I’m so excited to hear about a new Canadian Brand STELLAR Beauty created by the one and only Monika Deol!
{STELLAR Beauty – Makeup for Medium Skin Tones}
Diversity in Beauty
How many of you remember Electric Circus on MuchMusic? I used to watch EC live at night and then again on Sunday morning back in the late 80s and early 90s. I was pretty young at the time, but it was so fun to watch people from all different backgrounds getting together to dance. Monika Deol was one of the first brown faces I saw on TV as a kid who wasn’t on a South Asian TV show/channel. It was great to see some representation on Canadian mainstream media.
Makeup For Medium Skintones
The landscape has changed quite a bit since then, but some things remained the same. For Monika, trying to get the right shade of foundation before going on camera was always a challenge. She usually had to mix a few shades together to get something close to her skintone. While some brands are now addressing the needs of darker skin tones (think M.A.C., Iman Cosmetics, etc), there has remained a gap in the market for medium skin tones, like Monika’s (and like mine!). It’s tough to have to always mix your own foundation, spend a lot of expensive brands, or just resign yourself to the fact that the right shade for you just isn’t out there. Thankfully, all of that’s about to change.
High-Performance Yet Affordable
Over the past few years, Monika has been working with Sephora to launch her own cosmetics line that’s geared towards those who fall into this middle ground. STELLAR* is a new beauty brand that launched exclusively at Sephora in March. It is considered “high-performance makeup with a focus on medium skin tones” and it’s actually affordable. There are:
- 22 foundations ($45, 30mL)
- 6 concealers ($32, 6mL)
- 4 loose powders ($36)
- 19 lipsticks ($26)
- 3 blushes ($30), and
- one (black) mascara ($26)
My Experience
Personally, I use STELLAR* foundation shade S19, which is similar to MakeUp Forever’s Y435. It does oxidize to a reddish hue, but honestly, it just makes it look like I’m wearing blush when I’m not. The formula is lightweight and buildable, so I’ve enjoyed using this foundation. The mascara is a nice one to use as your daily I’m-going-to-work-and-not-the-club mascara, as it does a nice job separating lashes without too much volume or drama. Oh, and did I mention that every product in the STELLAR* line is vegan and cruelty-free?! 
So, who falls into this medium skin tone category? A lot more people than most cosmetics brands realize (or sadly, pay attention to)! If you’re: Hispanic, Latin, African-American/Canadian, Aboriginal, Chinese, Filipino, Middle Eastern, or South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bengali, Sri Lankan), STELLAR* is meant for you.