Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - unless you want to work in France and try to sell Garniér Fructis Style shampoo. The product, owned by French cosmetics giant L’Oréal, has been found guilty of racial discrimination by the French Supreme Court for refusing to employ women who are not “BBR.”

“The word went out that Garniér’s hostesses should be BBR — “bleu, blanc, rouge” — the colours of the French flag. The expression is widely recognised in the French recruitment world as a code for white French people born to white French parents, a court was told, in effect excluding the four million or so members of ethnic minorities in France.”

Last year, L’Oréal suffered another image blow when it had been widely accused of lightening the skin tone of singer Beyoncé Knowles for a print ad of the beauty line. This ruling will undoubtly fuel that fire again and anger many women who buy and use the products. This a company is clearly trying to attract the money of all women by using racially diverse role models such as Knowles, Eva Longoria, Penelope Cruz and Kerry Washington.

The only way to fight something reprehensible like this is to hit them where they live: in their wallets. No more L’Oreal cosmetics or haircare, Maybelline, Lancomé, Garniér or The Body Shop products. Companies only respond to their bottom line being compromised.

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