Kim Kardashian's SKIMS face masks sold out in minutes despite criticism over a black 'nude' option intended for dark skin tones
- On Saturday, Kim Kardashian West's SKIMS brand released a line of non-medical face masks that sold out in less than 30 minutes.
- Kardashian West tweeted that the masks were available in "five shades of nudes."
- People on Twitter called out an ad that showed a dark-skinned model wearing the onyx color instead of her actual shade of nude.
- Kardashian West announced the next batch of face masks will be available this week but hasn't addressed the controversy.
Since the CDC recommended people wear cloth face coverings in April, a slew of retail brands have released their own face masks, and that list now includes Kim Kardashian West's SKIMS.
On Saturday, SKIMS released a line of non-medical face masks in its five signature colors: sand, clay, sienna, cocoa, and onyx. The Seamless Face Masks were inspired by the brand's shapewear, according to a press release shared with Insider.
The masks, which were sold for $8 each, two for $15, or four for $25, sold out in less than 30 minutes, a representative for SKIMS told Insider. Less than an hour after the masks went on sale, Kardashian West confirmed on Twitter that they were already out of stock.
"Unfortunately our @skims face masks have sold out today but we're working with our local partner in LA to produce more as quickly as possible. The next batch will be available next week - please sign up to receive more details coming soon, and thank you for your support," she wrote.
In the same tweet, the SKIMS founder said the next batch will be available this week, but there is no word yet on the exact date and time the masks will be available again.
On Saturday, Kardashian West first announced the release of the masks on Twitter, writing: "Shop @SKIMS Face Masks in 5 shades of Nudes at SKIMS.com." The announcement also included photos of three different models wearing face masks in the colors sand, sienna, and onyx.
People have criticized Kardashian West for saying the masks come in 'shades of nudes' after a dark-skinned model was photographed wearing a black face mask
"The nude shade for the Black model is inaccurate, offensive, and culturally out of touch," one Twitter user wrote.
"I feel like she had to of known that it was offensive. How did the line make it this far without anyone telling her ," @cajuntexan214 tweeted.
"Black women deserve more than your mediocrity & laziness," @MrJeromeTrammel wrote alongside images of models wearing lingerie from Nubian Skin, a brand that specializes in nude garments for women of color.
"It started all good till I got to Frame 3... that's not a nude for dark skin. It's just black," another Twitter user said.
"The color black isn't nude for black people but go off. I don't think y'all understand that the color Black isn't even an attempt to match the skin tone of dark skin women that's the tweet," @alexisizzlle wrote.
Other people on Twitter came to Kardashian West's defense, including the model in the photo used to promote the face masks
Arame Fall, who modeled the onyx face mask, said she didn't feel offended after someone pointed out that she would have said something when shooting the product.
"FACTS!! I'm this model and there was no moment that I felt like I was disrespected," Fall wrote in a tweet.
After her initial statement, Fall doubled down on her stance of not seeing anything wrong with the face mask.
"Out of all the things happening in the world I'm shocked that people are angry about a face mask... SHOCKED ," she wrote.
SKIMS donated 10,000 of the face masks to its charitable partners: Baby2Baby, Good+ Foundation, LA Food Bank, and National Domestic Workers Alliance. The brand also pledged $1 million to these organizations, making many fans proud.
"oh wow!!! @KimKardashian this is so cool! Thank you for using your resources to help out in this crisis! Buying a pair now!," one Twitter user said.
This isn't the first time Kardashian West's brand has faced backlash
The fashion and beauty mogul first announced she was launching a shapewear line in June 2019, and it was originally set to be called "Kimono." Many people quickly criticized the name, saying it was disrespectful to the Japanese culture.
A month later, Kardashian West announced she was changing the name to SKIMS Solutionwear.
"My fans and followers are a huge inspiration to me," Kardashian West wrote on Twitter. "I'm always listening to their feedback and opinions, and am so grateful they shared their ideas for a new brand name. After much thought and consideration, I'm excited to announce the launch of SKIMS Solutionwear."
Representatives for Kardashian West, SKIMS, and Fall did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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- I spent $140 on Kim Kardashian's fuzzy loungewear items and found out the hard way that they are not easy to wear
- Kim Kardashian hinted that there might be SKIMS shapewear for men in the works
- Kim Kardashian says her shapewear line SKIMS is adding body tape and pasties in 3 different skin tones