DAM: We are excited to speak today with Tali Mason & Shaanti Wallbridge, the founders of Melbourne based cosmetics brand – All Shades Matter. They recently featured on Studio 10 and have just launched their first collection of Foundation specifically created for people of colour. Tali, Shaanti, tell us a bit about yourselves?
ASC: Tali was adopted from the same orphanage mentioned in the movie Lion, Nava Jeevan, in Calcutta India. She was adopted to Australia when she was 15 months old, and as mentioned in the movie, Mrs. Sood (the head of intercountry adoption) was the driving factor in enabling her parents to successfully adopt her. Her [Tali’s] relationship to the movie was extremely raw and demonstrated to her, in her adulthood, the grueling process that her parents went through to adopt her, as they could not have children of their own, and she will forever be grateful for the opportunities and love they have provided her. Tali is 27 year old and currently works as a primary teacher full time in Melbourne. She also has a brother, who is adopted from Calcutta, however, he is not ‘biologically’ related.
ASC: Shaanti was adopted from Patna to Australia in 1989. She was flown from Delhi to Melbourne, where she met her new family. She is so grateful to be here today, as she believes the stars aligned for her that day. Once she arrived in Melbourne, she almost got returned to India since they thought she had a serious medical condition, which turned out to be a simple fingerprint on an X-ray. Watching the movie, Lion, with her parents really helped her understand the process, the struggles, and the love that they put into helping shape who she is today. Shaanti is 33 years old and currently works in retail management full time in Geelong. She has a younger sister, who is adopted from Hyderabad.
DAM: You both have really amazing stories, how did the two of you end up meeting?
ASC: We met through adoption. Our families both went through Intercountry adoption and were going through the process at the same time. Over the years, we would go to adoption activities on weekends to ‘stay together’ and these activities would help us to bond together with families experiencing the same or similar back stories.
“We met through adoption. Our families both went through Intercountry adoption and were going through the process at the same time.”
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DAM: Did you ever feel a disconnect or desire like Saroo [true story from the movie Lion] to go back to India and connect with family or the culture over there?
AC: As we’ve both grown older, we’ve come to understand the confidentiality that comes with the adoption process. Not many details are released about our biological family (if any), so there hasn’t been a huge desire to connect with ‘family’ in India – there isn’t really an option. We have both travelled back to India with our families, on holiday when were kids and were able to connect with the culture and were both able to experience, what life would have been like, growing up in India. It is definitely a goal to return to India in our adulthood to experience it from another perspective.
DAM: How did you feel watching the movie Lion, did it hit home for you or help make sense of/shed light on anything in particular?
ASC: Watching the movie was very sentimental and allowed us to reflect on how grateful we are to be here in Australia and have the amazing families we have. It truly resembled the similarities between our stories and we were able empathise and connect with the emotion that the film portrayed.
DAM: What was it like for you both growing up in Australia? Personally, being a POC I found issues of looking ‘different’ and not fitting in when it came to high school, as the other kids were mostly Caucasian and Eurocentric beauty standards were there. Was there a point for you both where you felt or knew you were different?
ASC: It was evident from primary school through to high school, that we were both ‘different’ to our peers, in relation to our skin tones. There was a lack of options and not many undertones for darker skin tones. There were always words like ‘sand’, ‘beige’, ‘ivory’ etc and we didn’t understand what those meant. We would essentially buy the foundation that was the ‘darkest’, as that was the only option. The foundation would always either make you look orange or give you a ‘white’ cast but you just wanted to fit in. Growing up in your teenage years, everyone was going through the ‘experimenting’ phase with makeup and we wanted to both ‘fit in’ with our girlfriends and getting ready together etc. It really took a hit with our self-esteem and you’d always have the thought – well – why not me? We constantly felt like we were ‘doing it solo’, as most people around us were Caucasian, including our parents and we didn’t really have any role models to turn to, in terms of matching makeup etc. We would just ‘hope for the best’.
“There were always words like ‘sand’, ‘beige’, ‘ivory’ etc and we didn’t understand what those meant. We would essentially buy the foundation that was the ‘darkest’, as that was the only option. The foundation would always either make you look orange or give you a ‘white’ cast but you just wanted to fit in.”
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DAM: I can definitely relate to that struggle and remember seeing how foundation shades would stop at a not very dark shade of brown. Even these days there still seems to be many lighter shades with just a couple dark shades – despite the proof that there’s a market for it, especially when Rhianna launched her Fenty Beauty line. Why do you think Australia specifically still seems to be behind in terms of this? What do you think needs to be done to change it across more brands here?
ASM: We believe Australia is only recently acknowledging how much of a multicultural country it is and the beauty industry is slowing catering for our widespread demographic and diversity. Unfortunately, some larger brands, have not identified this demographic in Australia, as being at the ‘forefront’ to create change and to cater for a larger variety of skin tones, as they don’t believe these shades are a ‘best seller’ or there isn’t ‘shelf space’. For several years, there was very limited access to darker skin tones and until stores like Mecca and Sephora arrived in Australia and stocked a variety of international brands, the issue was not catered for. Although this has been a driving factor in the movement towards accessibility, unfortunately there are still some brands that don’t cater (or barely cater) for darker skin tones in Australia. At All Shades Matter Cosmetics, we are flipping the beauty game on its head and starting with the darker tones. We are striving to be the ‘go to’ brand for foundation, for people of colour, in Australia.
“At All Shades Matter Cosmetics, we are flipping the beauty game on its head and starting with the darker tones.”
DAM: What was the process like launching All Shades Matter?
ASM: It was certainly a process – with lots of Google searches. Once we found our Australian based manufacturer, we were provided with guidance, expertise and an abundance of knowledge. We were also fortunate enough to work with a few makeup artists along the way, who were able to support us in the decision-making processes and formulation process when creating The MATTERfying Foundation. Our design team was also fantastic in helping The MATTERfying Foundation packaging design stand out amongst other brands and ensuring that every element of our packaging was sustainable for the environment and reflective of our company’s vision and mission.
DAM: I’ve come across a lot of people who zone in on their own specific background when creating Diverse spaces but here you guys are with ‘All Shades Matter’ – which I love. What was the decision behind broadening your inclusivity with your brand opposed to focusing on your own backgrounds alone?
ASM: Everyone matters, regardless of the general stereotypes portrayed in society! We are just the voice that represents everyone as a whole and being united.
DAM: And speaking on inclusivity – what does that look like to you in terms of the makeup industry but also in general within Australia? What’s the goal?
ASM: Inclusivity, to us, means that you can have darker foundation products that are readily accessible. The goal is to expand our range, to have a greater amount of darker shades available and to be known as the go to brand, for anyone with darker skin tones or requires darker shades, in Australia. The dream is to have multiple flagship stores, Australia wide.
DAM: What’s the response been like since launching? Have you found yourself connecting to others who felt the way you did?
ASM: We have had an overwhelming response since launching and prior to launching. It truly reinforced why All Shades Matter Cosmetics was established and desperately needed in the beauty industry within Australia. Several stories and experiences were shared with us that demonstrated the connection between what we are doing at All Shades Matter and healing a pain point that many felt, as we did too, prior to launching ASM Cosmetics.
“Several stories and experiences were shared with us that demonstrated the connection between what we are doing at All Shades Matter and healing a pain point that many felt, as we did too, prior to launching ASM Cosmetics.”
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ASM: We have large responses from a range of industries, including makeup artists and the media, who have expressed their gratitude towards the actions of producing products specifically for darker tones.
DAM: So I see you guys have launched 4 beautiful shades of foundation in your line, do you have any other plans in mind for where you want to take ASM?
ASM: Our first collection identifies 4 beautiful shades of foundation that can be quite versatile. The goal is to expand our range, to have a greater amount of darker shades available and to be known as the go to brand, for anyone with darker skin tones or requires darker shades, in Australia. We have had lots of feedback with what our audience want next. We are constantly listening and striving to implement this feedback.
DAM: Do you have any words of advice to other people who might be wanting to start something like this?
ASM: Definitely have a business plan and strategies in place to be able to balance the various elements that are involved in running a business. Be open to mentorship and learning as you can gain a wealth of knowledge from others within the industry you are targeting. Ensure to openly communicate with others, be transparent and ask as many questions as you can – you don’t know what you don’t know. If you don’t know something, Google can be your best friend! (lol) Perseverance and belief is key! Ensuring that you have a strong support network – both of our families played a pivotal role in our success to launching All Shades Matter Cosmetics and continue to be our biggest supporters, moving forward.
“If you don’t know something, Google can be your best friend! (lol) Perseverance and belief is key! Ensuring that you have a strong support network – both of our families played a pivotal role in our success to launching All Shades Matter Cosmetics.”
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DAM: Thank you for sharing your story with us, we love what you guys are doing and can’t wait to see where ASM takes you.
ASM: Thank you for allowing us to share our story, our company and its vision.
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Find more on All Shades Matter Cosmetics here:
We were fortunate enough to share our story and products on Studio 10 Australia in 2021. Please see link below:
To shop The MATTERfying Foundation, head over to asmcosmetics.com.au or visit our Instagram to learn more about All Shades Matter Cosmetics.
Diversity Australia Magazine 