Fashion Fair is the cosmetics brand Eunice Johnson started in 1973 for women of colour, at a time when department-store counters barely stocked shades for deep skin. The brand was relaunched in 2021 under new Black women owners, and it now sells complexion products, lip colour and cheek colour through its own website and through selected retailers.
A good Fashion Fair order comes down to two things: getting the shade right without a counter in front of you, and choosing the right formula for how you actually wear makeup.
Matching a shade without a mirror in the store
Fashion Fair builds its range around deeper skin tones, so the steps between shades at the dark end are finer than at most mainstream brands. That is good news, but it also means guessing one shade out is more visible.
Start with undertone. Look at the Fashion Fair shade descriptions for words like red, gold, neutral or olive and compare them with the jewellery and clothing colours that suit you. A shade that is right in depth but wrong in undertone reads as ashy or orange.
Match to the jaw and neck, not the cheek, and check in daylight. If you already wear a shade from another brand, use that as a reference point, but treat it as a starting guess rather than an exact conversion. Where Fashion Fair offers a shade-finding tool or sample sizes, use them before committing to a full-size foundation.
Powder or foundation: which Fashion Fair product first
The Fashion Fair name was built on pressed powder, and the powder is still the easiest first purchase. It is forgiving on shade, quick to apply and works on its own for light coverage or over another foundation to set it.
A liquid or cream foundation gives more coverage and evens out hyperpigmentation better, but it asks for a closer shade match. If you are new to Fashion Fair, buy the powder first, learn how the brand's shades sit on you, then move to a foundation in the same family.
Oily skin generally does better with a Fashion Fair powder or a matte finish. Dry skin usually wants a cream or satin finish and a moisturiser underneath. Read each product page for the finish, coverage level and any fragrance note before you add it to the basket.
Lips and cheeks
Fashion Fair lipsticks and cheek colours are designed to show up on deeper skin rather than disappear, which is the most common complaint about mainstream nudes and blushes. A nude that looks natural on a Fashion Fair model is likely to suit a similar skin tone.
Use the swatch photos on models closest to your own depth, not the flat product shot. Colours photograph lighter on screen than they wear, especially berry and brown tones.
Returns on opened makeup
Makeup is a hygiene category, so most beauty brands limit returns once a product is opened or used. Check the current Fashion Fair return policy before ordering several shades to test, because you may not be able to send the spares back.
If you are between two shades, the safer move is often the lighter one in a powder, which can be warmed with bronzer, and the closer undertone match in a foundation.
Buying from Fashion Fair direct vs a retailer
Fashion Fair products also appear at selected beauty retailers. Buying direct from fashionfair.com usually gives the full shade range, the brand's own bundles and access to Fashion Fair welcome codes. Retailers may stock fewer shades but can offer their own loyalty points and in-store testers.
If you can reach a counter, swatch there and buy wherever the total is lowest. If not, the Fashion Fair site is usually the better place to see every shade in one place.
Where the Fashion Fair savings are
The two 15% codes are the stronger choice for any Fashion Fair basket. Try NEWICON15 first and FFCHICAGO if it is refused, since promotional codes are often tied to a campaign window.
WELCOME10 is aimed at first orders. On a single powder it saves little, so it makes more sense on a larger first basket of powder, foundation and a lipstick.
Fashion Fair codes generally cannot be combined, and some exclude bundles or sets that are already discounted. Compare a code on individual items with the bundle price before paying, as the bundle sometimes wins.
Check whether shipping is free above a threshold. A small add-on such as a lipstick can push an order over it and be worth more than the difference between a 10% and 15% code.
Common questions
Is Fashion Fair only for deep skin tones?
Fashion Fair is built around women of colour, with most of its range focused on medium to deep skin. Lighter skin will find fewer matching shades.
What should I buy first from Fashion Fair?
The pressed powder. It is the brand's signature product and the most forgiving on shade.
Can I return a Fashion Fair shade that does not match?
Opened makeup is often non-returnable. Check the current Fashion Fair policy before you order.
Do Fashion Fair codes stack?
Usually not. Use one code per order and pick the highest percentage that the checkout accepts.
| Discount | Type | Get the deal |
|---|---|---|
| 10% off | Promo code | View at Fashion Fair → |
| 10% off | Promo code | View at Fashion Fair → |
| 15% off | Promo code | View at Fashion Fair → |
| 15% off | Promo code | View at Fashion Fair → |