Choosing the right base or foundation is vitally important for Indian, black and African skin. Why wear foundation? If you have darker skin, you are more likely to have uneven skin tone and pigmentation marks. Foundation helps to even out skin tone and cover pigmentation scars. Here are some tips on how to pick the best foundation shade for black skin.
First, choose three foundation colours that are closest to your skin tone and test them on your jaw line. Make sure there is no other facial makeup on your skin and be sure to test in natural daylight. The shade that blends into your skin and becomes ‘invisible’ is the one you should pick. Do not test foundation shades on your hand as the skin on your hand may be a different shade to your face. Also ensure that the shade matches your chest and neck area – you do not want to look like you are wearing a mask! Dark-skinned women also tend to have slightly darker or lighter skin on different areas of their face – pick a shade that best matches the majority of your face. Pick a foundation with a yellow undertones as it is universally flatting for dark skin.
If you are buying foundation makeup online, look for companies that provide foundation samples or testers so you can test it at home.
Do not attempt to brighten or lighten your skin by applying a lighter shade of foundation as it will make your complexion look unhealthy and unnatural. If you want to brighten your skin, apply a sheer loose powder with light-reflecting properties (If the powder is not translucent, it should be one to two shades lighter than your foundation). This method subtly brightens your complexion without altering your skin tone. The reverse also applies – do not use darker foundation to make yourself look more tanned – use a matte bronzer instead.
As for coverage, be sure to choose a foundation with greater coverage than usual as black skin tends to be more uneven and more prone to pigmentation spots. A mattifying and oil-absorbing formula is recommended as darker skin tends to produce more sebum and is oilier. One form of makeup that ticks all the boxes is mineral foundation makeup.
Should you use a primer? It depends – if you would like to neutralise a sallow or yellowish complexion, use a lavender primer underneath your foundation. If you need to use concealer, choose a shade that is one to two shades lighter than your foundation. Apply it to specific problem spots using a concealer brush and apply foundation on top of it.
Choosing Eyeshadow, Cheek and Lip colours
The darker your skin, the more intense should be the shades you choose for your skin. Choose warm colours and do not use colours that are too light – that delicate pale pink blusher shade might look nice in its compact but it will just ‘sit’ like pale powder on your darker complexion. A darker shade achieves the ‘sheer wash of colour’ effect better on your skin tone.
For lip colours, choose colours like plum, burgundy, berry, wines, bronze and copper. Choose lip products with a matte, glossy or sheer finish – avoid anything frosted. If you use lip liner, choose a shade that closely matches your natural lip colour.
Conclusion
With these tips, you should have no problems in selecting flattering makeup for your complexion. The key thing to remember is that you should use makeup to enhance your beautiful tanned complexion, not completely change it.
