I created Slapp to solve an issue that I couldn't believe still existed.

I wanted to make buying makeup online enjoyable and to take the guess work out of getting matched up.

Last week I visited one of my favourite department stores for a spot of shopping with a friend. She wanted to try something new and had never really experiemented with luxury foundations. We bounded in ready to explore, but her reaction to the countless concessions and counters, reminded me of one of the reasons I wanted to start Slapp. Shopping for foundation at department stores isn't actually as fun as you think it will be. The make-up artists don't really have the time to give you the makeover you dreamt of having when you walked in - and if you don't love the product you've been matched with, you instantly assume they'll hate you for wasting their time and duly run out of the store, without daring to go to any other counters (on the off chance the other beauticians have seen you and presume you're some kind of counter whore.)

But really what are the chances of walking into a huge store and the first foundation you try being the right one for you? They're pretty slim, but that doesn't stop department store dread. 

Sometimes you may even find yourself saying yes to something that seems ok and have been told looks great, only to try it on at home to be confronted with a ghostly pallor or tangerine gleam. Not cute.

These are just two common foundation woes, I think we've probably all encountered at some stage in our lives; which is probably why a lot of us really don't experiement.

A brown lipstick? That miracle mascara? We'll give it a a go, but foundation, concealer? Nope, too risky.

Since professionally immersing myself in the beauty indsutry, I haven't seen much change from the days when I bought my first MAC Studio Fix in Selfridges (apart from a few campaigns and the odd solo shot of Lupita.) Anyone who was buying makeup back then will attest to the queues at Selfridges and know that it was a haven for darker skinned girls. It was the only brand really doing luxe, fashionable foundations for dark skin. There was Iman, Fashion Fair and a few others, but MAC was cool and the beauty of it was that you didn't feel like you were being segregated. 'Your foundation is over there ladies' doesn't really feel great.

I wanted Slapp to mimic that inclusive environment online and encourage women of all ages and ethnicities to shop around; to dabble and experiement as they did with fashion.

There are a lot of great online beauty stores selling novel niche brands like Slapp, but I can't count the number of times I have clicked on a new and exciting brand, only to find that they don't make darker shades. 

I want to put a stop to that feeling of disappointment, so that all women can shop on a site and know that every product will have an option for them.

I do this in the hope that it become the norm to shop for makeup without having to worry about whether your shade is being catered to. 

If the MAC queue proves anything, it is that we all have spending power and we all love to shop together. It's wonderful that more brands are stocking a wider range of shades, but if boutique department stores and online retailers aren't stocking them, then no progress is actually being made.

I think it’s finally time to take technology to the next level and make it work for us as women. Why wander around a department store in dread, or spend hours online looking for swatches, when you can take a selfie, take a stand and shop around, all from the comfort of your phone?