Discussions about cultural appropriation often start with good intentions, but lately it seems theyโve resulted in much contention and anger.
Yet one Hollywood makeup artist is showing us that it doesnโt have to be this way.
Kay Montano is co-founder of Thandie & Kay, a digital platform and blog dedicated to rebalancing the representation of women of colour in the worlds of media, politics and the arts.
Montano launched the blog in 2013 with business partner and friend Thandie Newton. Now, ThandieKay.com is known as a place of intelligent discussion, where honesty and originality is celebrated and all women are championed.
HuffPost UK caught up with Montano to discuss diversity, the future of ThandieKay and the allure of โtrendingโ beauty.
Montano and Newton launched ThandieKay because they wanted to find a practical way to tackle the โshallowโ media world.
โWe realised we could use the idea of beauty as a portal to open up a much wider conversation,โ Montano said.
She believes media representation of women of colour is currently very limited and she wanted ThandieKay to offer an inclusive alternative.
โI donโt think the media represents the number of highly educated women of colour there are in the world,โ she said.
โThey are among the most highly educated group, but youโd never know that looking at the media. Thereโs more to women of colour than hair extensions and Beyoncรฉ.
โI look forward to a time where age and ethnicity are seen just as hair colour is. Redheads are seen as people who have red hair. Brunettes, as those with brown hair. Theyโre not seen as a different species.โ
When asked if she found it difficult to represent women from as many backgrounds and skin tones as possible on the blog (due to lack of opportunity from within the creative industries) Montano responded:
โWe try to represent all different skin tones. I canโt help that Iโm not that dark or not that white. Neither can Thandie. Thatโs who we are; weโre not ashamed. I think itโs important to provide a connection with all women, rather than this polarisation.โ
Montano thinks the world is becoming far too polarised and doesnโt believe getting angry will decrease the conflict that exists, especially among women.
โWeโre not saying there isnโt a division, but we prefer to lift women up by featuring a variety of them,โ she explained. โIโm more interested in encouraging unity.
โThis is the opposite of whatโs going on in the world right now. Everyone is basically encouraging us to have lots of opinions and not have a discussion. The world is pro-opinion, anti-discussion.โ
The impact of the inclusive approach championed by ThandieKay can be seen in the response it receives on social media, as demonstrated in the comments on a video shared when HuffPost UK Style Writer Patricia Ekall modelled for Montanoโs venture into the cosmetics world with Newton.
The behind-the-scenes garnered a lot of praise, particularly for the way the pair worked together.
One fanโs comment was especially touching. She said:
โFrom a mother of two mixed race daughters, thank you for this page and your website. I am Black, their father is White and I've worried that they might grow up not being as proud of their Black side as they are of their White side, or that they won't see the beauty in brown skin and hair textures. I've worried about this because, regardless of how hard I try, society and the media is going to teach them that everything else is beautiful and being that most people assume that they are White (and that I'm the nanny lol), they might be inclined to only embrace that side. I feel much better thinking that my girls could grow up to be like you - women who are clearly very proud of who they are.โ
To think social media is being used as a force for positivity and honest conversation is a feat few other brands have managed to accomplish quite like ThandieKay.
But Montano doesnโt think theyโve yet fully accomplished what they set out to do with the blog.
โThis is just a rough idea,โ she said. โWhat weโve done now is more like an outline, a notebook. Obviously, with our busy schedules itโs been difficult to maintain the site as weโd like to see it.โ
With Newtonโs seemingly endless list of acting roles and Montanoโs globe-trotting MUA jobs, itโs not difficult to see why the blog has had to take a back-seat on occasion.
Montano tells us that โcompromises have been made that stopped the site from becoming exactly what we wanted it to be. Weโd have to constantly deliver - which is not possible with the work we do.โ
Montano listed Ava DuVernay and up-and-coming director Victoria Mahoney among those sheโd like to feature on the blog.
โIโd also like to interview amazing women in the tech world, who happen to be women of colour. More โhidden figuresโ basically,โ Montano added.
โIโd like to provide a place where we inspire young girls to see women who look like themselves, who are in all fields. Not just musicians cavorting half naked.โ
Montano places emphasis on seeing diversity within a broader spectrum of professional roles to show young girls a more realistic representation of what women are.
โณThe ratio of what you see is nothing like reality,โ she explained. โIt isnโt for any women at all. But at least there is a bit more of a variety of represented women who are white, than there is for women of colour and from the various diaspora.โ
The beauty connoisseur reminisces about growing up in very feminist, liberal and arguably more tolerant times: โI grew up thinking it wasnโt that important to be pretty, nor that I should try to look sexy for guys. The pressures people are putting up with now are so much more regressive compared to when I was growing up.
โI think itโs important to remind women that one of the things they are is sexual, but there are so many other things about them that are amazing.
โThere are so many other things that can give a woman way more value than being sexually attractive to men.โ
Montano has big goals for ThandieKay:
โWeโre aiming to become a multimedia platform and the go-to place that has intelligent content for intelligent women - all women,โ she said. โWe want to host a really interesting and inspiring destination. โ
Donโt ask Montano about trends and โheroโ products, as she believes there are none because โeverything is already out there.โ She does love a good lip balm, though.
โThe most effective things are often the really boring ones like lip balm,โ she said. โPeople are always looking for the really groovy โsecret thing,โ but the sad thing is there arenโt any.โ
What about celebrities who say they swear by a really expensive serum and their one life-saving item? Montanoโs straight-forward response:
โPeople are always looking for a fix to put on top of something they donโt like but thereโs no getting away from whatโs underneath.โ
However, one product that is on Montanoโs radar is the new Chanel Illusion Dโombre eye shadow.
โIโm really into copper eyeshadow at them moment,โ she volunteers. โI think it suits lots of skin tones. But thatโs just me. I donโt believe in beauty trends anymore because there really arenโt any. Itโs all there!โ
Montano isnโt a huge fan of heavy strobing and baking, but she doesnโt believe itโs any of her business what others do to feel good.
โYes, Iโm an expert but Iโm also not the kind of person to say what someone else should and shouldnโt do. Itโs actually really judgemental.
โI think we need to look at the beauty industry in a whole new way: weโve got to stop selling things by making people feel insecure. Weโve got to stop selling things to people by giving them lack, so that they have desire.โ
Montanoโs philosophy on makeup is also refreshing.
โI personally see makeup as adornment," she said. "Culturally, men and women adorn themselves - itโs not just a female thing.
"The reason itโs been directed primarily at women is because women have historically symbolised patriarchal control, whether that be through foot binding in China or corsets in Edwardian times. Women have always had to conform themselves into acceptably objectified forms of themselves.โ
But she adds that sheโs happy when sheโs wearing makeup and a nice dress. To her, it symbolises making time for herself.
โSome people put makeup on because theyโre insecure, some people put makeup on because theyโre happy or sad. Itโs not the makeup itself itโs why youโre doing it.โ
Learn more by going to ThandieKay.com.