ABSTRACT
Colorism in the beauty industry has gotten increased attention in recent years as more social media outlets and celebrities have made statements or generated controversy. This chapter investigates the history of colorism, its relationship to racism and colonialism and its evolving role in setting beauty “standards” across different societies. I use the concept of racial capital to explain how and why people try to access lighter skin or Anglo features in a marketplace of competing bodies. I also describe the “halo effect” that light skin can have on assessments of other traits such as intelligence and kindness. Together, racial capital and the halo effect help explain how colorism shapes racial hierarchies in the current beauty regime.
