Wycon Cosmetics, a Milan-based make-up brand, is at the centre of a social media storm after it named a black nail polish shade ‘Thick As A N***a”.
The brand says it called the black Gel On Soakoff System polish after the song by hip hop artist DBangz called Thick N****s.
However, members of the public have voiced their outrage at the decision, posting comments on an Instagram post promoting Wycon’s nail polishes.
Public outrage
One poster @coffeehighh wrote: “Has no-one noticed the use of that disgusting racist insult? I have no words, clearly they are all white in the Wycon marketing department”
Another as @karma_styled added: “Outrageously racist to all black people everywhere”
Meanwhile on Twitter, more comments from offended and outraged consumers flooded in.
What the fkkk. I'm whiter than a bleached Barry Manilow and offended by this. #WYCON really. #racism #theworldismulticolour pic.twitter.com/spTmdkBE77
— John Murray Headshots (@JMPhotodub) January 21, 2018
Ma quelli di #WYCON seriamente che problemi hanno? pic.twitter.com/4NHMuvX4P5
— Fran.Cesca (@MsFran_Cesca) January 17, 2018
Wycon’s response
Wycon told Cosmetics Business: "We apologised on our official Instagram page, we din’t do it on purpose also because the name of campaign and its products are studied months and months before its launch. We don’t feel racist because we had a lot of campaign in which we firmly underline that to us beauty has no gender, race or religion." [sic]
It also posted an explanation on its Instagram comments, which read: “We’re sorry that this post has triggered these types of reactions: every colour from our Gel On collection is inspired, with a cheerful attitude and a pinch of naivety, by famous song titles, many of which derive from the landscape of hip hop.
“For example Drop it like it’s hot by Snoop Dogg, Bootilicious by Beyoncé, Candy Shop by 50 Cent, Lollipop, Lady Marmalade etc…
“The reference here is Thick N****s by DBangz. Wycon is the brand for everybody #nobodyexcluded is our motto and we didn’t mean to offend anybody!”
Cosmetics Business contacted Wycon for comment.
