#MelaninMagic

  • Period: 3100 BCE to 2686 BCE

    Ancient Egypt Beauty Standards

    The "beautiful" complexion on women was considered to be a golden brown. A reddish-brown skin tone was a "poor women's complexion".
  • Period: 2070 BCE to 1600 BCE

    Philosophy of Beauty in Eastern Asia

    Countries like China and Japan were ruled by the concept that skin colour determined status and moral character. If your skin was a pale white shade, you were deemed upper class as people with deeper complexions were said to work in the fields on farms. Farmers were lowerclassmen
  • Period: 1501 to

    The "Paper Bag Test"

    During the time period of slavery, if you were lighter than a paper bag, you were of higher class than those darker than a paper bag.
  • Beauty Pageants

    Beauty Pageants
    Pageants used to have certain standards and regulations in order to participate. One of the rules was, “rule No. 7” in Miss America’s history, a requirement formalized in the 1930s for pageant contestants to “be of good health and of the white race.”
  • Black Woman Models in Paris

    Black Woman Models in Paris
    Donyale Luna, who was one of the first black modelling Paris and is known as one of the best celebrated models in Europe. At this time she was not only consider as Black, African American but finally just an American.
  • First Coloured Barbie Doll

    First Coloured Barbie Doll
    The first coloured black barbie doll named "Francie" was launched in America. Although there was a skin colour change, the doll still had European features which didn't distinguish her as a "black" doll.
  • Dove Launched Racist Advertisement

    Dove Launched Racist Advertisement
    The popular person care brand, Dove, launched a racist advertisement discriminating black people. The lady who was coloured applied a shower product and that "cleaned" her into a lady who was white.
  • Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

    Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
    Fenty Beauty by Rihanna breaks boundaries by releasing 40 shades of foundation on it's initial release. Fenty beauty also promotes with a wide variety of diverse models
  • Black Panther Flips the Script

    Black Panther Flips the Script
    Black panther movie showcases power in people of colour, especially when pertaining to women.