SEPHORA COLOR IQ: As of September 2020, Sephora removed their Color IQ finder feature from their app after removing it from their website about a year ago.  I (and many others) relied on the Color IQ finder for clarity in picking foundations and concealers online. The color IQ gave an alpha-numeric description of a skin color’s depth and undertone. This code could then be used to find similar shades of complexion products across brands, in spite of each company’s unique naming system. So while a shade might be called “23” in one brand and “Moorea” in another, they both would share the color IQ 4y11. Understanding the code would also allow you to make educated choices. If a brand does not have your exact color IQ, you could select a shade in their line with a similar depth and undertone. For example, 1y11 and 2y11 both are 11 out of 15 deep on this scale and are both on the golden/warm side of the scale represented by the “y” for “yellow” in their codes (“r” is used for “red”/cool undertones). So if a brand does not have your Color IQ of 4y11, you might choose a 4y10 or a 2y11 as close substitutions for your match. Rather than removing the Color IQ, Sephora should have done the opposite and expanded it.  

Learn more by reading my full post on this issue at bit.ly/caramelswatches 

Without the color IQ finder, I must now go through a tedious and time-consuming process of selecting each individual foundation shade and inputting the name of another shade from another brand whose color IQ I have already memorized or search the website by multiple color IQs to find what the matching shade is called in each brand. For some reason, Sephora took a system that was working and ended it. What is most out of all is the timing. Now that we are in a pandemic and cannot swatch in stores in person like we did in the past, the Sephora color IQ finder went from useful to crucial. Sephora chose now to pull this tool away from consumers who need it. This particularly affects consumers of color who do not often receive sample shades in our range from the free samples with purchase. 

Sephora, I ask that you quickly restore the Sephora color IQ, or if that is not yet possible, provide an update on why it was removed and when we can expect to have it back.