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Lorraine Soto

Representation or Tokenism? How Beauty Influencers Advocate for Darker Skin Foundation Inclusivity in TikTok Brand Campaigns

Biography

Hi, my name is Lorraine Soto (she/her)! As a passionate storyteller and digital creator, I specialize in multiplatform content creation and social media strategy. Currently completing my Bachelor’s in Professional Communications, with a Diploma in Journalism, I am dedicated to crafting engaging narratives that drive impact. My capstone project examines how beauty influencers use TikTok to advocate for darker skin foundation inclusivity in brand campaigns, highlighting their role in shaping industry representation and consumer engagement.

With a deep passion for social media and content creation, I strive to explore how digital storytelling can amplify voices and inspire change. Stay connected with me on Linkedin!

Details of Project

The Problem: Are beauty brands truly committed to inclusivity, or is the expansion of foundation shade ranges merely a marketing strategy? Many brands prominently feature darker-skinned influencers in campaigns to project diversity, yet deeper foundation shades often remain unavailable in stores. This raises the question: Is inclusivity a genuine effort or just a play for optics and tokenism?

Key Findings:

  • Performative Inclusivity: Brands showcase diversity in marketing but fail to make deeper shades accessible to consumers.
  • Influencer Advocacy vs. Brand Commitment: Influencers like Golloria challenge brands’ practices, yet many companies only engage in inclusivity when under public scrutiny.
  • Algorithmic Bias: Social media platforms, particularly TikTok, favour lighter-skinned influencers, limiting the reach of critiques from darker-skinned creators.
  • Consumer Distrust: Over 60% of beauty consumers believe inclusivity efforts are performative rather than genuine.

Case Study: A focus on Social Media Beauty Influencer and Content Creator @Golloria on TikTok 

Golloria, famously known as a Social Media Beauty Influencer and Content Creator plays a key role in this research. I analyze her critiques of beauty brands, particularly her exposure to Youthforia’s foundation launch. Despite the brand’s marketing of a diverse shade range, Golloria highlighted how darker shades were disproportionately unavailable in stores. Her advocacy underscores the gap between brand messaging and actual product accessibility, reflecting broader industry patterns of tokenism.

Why It Matters: Representation in beauty is about more than visibility—it’s about access and equity. When brands fail to back up their marketing with real action, they reinforce exclusionary beauty standards.

The Call to Action: To move beyond tokenism, brands must:

  • Ensure all foundation shades are consistently available in stores and online.
  • Provide ongoing collaborations with darker-skinned influencers beyond diversity campaigns.
  • Challenge algorithmic biases by amplifying and engaging with underrepresented voices.
  • Listen to influencers and consumers who highlight these issues—and take meaningful action.

Representation shouldn’t be a fleeting trend. Consumers and influencers alike must continue holding beauty brands accountable for genuine inclusivity.

Lightning talk

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