Top 5 Make-Up Artist Tips for Darker Skin tones

Hey Everyone!

As a beauty blogger or I guess any girl, it’s hard not to stick to things you already know – like your skin type, skin tone and the shades you think work best for you. Today, I’m breaking free of those chains (cliche, much?) and giving you some make-up artist approved tips to doing make-up for darker skin tones, including your own if you have those blessed full lips, cheekbones and ability to go crazy with color without looking too OTT.

1. Hello Color-Correcting

People with darker skin often have different skin-tones on different areas of the face. For example, the forehead and perimeter of the face my appear slightly darker than the rest of the face and pigmentation may likely occur around the mouth. Of course this does not apply to everyone, but make sure you notice these things before foundation so that you can achieve a more flawless finish. Furthermore, darker skin tones have a vulnerability to looking ashy and gray. Thus, it’s imperative that you warm the skin if the overcast has a bit of a cool undertone to avoid looking ashy. Dark Yellow and Orange color correctors and if very dark skin, red color correctors when blended very lightly onto the skin before foundation can warm the overall appearance and take the greyish tones away which may occur. Another tip is to use and mix various foundations together to achieve the right shade and then vary according to what area you do. Or for something just everyday, opt for a higher coverage if you do have pigmentation issues.

2. Don’t Contour, Highlight!

That’s right. You might think wow, I love the contoured cheekbones of a darker skin lady but that can be better achieved with a cream highlighter (like a good NARS multiple) and making prominent features already in the light such as the cheeks, the nose bridge to narrow the nose, the forehead, chin, cupids bow and cheek bones. Blend out evenly and make it as if the light did the job for you.

3. Powders Your Shade

They say that a translucent powder suits all skin-tones, but it really doesn’t. For powders, please use a powder that is the same shade as your skin-tone and foundation. Keep the natural glow going and don’t add too much powder to mattify the face completely, that would be a shame!

4. Skip the Nicki Minaj Lipsticks Please

If you want your make-up to look natural and enhance your beauty, don’t use pale lip colors. Actually, I’m against them totally, even if you have medium or fair skin. I always think nude lips make you look like a zombie bride. The most flattering lip colors for darker skin tones are wines, plums, bricks, dark red, brick red or if you’re feeling extra bold, a vivid fuchsia or pink. But nothing blue, cool or pale. If you tend to find that your lips are different tone – for example darker on your top lip than bottom, a good lip concealer or just the foundation that’s left on your foundation brush over the lips before your apply your lipstick should even things out.

5. Blush in Vivid Pinks, Wines, Deep Reds or Orange Reds

And what about those beautiful blushing cheeks? Stay with the peaches, oranges, reds, or wine colors too and stay away from the cool pinks. You do not want to look like a hoochiemama. Blush should always be build-able. Make sure you take a blush brush and lightly sweep the color on your cheeks from the middle of your cheek (aligned with the middle of your eye) towards the top of your ear. Then, sweep until you attain the desired pigment.

I hope you liked these tips! These are just guidelines though, have fun playing around with what works for you. I would say, just stay warm not cool! Amp up the eye-shadow if you want to!

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Love,
Roseanne

5 comments

  • Joanna

    Great post! I can definitely past this tips on to few of my friends. Thanks for sharing xx

    • roseannetangrs (author)

      Thanks Joanna! Glad you liked it :)

  • Mary Susan

    Dear Roseanne,
    I am a 32 year old lady who has a wheatish complexion. I have enlarged pores near my nose and am totally confused as to what kind of skin I have. It could be normal or combination skin. But my skin does get chapped at certain areas according to the weather. Sadly, my biggest concern is that I have melasma around my left cheek and I have yet to find a product that conceals it- I’m new to make up and I currently use a revlon color stay liquid foundation ( toast shade). Sometimes I feel it gives me a chalky appearance in natural light.What does that mean?What type of powder can i use ?Would love to hear your suggestions. Please help me out here.

    Regards ,
    Marysusan

  • Filomena

    heya! great post! I actually wrote a similar a guest post on beautyandtips.com recently, we basically covered more or less the same thing! :)

    I get completely lost with ‘undertones’ like how can you tell if someone has a ‘blue undertone’ ?

    xx

  • Marie

    Just read this! thank you so much for taking time out to share these wonderful tips. I’m looking to start at LSBM soon and your posts have given me a lovely idea of what to expect.

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