Singer Halsey finds herself at the centre of a growing controversy after beauty enthusiasts noticed her newly launched concealer range appears to lack adequate shades for darker skin tones.
The Illusionist Concealer Launch
Last week, the 31-year-old artist - who uses both she/her and they/them pronouns - unveiled her new Illusionist concealer through an Instagram post celebrating three years of development. The post detailed how Halsey had created 32 shades across five undertone families for her About-Face Beauty line, which originally launched in 2021.
Halsey enthusiastically described the product as "incredibly weightless" with skincare ingredients designed to disguise dark circles and camouflage uneven complexion. "It blurs and blends so well it's undetectable to the eye, just like magic," the biracial singer wrote in her promotional content.
Fan Backlash and Criticism
Despite the initial excitement, the product quickly drew criticism for what fans perceived as a limited shade range, particularly for people with deeper skin tones. Social media platforms became flooded with disappointed comments from followers who had expected more inclusivity from Halsey's brand.
"I love about face but what is this range?" one fan complained, while another noted, "Love about face but the color gradient looks a little disappointing, there's a lot of pale shades."
The criticism intensified as more people examined the shade range. "What's going on with the shade range here y'all what. I'm excited to try it but why are there like two shades for dark skin???" questioned another disappointed customer. A fourth person simply demanded: "Hold on girls what the hell is this shade range?"
Contrast With Previous Stances
The controversy becomes particularly striking given Halsey's previous vocal advocacy for inclusivity within the beauty industry. Back in 2018, the artist had publicly criticised hotels for their lack of diverse hair care options, writing on X (formerly Twitter): "I've been traveling for years now and it's been so frustrating that the hotel toiletry industry entirely alienates people of color."
When About-Face Beauty first launched in 2021, Halsey had emphasised her complete creative control over the brand, tweeting: "I am a student and a lover and every detail of this from shade names, to product ingredients, to packaging was me." The singer had also expressed her vision that "makeup is about feeling cool, not looking perfect."
The brand describes itself as "multi-dimensional makeup for everyone, everywhere," a statement that now appears at odds with customer perceptions of the new concealer range. The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for both Halsey and About-Face Beauty for comment regarding the ongoing controversy.
