New York (CNN Business)A cosmetics brand founded by Rihanna says it pulled a planned makeup product after it was criticized as an appropriation of Asian culture.
“Geisha Chic,” a shade of highlighter by the singer and actor’s Fenty Beauty, first appeared on Instagram late last week. Some fashion accounts, including the verified makeup news account TrendMood, shared images of the item. It was advertised as one of Fenty’s new “Killawatt” highlighters, which are shimmery products that can be used to draw attention to certain facial features.
Several Instagram users weren’t happy. The name recalled the Japanese geisha tradition, a group of women that for centuries worked as entertainers and paid companions in the country. Other western brands have been accused of misusing the term and geisha imagery in the past.
