Finding the right makeup can be a challenge, especially when it comes to matching foundation, choosing eyeshadow colors that pop, and understanding undertones. This guide provides comprehensive makeup tips tailored for African American skin, ensuring you know everything to easily succeed in your beauty routine.
1. Skincare is Key: Hydration and Preparation
The basis of beautiful makeup is well-hydrated skin. With well-hydrated skin, you achieve a better result, a good hold, and a smoother complexion. Black or mixed skin tends to shine, so it’s crucial to avoid products that are too astringent, as they can overactivate sebum secretion and accentuate dehydration. Perform a suitable cleaning with a lotion or a gentle purifying solution.
Apply a care that is both moisturizing and mattifying for an ideal makeup base. Avoid textures that are too thick, as they can clog pores. Regular exfoliation is also essential, but opt for chemical, granule-free formulas like glycolic acid to avoid irritation, as advised by dermatologist Rosemarie Ingleton. Fruit acids, especially glycolic acid, are highly recommended. If you're new to exfoliation, start with a glycolic acid face wash.
2. Foundation: Choosing the Right Shade and Application
Choose a foundation color that is in harmony with your skin tone. Michael Anthony, a renowned makeup artist, advises to "always look for the shade that seems to 'melt' into the skin or disappear on the skin when you swatch it. Look at the tone of your cheeks, your clavicle - the bones on your chest between your shoulders - and even your neck."
Apply your foundation with a brush preferably. Then bring a touch of brilliance to illuminate the shadows, and create relief with the strobbing technique. Apply a lighter highlighter to the bridge of the nose, cheekbone bone, chin, below and above the eyebrow. A concealer or foundation with 2 shades lighter than the first can play this role of illuminator. Very dark skin should focus on golden hues. The mixed skins will be sublimated by a more coppery shade.
Read also: Top Foundations for Women of Color
Ketia Moore suggests considering your skin type and undertone. "If your skin is oily, you may want to stay away from dewy foundations and reach for a matte foundation, and vice versa. The second thing you want to look for is your skin undertone."
Determining Your Undertones
To determine your undertone, wear a white shirt and stand against a white wall in natural sunlight. Take a picture of yourself to clearly see if you have red, yellow, neutral, or olive undertones. Darker skin tones are often on the warm side, especially during summer months.
If you need to conceal dark circles under your eyes, opt for a concealer with a deep orange tone. You might find that your skin is lighter towards the center of your face and darker towards the outer edges. You need to wash and dry your face before applying foundation. If your skin is dry, apply moisturizer prior to putting foundation on.
3. Blush: Adding Color and Definition
The blush or "blush" is the secret to good looks. Depending on the gesture, it even has the power to "restructure" your face. It is sometimes difficult to select the right product and the right color! Blush comes in powder, liquid or cream texture. Bet on these last two, because the enhancement of black and mixed skin is easier with fluid textures.
For a "glow" effect, put the blush on your cheekbones: smile and make the bulging part of the cheek. If you want to refine your round face instead, put your blush in the hollow of the cheeks. Black skin absorbs color, so dare a very bright or even "flashy" blush. For dark skin, choose pink, fushia or plum.
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4. Eyeshadow: Enhancing Your Eyes
Cream texture or pencils rich in colored pigments are more suitable for black skin than powdered eyeshadows. Harmonize the color with that of your eyes. The blue eyes will be sublimated by grays and pink shades. Green eyes will go towards coppery hues. Brown eyes can afford anything! Ebony black skin: iridescent, golden, bronze tones will warm your complexion. No brown but black is highly recommended!
Metallic, or shimmering, eye shadows look amazing on dark skin because they are such a contrast to your rich, dark skin color. Eyeshadows in the gold and bronze family really complement the undertones of dark skin very well.
Highlight your eyes with a line of eyeliner or black kohl pencil flush with the eyelashes. Apply your black mascara, length or volume, as needed. Structure your gaze by brushing your eyebrows. Fill the spaces with a specific pencil of brown color for a natural result.
5. Lips: Defining and Coloring
For dark skin, the upper lip is naturally darker. So before putting on the lipstick, draw the outline with a semi-matte dark pencil, ideally enriched with jojoba oil. Never black: the goal is not to define the contour of the mouth, but to balance the complexion of the lips.
If you find your mouth too fleshy, you can refine it by using the contour pencil inside the lip. If your lips are too thin, draw the outline on the outside. Choose moisturizing textures for a mouth with makeup all day long. On the color side, treat yourself: red, orange, pink, plum or fushia, from nude to flashy, everything goes to black and mixed skin. But be careful, always harmonize your lipstick with your blush.
Read also: Kenya Moore: Makeup and Skincare
Additional Tips and Considerations
- Hyperpigmentation: Address hyperpigmentation with medium-to-full coverage foundation and color correctors in peach or orange hues.
- Seasonal Changes: Adjust your foundation shade as your skin tone changes with the seasons.
- Professional Advice: Seek licensed practitioners experienced with skin of color for cosmetic treatments.
- Sunscreen: Use tinted sunscreens with at least SPF 30 daily to prevent discoloration and hyperpigmentation.
Expert Advice from Rosemarie Ingleton, MD
Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton, a board-certified dermatologist, advises against over-exfoliating and using too many active ingredients simultaneously. She recommends treating acne before addressing hyperpigmentation and using chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid. She stresses the importance of sunscreen and finding skincare professionals experienced with skin of color.
Common Skincare Mistakes to Avoid:
- Scrubbing the skin too harshly.
- Trying to fix all skin issues simultaneously.
- Cleansing the same way in the morning and night.
- Believing melanin provides enough sunscreen.
- Going to just any skincare professional.
*Detailed* Soft Glam Everyday Makeup Routine For Dark Skin WOC ( Beginner Friendly) Step By Step
Table: Makeup Recommendations for African American Skin
| Product Type | Recommendation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Match skin tone, consider undertones | Test in natural sunlight |
| Concealer | Deep orange tone for dark circles | Apply to lighter parts of the face |
| Blush | Pink, fuchsia, or plum | Cream or liquid textures |
| Eyeshadow | Golden, bronze, or jewel tones | Cream or pigmented pencils |
| Lipstick | Red, orange, pink, plum, or fuchsia | Moisturizing textures |
| Sunscreen | Tinted sunscreen with SPF 30+ | Essential for preventing hyperpigmentation |
By following these tips, you can enhance your natural beauty and achieve a flawless makeup look tailored to your unique skin tone and type.
