This was a wake-up call for many and prompted them to take into consideration the problems faced by ethnic consumers at home as well. But this happened quite late considering that even after World War II, most beauty products being sold abroad had pictures of leading Hollywood stars on the packages. Max Factor was trying to cash in on the celebrity power of Hollywood stars by putting their pictures on product covers and using their faces in advertising. But it was not long before the mistake was realized as cross-cultural misunderstanding began affecting sales. One consultant quoted "a gentleman from India" who explained the problem aptly when he stated, "It would never do to glamourise... A product by utilising a lady in a shimmering white saree with a western style of hair dress in any of the Southern cities [of India]. A cutting of her crowning glory and the donning of white cloth are the insignia of widowhood, a deeper calamity than which there can be none for the Indian woman." He further insisted, "When talking about advertising in foreign countries we should in general forget about American contents, presentation and media of advertising messages." [2]

With important lessons learned in other countries, beauty industry underwent a major overhaul at home as well. Their advertising and marketing strategies changed and became more sensitive to the needs and demands of ethnic consumers within the country. Beauty industry has since then been changing its advertising campaigns to incorporate more ethnic images and greater ethnic participation. The images of beauty and femininity have also undergone changes to accentuate the differences that beauty industry had noticed and taken into consideration when developing its products. Global branding and the demand for ethnic specific products have forced beauty companies to promote and incorporate different ethnic images. "Many complex factors, such as language, habit, traditions, standard of living, cultural background, industrial development, peculiar sensitivities and Nationalism make each marketing area peculiar unto itself," American executives at Avon acknowledged.

Things have changed dramatically now. Black women can be seen on cover...

Lynn Norment (1990) writes: "The prevalence of Black beauty queens and models is an indication that along with the '90s has come a broader definition of beauty. Society's narrow barometer of what is attractive has been expanded beyond the centuries-old white-skin, blue-eyed, blonde-hair standard to include what people of color have always known: Black is beautiful. Short and natural hair can be a woman's crowning glory. Big, luscious lips are sexually appealing. And the various shades of brown-black skin provide a beautiful showcase for any woman's assets. What is most promising is the fact that ebony-complexioned models with close-cropped hair, such as Sebastian, are being recognized for their natural beauty."
The concept of beauty has changed dramatically and with it the entire beauty industry has changed too. The influence of ethnic consumers is reflected through the large variety of ethnic-specific beauty products founds in the departmental stores, the barrages of images of ethnic women found in advertisements and on magazine covers and through changing views on beauty found in the society. Nothing in the beauty world is what it once used to be. Things have changed and they have changed for the better.