Did You Know the Beautyblender Was Invented for the Cast of Girlfriends?

Cue “the more you know” shooting star. According to INSIDER, and an illuminating tweet posted by #OscarsSoWhite creator April Reign that made its way into my timeline a few times today, the Beautyblender makeup sponge that has probably taken the place of the traditional brush in your daily routine was invented by Latina makeup artist Rea Ann Silva for actors on the CW series Girlfriends. Honestly, what can’t Tracee Ellis Ross inspire?

In a four-minute video explainer, Silva explains that because Girlfriends was the first television show shot in HD, she needed to find a way to give those women an airbrushed look—flawless foundation and blush and not a pore in sight—without lugging a compressor to set. She started using triangular sponges with the sharp corners removed, which proved to be so popular she started manufacturing them herself, and the rest is history. To think, of course women of color revolutionized the makeup industry for all women—even when the business itself is still severely lacking in its understanding of diversity.

I look forward to remembering this fact the next time I find myself blending enthusiastically, following a YouTube tutorial filmed by some troubling teenage millionaire.