Woman says Ulta Beauty employee in New Jersey told her she's 'too dark'

Friday, January 3, 2020

Woman told she was 'too dark' by Ulta Beauty worker

A Houston woman recalls her emotional moment when she was told by an Ulta Beauty worker that she's "too dark" for the store's makeup.

HOLMDEL, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A Houston woman is calling for diversity training after she says a popular makeup store in New Jersey told her she was "too dark" for its products.

According to a post on her Instagram account, Ebony Kankam London went to an Ulta Beauty location in Holmdel to get her makeup done for her upcoming baby shower.

The expectant mother advised the employee on how she wanted to look for the event and was told in return that her skin tone was "too dark for most colors in the store."

The employee then asked if she had ever had her makeup done professionally.

In her post, London shared her emotions stating, "Like I felt like I was in 1990 when makeup was made for one type of skin. In a store full of people who didn't look like me, I felt sad and upset. Like my skin tone was a problem."

Utla Beauty released a statement through its Twitter in response to this incident:

A guest recently had a disappointing experience in one of our stores. We recognize that there have been times when individuals have not experienced the inclusive environment we strive for in every Ulta Beauty location, and we take that very seriously. We stand for equality, inclusivity and diversity and when we hear that we are not meeting that expectation, we want to understand what our guest is feeling, and hold ourselves accountable to do better. We will be taking additional steps towards continuing our depth of training and education of our stylists and make-up artists in our stores to meet all of our guests' needs and create an inclusive experience for everyone. It is our responsibility to listen, learn from our guests and improve always. We want every individual to see themselves and feel welcome in Ulta Beauty.

Many customers commented under Ulta's post and shared their experiences of what they called discrimination inside stores across the nation.

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