Black to basics

Beauty companies are sitting up and taking notice of the huge demand for make-up for black skin. Discover which brands you should be watching out for...

Now, more than ever, we have become a multi-racial culture. Our children have the wonderful opportunity to learn about other cultures, and our palates are spoiled with multi-national cuisine without needing an extensive travel budget. But one of the drawbacks for mixed-race and ethnic-minority women was that it used to almost impossible to find beauty products to complement their skins. Thankfully, those days have passed and more and more companies now have not only blushers, eyeshadows and lipsticks that have enough pigment to show against darker skins but, more importantly, they have added foundations that use enough pigment to smooth away imperfections without making the skin look as though it has been daubed with red clay or chalk. Many of the major collections have added colour cosmetics that cater for a variety of skin tones, so let's have a look at some of the newest companies to become truly multi-national...Many of the major collections have added colour cosmetics that cater for a variety of skin tones

Basics
Historically it has always been difficult to find foundations, powders and concealers for black skin. There were about three ranges to choose from and, to be truthful, the quality usually left something to be desired. You may have been fine if you wanted or needed complete coverage, because you could apply the product heavily enough not to really notice that you had completely altered the colour of your skin, but if you liked a natural look or wanted to use foundation only in certain areas? Forget it! Now, you can get state-of-the-art technology that glides on effortlessly with textures and finishes that will enhance the skin instead of hiding it.

Becca
One of the very best ranges to cater for darker and mixed skins. This make-up artist's range from Australia is so extensive, particularly for coverage products, that it has become an immediate favourite among celebrities and mere mortals alike. The philosophy of Becca is that you only cover what needs to be covered. The process starts with a product called Luminous Skin Colour, which has 16 shades of sheer moisturising colour with an SPF20. If you like a sheen, there are a further six shades with shimmer, and another six that are called Tan Enhancers. For areas that require more coverage, there is an amazing selection of 30 stick foundations that offer full coverage with an SPF30. For oilier skins these can be used as the basic foundation on their own. Not enough? For trouble spots like pigmentation, blemishes and other imperfections, 34 concealers will make absolutely certain that any skin colour can have a perfect match. Set the lot with one of 16 powders and you have a flawless canvas regardless of colouring. From the palest ivory skin to deepest ebony, there really is something for everyone here.

Prescriptives
Prescriptives has built a reputation on having a foundation for all skins. It provides a unique complementary service called Colourprinting that will help to identify your individual undertone. Once they have found your undertone – whether your skin is Yellow Orange, Red Orange, Red or Blue Red – they can choose one of several hundred premixed foundations based on what your skin condition is, how much coverage you want, and any other personal preferences that you have. If there's no perfect match, you can have both a foundation and powder custom-blended to give you everything you have ever wanted from a base product.

Bobbi Brown
At Bobbi Brown, there are foundations, powders and concealers in several different formulations that are great for warmer-based black skins. From oil-controlling or hydrating liquid foundations to compact or stick foundations, you can mix and match any combination to get a smooth-looking complexion without a hint of excess red or grey. And for powders, again there are different formulations from matte to sheer, loose or pressed.

Mary Kay
Another very good range for black and Asian skins is Mary Kay. You know, the one that you order at home parties? Mary Kay is now actually the best-selling range in the United States, where the mix of skin colours is even more varied than it is here in the UK. And the reason? It is all done in the comfort of your own home. You can invite a group of mates over to your house and experiment without the pressures of sitting in a department store. Mary Kay has made sure that you can find all of your cosmetics within the range, including shadows, lipsticks, blushers - the lot.

The professionals
Another really good bet is to go and look at specific make-up-artist ranges. As make-up artists we need to use the products professionally and have no room for error, so we tend to be a little more demanding than the average punter. MAC, Makeup Forever and Shu Uemura all have foundations, powders and, usually, concealers to smooth the colouring. You will normally find that you will have a great range, not only in colour, but in textures and finishes as well. It doesn't mean you still won't have to hunt for which company has the ideal shade, but compared with only a few years ago, you should find this a doddle.

Best of the rest
And finally, I think it is worth mentioning that a few of the other luxury brands have added foundations, in particular, to start filling the gap in the market. Dior has done some fantastic foundation shades for Asian skins with a much higher percentage of yellow in the base. Both Estée Lauder and Clinique have added deeper shades for black skins to the existing formulations, and in any newer formulation they are an integral part of the launch line-up. Lancôme's Colour ID includes dark shades for black skins as well.

All in all, things are much more beautiful for women with darker skin tones. Be it Asian, Mediterranean, black, or any combination thereof, cosmetics are becoming easier and easier to find. Let's hope that this is only the beginning of a major trend within the industry, as the world becomes an even bigger melting pot. And if you are having a difficult time within the range you want to wear, give your feedback to the company. After all, look how many of them have already started to sit up and take notice. If you don't ask, you don't get!

Share this Print this