exists.


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## Soul Unique (Feb 28, 2010)

Hey Ladies, 

I discovered L'Oreal Studio Secrets High Definition Foundation [looks like Too Faced Magic Wand] this week - they had a Caramel and Warm Chocolate shade. I did try the Caramel but only on the back of my hand and it seemed to be a great match - i'll probably purchase it soon to see if it looks as good on my face as it did on my hand lol.

I agree with all the comments above that there definitely needs to be representation of dark skin cosmetics in stores as well as weekly womens mags. I do love Maybelline however I only wish they'd bring out a shade that resembled MAC NC46!! 

OFF TOPIC!!! MAC are in Morleys now 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





??? Gosh where have I been??


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