We are in the era of an "if it ain't inclusive, we don't want it" global attitude towards fashion and beauty campaigns. This is an attitude triggered by decades of these industries being largely exclusionary. And after so many faux pas, a handful of brands are finally making efforts to get it right.
READ MORE: CFDA report highlights what it will take to achieve a truly diverse and inclusive fashion industry
It also cannot be said enough that when Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty and later Savage x Fenty, she completely changed the model for diversity and inclusion, putting pressure on long-existing brands to level up and do the same.
READ MORE: Why we're not surprised that Fenty Beauty is one of TIME's top 50 most genius companies of 2018
This is why Benefit San Francisco's latest campaign is not only refreshing, but it's worth an extra round of applause for portraying what inclusion actually looks like beyond just featuring one person of colour and heralding that as the ultimate image of diversity.
The beauty brand's #BossBrows - "Raise a brow. Raise your voice" campaign is fronted by a mental health advocate, LGBTQ/human rights activist, a cancer survivor and a non-binary femme sexual educator.
The artwork for this campaign includes positive mantras such as "take up space", "all the magic in the world comes from breaking the rules", "embrace who you are", and "don't be afraid..."
Meet the faces of #BossBrows:
Ericka Hart
Sex educator. Racial/Social/Gender Justice Disruptor. Writer. Breast Cancer Survivor. Model. Podcast: Hoodrat to Headwrap
Mama Cax
Cancer survivor. (Role) Model. Blogger/Advocate
Jen Gotch
Mental health advocate and founder/CCO of wellness brand band.do
Hayley Kiyoko
Artist, director, and #LGBTQ/human rights champion.
Having a beauty campaign fronted by "othered" bodies is a beautiful and necessary statement to make in an industry whose profits have been largely generated by setting unrealistic standards of conventional beauty for its consumers.
The biggest race in cosmetics right now is the one for winning the prize for the widest array of foundation shades offered. And that's commendable to a certain extent.
However, these new "darker" shades makeup brands have been introducing lately still remain marketed by conventionally attractive faces. It's therefore worth noting that what Benefit has done with #BossBrows is a layered approach to changing the way we perceive and consume beauty.
Yes, it may only be four remarkable and unique women and it's by a brand that isn't easily accessible to many, but to the rest of this industry, it sends out the message that inclusivity is easy and it should be approached intersectionally.
To us, the consumers at large, it conveys the message that we can all enjoy the perks of vanity regardless of where we think we lie on the beauty spectrum.
Sign up to W24’s newsletters so you don't miss out on any of our hot stories and giveaways.