#KKWBEAUTY Creme Contour & Highlight Kit 6.21.17 https://t.co/PoBZ3bhjs8 pic.twitter.com/hXLa3XHuVB
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 14, 2017
As we discussed the other day, Kim Kardashian is launching her own line of makeup, starting with “contouring creams” and ending with the apocalypse, probably. The makeup line isn’t something that will happen in some distant point in the future – when Kim confirmed her plans for a makeup line this week, she already had the thing up and ready to go. The whole thing goes down NEXT week. So, Kim is jumping ahead and already putting up some promotional images on her social media, like the above tweet. That comes from Kim’s personal Twitter account. And people were dragging her pretty hard, because jeez, has Kim been retouched with, like, digital blackface? Evidence:
You dont have to do blackface pic.twitter.com/MLcJ5Hbg9R
— Wynters (@Sacha_Wynters) June 14, 2017
The reason I’m calling this digital blackface is because that’s what I think it is – this is not a situation where Kim literally put on much darker makeup in an effort to appear to have darker skin. She wore regular makeup, took regular photos, and then the post-production on this image went haywire. They added shadows and darkened the entire pic.
According to The Wrap and NY Magazine, Kim first posted the “blackface” image, then deleted it, then reposted it and made the same photo her new avatar. And, like, no one on her staff said anything to her during that time? No one was like, “Hey, hold up, this image makes her skin look much darker than it is in reality”? Coming from a family with a long history of culture-vulturing black culture, black art and black commerce, this is unsurprising and yet it’s still noteworthy. I guess the Kardash-Jenners really don’t give a sh-t anymore.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Kim’s Twitter.
Yeah. I can’t fall for this thirsty AF attention grab. Whatever, Kim. 😒
Also, wasn’t she all about “non-touring” a hot second ago? Like, not contouring anymore?
Exactly what I thought!
What made you think they ever gave a sh*t? They’ve never had to…did the election teach us nothing? People will continue to not care when it does not affect them
Has Kim had more plastic surgery or did the ” Photoshop fairy” have a few martinis before working on that photo?
When I first saw this I thought it was her newest kimoji.
Blackface and she looks like those drawings fans send to their idols, with a slightly wonky perspective. How that will make you buy their make-up is anyone’s guess.
These women. This family. I cannot even. Stealing from black culture has been their MO since the very beginning and black women have always been VERY clear about this foolishness.
Exactly. I guess everyone else has finally started to clue in.
Just say so at this point, Kim. It’s beyond obvious.
The pic looks like a cartoon, but they all do try hard to look that way.
On the coloring. Absolutely not surpirsed.
Marrying and dating rich black men does not make you black. Black women are sick and tired of these Kardashian women. No different than that white woman who pretends to be black only sicker because they use it as another money making tool.
What skin colour does she really have, though?!
On the left picture she is lighter than in the lower ones where she’s interviewed.
On the right one her skin is a little bit darker than in those interview-photos. But not much, IMO.
In the end, I don’t care anyways and would never buy anything with her name on it.
I think Kim’s natural skin tone is very light tan. Her head and body hair are black, so she just looks darker.
Light olive. She used to have the quite noticeable “green” tones of lighter Olive skin (see candids of Mila Kunis, Katie Holmes, Brittany Murphy circa Clueless era, Morena Baccarin and Tina Fay for more examples of this), tones that are often prone to being called sallow without makeup, but those green tones have long since been erased. She has completely altered her natural skintone via DHA self tanning formulations. Ariana Grande is the only other celebrity I can think of off the top of my head who has also done the same to a similar degree. I have been told that tanned warm tones photograph/film better than olive green tones hence why most olive celebrities tend to brush on some bronzer or tanning lotion before events.
I have olive skin and it does not always photograph well. Lighting is really important. I occasionally use self tanner in the winter because my skin takes on a bit of a yellowish hue.
And she always uses two or three different tones of foundation/ concealer. Look for candids of her paris hilton time, or when she was a child, but I suspect she was naturally sun tanning even then due to lounging by the pool. I have a light olive colour, which looks quite sallow, but I tan golden, not anymore, tho due to aging very thin skin/ melasma.
She really goes all the way, it is crazy how they milk their preference for African American culture for profit. I would hesitate ti call people for cultural appropriation if you wear a native blouse (buy them, people make crafts for you to buy), but to do this, trying to look ehat you are not for a profit, disgusting.
Yes, it’s definitely blackface. She and her sisters are mocking black women by stealing their looks/designs and now even their skintone. Now they’re showing the world, how much they really despise black women. They’re showing themselve up to black women, that a black woman doesn’t have place in the same existence as them. They’re showing how much power and money they have gained, by coping everything that is mocked when a black women has it(big ass, fuller lips, hairstyles,ect).
I always knew it, by the way that they would react when their brother hooks up with a black woman, the contempt. Seriously, this is my personal opinion but I’ve noticed that Caucasian women that show a preference for black men as their significant other. They mostly hate black women, they put them down and feel threatened by them for some imaginative reason.
I feel sorry for her daughter, because she’s growing up in a family where she’s being taught that black women are lower than them and they’re probably surrounded by people with the same mindset but they forget that biracial children are considered black and one day her daughter will be a black woman. And the whole world will push her aside too, no matter who her parents are she will always be seen as a black woman first. She will develop so much self hate. If they think that their money will protect her from the struggles that black women face in the real world, well money doesn’t protect you from racism.
Beautifully put!
I think things will be different for Kim’s daughter. I really feel so much of what is perceived as racism will end. Kim is beautiful, and her daughter might be very similar.
Oh Mogul you didnt have to come handle it so hard but I’m glad you did, in every Point… now I don’t have to drag this whole bag to the trash Can!. Merci!
I sat with this comment for a while before responding. I decided to, just in response to your generalization about Caucasian women that prefer black men as their significant other. In my experience, I have to strongly disagree. I am not discounting your possible experience with a group that exhibits that behavior, but speaking for myself, a white woman married to a black man, with three mixed race chidlren, and having many friends in interracial relationships, many now with mixed race children; I have really never seen this type of behavior. I adore my two sisters-in-law and am definitely not in ‘denial’ about the racial identity my children will have when they grow up. I am proud to be raising black women, and feel blessed to be able to seek advice from my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law as I obviously have zero experience in the departments of being and raising someone who is non-white.
Again, I am not saying there are not women who fit the description you detailed, just that I am definitively not one of them, and therefore don’t want this generalization perpetuated.
***Feel I should ALSO clarify I am not a Rachel Dolezal type. I am super basic and wear North Face and get my balayage and would never dare try to appropriate a culture that is not my own. There is, in fact, a group of women who marry black men who do not either despise black women, or want to morph into one. 🙋🏼
Well, that’s great for you, but of course you should know this reads as #NotAllWhiteWomen which dismisses the truth and reality of what people who experience this know. And I would advise you to spend time really listening to the truth of what your children will be experiencing now and in future as *Black* children/individuals and don’t “#notall…” them when/if they feel comfortable sharing their experiences with you. Your attitude will go a long way to whether they feel comfortable or not or dismissed. As for experience raising someone non-white: there is plenty of information available also beyond asking your Black extended family members to do the work of educating you. Your children will need an advocate in their lives.
Oh wow, Anna’s comment was bizarre. You’re expressing appreciation and how you feel and move through the world in a normal way, and the one comment responding was to pick at you anyway for the exact stuff you don’t do! Honestly, to some it doesn’t matter what pains you take- you will always be wrong to them. Choices A-Z will all be wrong, so don’t worry about it. I think you are doing great! And you sound like a perfectly normal mom with a great family.
Anna, please re-read my comment. Not only did I not discount the fact that this may be some people’s experience, but I actually stated, TWICE, that I fully acknowledge some people have experienced this. Hence the original poster’s initial observation. I felt compelled to point out that this is quite a broad brush with which to paint all white women in interracial relationships.
As for my children: I also acknowledged my complete lack of experience in raising non-white kids, and showed that I am willing, able, and fortunate enough to have the ability to seek out and accept any guidance in making sure they are equipped to navigate society as best as we, as a village (of white, non-white, mixed race) of people who love them are able to equip them. Your lack of support and ability to somehow both ignore AND pick apart my comment simultaneously shows me you would not be apart of this supportive “village.”
@Menutia Thank you for articulating that so well. That comment left me scratching my head, but I reached the same conclusion as you did: you just can’t win with some people. Thank you 🙂
I believe the OP about the K sisters but I have never seen that dynamic before. The people I know by relation or friendship don’t act that way. They actively seek out people of the race of their partner and biracial children. But I don’t doubt it exists. I can see it with K.
I’m sorry my response did not sit well with you. I am quite familiar with this “village” you speak of, though you’re probably right that I wouldn’t be comfortable in yours. To each their own. I am speaking in response from experience and the constant need of white folks to “not all” about everything when POC or Black folk state their truths. Recognize that this is something we deal with *constantly* and is used against us to invalidate and dismiss and sometimes even as justification for violence. (Note the current state of this nation.) I’m sorry if my comment seemed harsh. I’m sure you are doing your best and a wonderful job raising your children. Of course your experience is your own and valid in its own right as is mine and my right to address concerns I see in any comments here in the comments section. I also stand by the truth of my observations and experience.
@Anna. I’ve struggled with whether or not to post on this thread but I decided to do so, Your comment about “the constant need of white people to ‘not all’ when sharing your truths” didn’t sit well with me because I have always been taught that racism stems from stereotypes ….. if it is racist to apply stereotypes to people of color, if we are taught to look at people as individuals……then isn’t that also true as it applies to NOT stereotyping caucasians? NO one wants to be judged by the worst of their race, sex, religion, or even profession. We all want to be judged as individuals on our own merits and behaviors, That desire is applicable to everyone . And I candidly think we all deserve it and we all owe it to each other, Just my opinion.
MaybeTomorrow, I’m glad you decided to post your very thoughtful and articulate comment.
Yes! Not only that, but that North’s the acceptable kind, not Saint as she continues to hide him.
Oof, I’ve been wondering why we don’t see saint. Not that we have a right to, it’s just really different than with north.
I think they darkened the whole image to make the contour stand out more, but still. Tone deaf and unnecessary. Everyone involved should know better.
I agree. I think it was to show the contour
What do you call it when someone shave’s off half of their face? ‘Sliceface’?
lol
She is Trash!
Is she trying to make the quadra-boob look fashionable, now, too? Ick.
That was my thought too! This image is photoshopped to within an inch of its life, so does that mean the ill-fitting bra/tank/whatever was INTENTIONALLY shown too small? Properly fitting bras don’t have boob bursting out the top.
It blows my mind that will all the money and access Kim has, her clothes constantly don’t fit her body. (Which I realize is jacked up and constantly changing, but still. It doesn’t have to be like that if she didn’t want it to be.)
Is it always for her or just since Kanye? Because a double looking cheap boob along with her other wrong sized choices might be his idea of too cool for school ironic fashion.
this is on purpose for attention, even negative attention fuels these moving bags of flesh.
on top of that, they don’t give AF, even though some of their family are mixed.
The real question is when is Kim NOT doing something like this? No surprises here.
^ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But… but… Tan! Armenian! Lightning!
Does anyone actually buy their stuff?
Clearly they do – otherwise companies wouldn’t be investing/collaborating with them. The Kardashians sell – whether we like it or not.
It’s quite a sad commentary on our culture, really.
Blue!!!!!!
It seems like they throw a thousand projects against the wall to what sticks. Then they get what they can out of it and it fades and then they repeat the process.
She’ll get away with it.
Wow, trying to make trouble with a non-issue! As a photographer I know we always play with contrast and lighting to enhance the effect we want. In this case they darkened the image to enhance the contour effect. They do this all of the time in beauty ads, for any color model.
Digital blackface… WTH?
Well, then, as a marketing technique I would have to call this enhancement effect a fail.
Exactly!!
Is she contouring her arm too? She has been trying to pass herself off as darker than she actually is for years.
Finally! A reasonable response. sheesh
Having a tan is blackface now?
No. But, it’s a great way to cook your skin and invite skin cancer.
Thats not blackface… how over-sensitive can you be? Thats just a photographer turning down the exposure setting.
I wore bronzer today people, am I doing blackface to?! Get grip.
Why do you wear bronzer, though? Why not appreciate your skin’s natural tone?
Just … wow.
You do realize that people tan naturally under the sun right? Should we all hide under an umbrella lest our skin become darker?
Why do women wear make-up for that matter, it is to enhance their features. So why shouldn’t someone want to be tanned it makes you look sun kissed and healthy!
Either I’m overlooking it, or my comment wasn’t posted. . I pointed out the same thing. This is NOT blackface! People throw around the term and they don’t know what they are talking about. Good grief!
1. She deleted it and then re-posted it because she thought “oh wait this will get me more publicity !’
2. Didn’t she say recently that she was going to do the “all natural” look and wasn’t into contouring and stuff anymore? Yeah ok.
3. Who is going to buy her make-up line? This girl knows nothing about make-up, hair, or fashion.
Lots of women on IG use filters that make them look more tan. I’m not a fan of the Klan at all but if you get mad at this, then do you also have to get mad at all the white girls who want to look tanner in their photos??? Just an honest questions
It’s usually the other way around for WOC in beauty/fashion ads and prints….and she isn’t one. I …just…. ugh.
I know. If you’re darker they go out of their way to make you appear lighter. If you’re light, they make you darker. WTF? So it’s only OK to be “fake dark”.
The goal is probably the lovely warm caramel shade that few of us are born with. I blow through self tanner in the summer
They (the K Klan) want to be dark mixed-race baddies so badly 😂😂
Her skin looks really shitty in those candid shots. I guess this is what happens when you wear a gallon of makeup on the daily.
WTF…
She needs some headlines. Unfortunately, our Tangerine president has sucked all the reality star ridiculous antics attention away from them. We can’t have both. Humanity has no more time and energy for more shameless. They are amateurs. The real OG is getting it done and without stealing a culture too.
I doubt it was intentional. Her face is just so busted now this is how they have to disguise the fact that her face is completely ruined. Her body as well. The girl wrecked herself.
I really hate that just about every image is now photoshopped with regard to cosmetics marketing. I would really love to see a makeup company that uses unretouched images in their marketing.
Women all over the world use skin lightening and skin darkening creams and products, depending on what is considered beautiful. Doesn’t bother me at all that they do it. It’s sad that people feel they need to in order to be beautiful, tho…
Not intentional blackface. I work with photo editing programs extensively.
Whoever retouched it just turned down the brightness setting on the photo. The background on the original photo was quite bright and here it displays the typical thing when someone decides to be lazy/amateur/??? with a photo and just turn down brightness/contrast setting.
What this is is a lousy retouching job and whoever did it should be schooled in using photo editing programs before being allowed to touch another photo that isn’t stock again. And ultimately, I just don’t get it. They’re selling make-up, no? Why advertise in colours that we know aren’t true?
An argument can be had that even if this was unintentional, how ignorant (or even malicious?) must you be to not look at the retouched photo, see the issues on it ranging from shoddy retouch work to the fact that she indeed does look like she’s wearing blackface, and think: “Yeah, this is cool, let’s roll with it.”
I agree that the Klan is appropriating black culture left and right but I’m not really seeing the blackface here? That just looks like any filter to me. Nobody complained about Zendaya’s magazine cover that made her face appear a little lighter than reality because it was obviously filtered. Same applies here.
As a white woman with an albinism, I’m going to listen to the WOC on this thread. If you think this is offensive, then it’s offensive. End of.
I seem to recall in the dim and distant past of my childhood, when music was played on vinyl and the only personal computer was a slide rule, some naturally pale people really would get very dark in the summer. Sun worship was common and sun lamps were used extensively during the winter by people determined for some baffling reason to keep the tan going. I think the spray tan stuff came later, although I might be misremembering since we didn’t really get into that in my family. We pretty much just covered up but still often burned while swimming, being pale Irish. I was never a sun worshipper myself.
The biochemistry prof at my college in the late 1960s was ahead of his time and warned pale students who sunbathed on the roofs of the dorms that they were courting skin cancer, but it wasn’t a common concern at the time. Lotions people used for protection at the beach from sunburn were supposed to also help tan. There was a famous advertisement on billboards of a blonde toddler using some stuff like that (Coppertone maybe?) – a dog was pulling her pants down in back so you could see how pale she naturally was, but she was very brown everywhere else allegedly thanks to the suntan lotion. Brown enough to attract ICE today…
For the longest time I thought she was black, and so was Rita Ora. It’s time to stop with the bronzer and the filters.