Finding the perfect shade of foundation or concealer remains a real challenge for many consumers. That is the finding of The Benchmarking Company in its latest study.
This survey was conducted in March 2026 among more than 4,300 American women.
Efforts still too limited
Only 22% of respondents believe that cosmetics brands are truly inclusive. 69% qualify this by saying, “Some are, others aren’t.””
39% of participants say they have stopped using a brand because its product range was not extensive enough. This figure rises to 61% among women with darker skin tones. And 25% of all respondents feel that brands do not understand the needs of their skin tone.
The colour matching problem
Frustration over shade selection affects all product categories, but to varying degrees. Facial complexion products are the most problematic: 41% of female shoppers report having trouble finding their shade, a figure that rises to 56% among women with darker skin tones. Self-tanners (38%) and body makeup (38%) follow closely behind, ahead of lipstick (19%) and eyeshadow (10%).
When a product doesn’t work, there are many reasons: the wrong undertone for 66% of respondents, the color being too light for 52%, the finish looking different in photos versus in real life for 51%, or pigmentation that oxidizes after application for 34%.
Faced with these shortcomings, many consumers have …
