Applying makeup

Since skin tones vary greatly among women of African descent, finding the right face makeup can be tricky. The wrong makeup can lead to an ashen or flat complexion, but with a little insight and a lot of experimentation, you can minimize the guesswork and put your best face forward.

 
Look beyond your skin’s color and examine its undertones. Rich ebony complexions usually have cool, almost blue undertones, while brown and caramel complexions have warm golden undertones.

 Choose from shades that appear to be in your color range and may complement your complexion’s undertones. Remember that foundation will look different on your skin than it does in a bottle or on a thumbnail palette.

 Consider lines that specialize in beauty products for African American’s (Examples: Iman, MAC, Make Up Forever, Nars), for the widest color selection. Always try foundation on your jawline or the inside of your wrist to get the best idea of a color match.

 Set your makeup with a loose translucent powder. If you’re blessed with a flawless even complexion, skip the foundation and opt for a tinted moisturizer (Laura Mercier’s Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer) or tinted powder (MAC Sheer Pressed Powder or Mineralize Skinfinish Natural) over bare skin.

 Contour your cheekbones with a sweep of blush. Plums, currants and mauves will flatter a medium to dark complexion. Caramel, honey and apricot will complement a medium to light complexion.

Applying Foundation
Apply moisturizer appropriate to your skin type. Let it set a few minutes, particularly if your skin is oily (use an oil free moisturizer).

 Camouflage under-eye circles and blemishes with concealer.

 NOTE: If you’re using a sheer coverage foundation and want to layer on the foundation to achieve the perfect coverage & look u can put the foundation first, then the concealer, and add more foundation afterward.

 Use a light primer. It helps keep the make up from sliding off throughout the day.  It also minimizes shine.

 Select a foundation that is appropriate to your skin type and the coverage you wish to achieve. The color should match your skin, disappearing when blended well.Place a small amount of foundation on the back of one hand. Dip your makeup sponge or your middle finger into it.

 Apply to the center of your face: cheeks, forehead, chin.

 Blend out to your hair and jawline until the foundation vanishes. Pay special attention to blending around the nose, mouth and jawline.

 Set the foundation with loose powder immediately following application.

New York City makeup artist, beauty and mom blogger . I immensely enjoy helping myself and others feel beautiful inside and out, which is why I started this blog and my YouTube channel. If you have a beauty or makeup related question, contact me. Your question could be featured on the site! I also accept guest post submissions, check the guidelines. ***Brands and PR firms sometime provide press samples of products for review consideration. These brands are not guaranteed a review on Makeup by Kim Porter Blog, nor do we accept payment of any kind for our reviews. For more on our disclosure policies, please see my terms .