Makeup for Women of Colour

By Tracey Lennard

Getting lost in the makeup aisle isn’t uncommon when your skin is rich in melanin. Sadly, when you browse more affordable brands you’ll sometimes find that they only cater to a very narrow margin of skin tone and colour. The idea that every skin tone in the world should be found in a handful of bottles is truly mind boggling to me. A woman’s beauty lies in her uniqueness. There isn’t just light and dark. Skin tones can run anywhere from the lightest porcelain to the deepest chocolate. Undertones like pink, yellow, olive and red shine through the skin. Imagine if a foundation existed for every shade and undertone in the world; there could be thousands.

Luckily, there has been a rise in the awareness of shade inclusivity for makeup lines. Rihanna’s brand, Fenty Beauty, is a prime example of the seemingly impossible being done. On her first release back in September, she had already made a whopping 40 shades of foundation. Ranging from light to dark, with every undertone covered, she raised the bar for every other brand out there.

If you are a woman of colour, and you’ve faced any issues with makeup not matching or working on your skin tone, I have good news: there are brands out there that cater to you. Whether you’ve faced the issue of mismatched or ashy foundation, eyeshadows not being vibrant enough, nude lipstick looking sickeningly pale on you, or that ghostly white cast you might get when you take a flash photo, just remember, it doesn’t need to be that way. While you might get lucky and find your match with a more affordable brand, I prefer to splurge when it comes to foundation, particularly if you have a tricky skin tone to match.

Aside from Fenty Beauty, there are other wonderful brands that cater to a variety of skin tones. Danessa Myricks Beauty has a wide range of foundations. She also has illuminators, which are the secret to natural-looking skin. Dark skin tends to have a natural shine to it, but if you just cover it with foundation and powder, it can look flat to the naked eye as well as on camera. If you mix a pump of Illuminating Veil with your foundation, it will add luminosity and dimension to the skin.

AJ Crimson does some of the darkest cream makeup I’ve ever seen. I love to use the dual skin creme foundation for contouring and highlighting, especially on deeper skin tones.

Juvia’s Place makes some of the most luscious and vibrant eyeshadows and blushes for people of colour. You will never have to worry about a colour looking ashy or not showing up on your skin tone.

Of course, our local Buttercup Setting Powder from Sacha Cosmetics doesn’t have rave reviews for no reason. A light dusting of this warm yellow powder will set your makeup without giving you a grey or ghostly appearance. If the original Buttercup is too deep for you, there’s a lighter version that you will probably love.

Coloured Raine also makes some phenomenal eyeshadows, but what impressed me even more is their range of lipsticks; there is a nude lipstick for every skin tone, as well as some vibrant and unique colours.

Being that we are in an age of change, we can be hopeful that the accessible brands we know and love will expand their ranges to cater to all skin tones, undertones, skin types and ages.

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"Makeup for Women of Colour"

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