Four Indian women asked me this question.

I had the pleasure of attending a fabulous Hindu family wedding in Colombo this Summer. In preparation for the 5 days of ceremony, I’d spent hours in the last 6 months shopping for clothing, jewelry but NOT makeup. I live in America and the makeup options here are plentiful. It was never a chore to find the perfect match for my skin tone.

All my preparation paid off. My clothing was in par with my family  thanks to a wonderful niece of mine who did a lot of the shopping.

My makeup though had a clear and unfair advantage over my Eastern relatives. I had four women ask me to send them a matching foundation from America.

Facts:

• 3 beauty shops I visited in Colombo carried shades that were way too light for my skin.
• I went to a beauty salon for a trial makeup session and she used a color that was closer to the color of my palm and insisted that it looked natural.
• Who is going to cater to this market of women wanting to even out their skin tone….. and not lighten it?
• Let your demands be known. The supply will follow. 

The photos I’ve used here are from the walls within Sephora.