Internet, meet 22-year-old London-based model Tatiana Mutoni.
In March, Tatiana booked a modeling job with a clothing brand she asked to remain unnamed. A week prior to the shoot, her images were sent to the makeup artist Tatiana would be working with, which gave them ample time to prepare.
However, when the day came, Tatiana sat in the artist's chair and her excitement immediately turned to worry when she noticed their very limited supplies, including two shades of foundation — one designed for fair, white skin and the other seeming to represent the lighter shades between brown and white.
Similarly, the artist's touch-up kit featured two generic shades of brown — neither of which matched Tatiana's skin tone.
"This is how I look on set," the 22-year-old exclaims in her video. "What is this? ... This is really bad. It's embarrassing. I'm so gray."
When speaking to BuzzFeed about the situation, Tatiana said she tried to speak up several times, but the artist repeatedly shut her down. "[I said,] 'Are those the only colors you brought?' and 'I don't think they will work with my skin tone.' As I looked at my phone to mirror myself, I said, 'I feel really gray. Can we warm me up somehow, please?'"
At one point, Tatiana says she even tried offering to do her own makeup. "She said what all the other makeup artists who fail to comfort their models always say: 'I'm not done yet. It will blend together, and on the photos it will look great anyway.'"
So, Tatiana said she let the makeup artist work, and ultimately modeled in the look above while trying her best for the cameras.
After work, Tatiana filmed herself removing the makeup...
...and viewers could clearly see the stark difference between her natural, dark skin tone and whatever color the artist used on her face.
Thousands expressed their shock and dismay in the comment section of Tatiana's video. "They had you casket ready," one person said.
"How are they not ashamed," another agreed.
Others questioned not only the integrity of the makeup artist, but also everyone else on set who didn't call out the obviously poor job and how it would certainly impact the photos. "How are other people seeing that and not questioning the makeup artist?" one user asked.
Meanwhile, many pointed out that there is no excuse for makeup artists to lack a wide range of foundations now that brands are making a concerted effort to be inclusive. "There are so many inclusive brands now? What are they doing?" this person said.
And therefore, not having shades that cater to demographics within your clientele is an unprofessional and intentional choice. "Nobody can convince me it's not on purpose to undercut Black models because it's 2023. You KNOW how to use our colors. Please bffr."
Tatiana's video inspired several other people of color to speak up about their own experiences, including this person who shared, "Happened to me all the time. One time I was fed up and went into the bathroom and removed it and did my own makeup. I ended up winning the show."
Another said, "I work at a television station and had to buy my own makeup to be on camera. They only have pale makeup."
Tatiana could speak to this commonality within the modeling industry. "This has happened to me a couple of times," she shared. "It kicks your confidence down, and that is the most important part of modeling, to have confidence."
At one point in her career, Tatiana had the opportunity to chat with the owner of one of the largest makeup schools in the country. "When I asked her if she teaches her students about different dark skin tones and undertones, [she said,] 'I give a quick lesson on it, since there's only 10% of you anyway,'" the model shared.
"It is hard to be vocal about a subject like this and to stand your ground, and not many models do it because they don't want to hurt their career. It hurts my heart because it slows the process of not having to bring a 'what-if' bag with you on set."
When talking about her experiences, Tatiana repeatedly emphasized how important a model's confidence is on set. "It's all about how the model feels about her/himself. That is what creates great pictures," she said. And when asked about what important qualities go into being a good makeup artist, being able to do makeup was at the top of her list.
Anyone claiming to be a makeup artist is not one if they only know how to work with a limited range of skin tones. "It's like calling yourself a painter, but you don't know how to paint with the color blue or red," Tatiana said. "You can't just ignore a whole skin tone."
And a lack of learning is no excuse. "To the makeup artists that struggle with dark skin tones, please ask us," Tatiana continued. "A friend, stranger, a colleague, a makeup artist in a store, YouTube — even the model in your chair. 'What products do you use?', "How do you do it?', 'Can you show me?' I appreciate you asking ME how to treat ME. Because everyone's hair and skin tone is different, especially in the Black community."