So this is a bit of a change for me because
I’m going to talk about makeup. I did a shoot a good while ago now and the MUA,
Al Philly, was amazing and incredibly lovely. She showed me ways to use makeup
for my skin type I’d never thought of before. This rings true particularly with
some of the colours used and when I expressed my surprise at how well the
colours looked on my skin, Al said that it wasn’t about the colours, but how much was used and where. This blew my mind
because as a woman of colour, there were certain colours I would never go near
through fear of looking ridiculous. Makeup for black skin can be really tricky
to get right and there is often a fine line between looking like a clown and
looking as though you’re wearing a mask – I would of course want neither of
these things, but also want to experiment slightly with different colours.
It’s funny, because although I’m very much
a girly girl (after living my teenage years being a tomboy and living in jeans
and t-shirts) one thing that didn’t and to a certain extent, still doesn’t
really excite me, is makeup. I know there are many of you who do internal cartwheels when a
new range comes out or there’s a new exclusive blush or lipstick, but that’s
not me at all; if you’re talking about a new collection of swing dresses? Well
that’s a different story ;p But that doesn’t mean when I do want to wear makeup I don’t want to have a play.
The first port of call was foundation or
more pointedly, liquid foundation. I have never used liquid foundation because
liquid foundation for black skin is like the Holy Grail. I do not have the time
or money to buy different shades to mix in a caldron in the hope to get
somewhere near my skin tone, so I have for many years opted for powder. My
weapon of choice is my ever-trusting M.A.C powder and it’s perfect. Now, my
skin is very irritable and prone to breakouts, so the last thing I want to do
is paste my skin and clog my pores with a heavy foundation, plus the many years
of being unable to find one to match my skin, powder has always been my way.
The great thing about powder is that it is super light. I don’t like to wear a
lot of makeup as again, I don’t want to look like I’m wearing a mask, so powder
has been the perfect companion for me and I have no complaints whatsoever. One
layer of application and I’m good to go!
Foundation: M.A.C, Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation – Shade: NW45
However, I still wanted to see if I could
find a liquid foundation that I was able to wear without my skin feeling
weighed down but also, a shade that matched my skin, so I headed to central
London with my dear friend, Shel (who always has the most perfectly applied
makeup) to look for a foundation I would be happy using. I didn’t want to have
to go a fancy boutique to find a foundation for my skin type, so wanted to check
out high street makeup – enter Boots. We went to the one near Bond Street tube
station and the hunt began. Unfortunately, there was little on offer for me there or any of the other typical "high street" cosmetic stores, so resorted to buying a ton of other things like lipstick, eye shadow and blush,
but I was really disappointed. However, I struck gold the following week. I went into a larger Superdrug near my work and wandered over to the Sleek Makeup stand. To my surprise, the
majority of the foundations on offer were for those with darker skin – I had to
stop myself from fainting! I had a try of a few shades and found the perfect
fit - Henna! At first glance I thought it would be a little too light for me, but I
thought I’d still give it a try. Upon application to a small part of my skin,
the colour didn’t lighten my skin but blended beautifully with my natural skin
tone. I knew I’d found the one and bought it immediately with itchy feet to get
home to try it properly. I thought I’d not only try this fab foundation, but
also create a fun but simple look for an evening out for dinner or drinks. But
first things first – prep!
Pre
makeup skin care: (from left to right) Simple
Moisturising Facial Wash, E45 and Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula
This is my skin care routine regardless
of whether or not I’m applying makeup, but makeup rule No.1: ALWAYS apply
makeup with clean skin. My skin has a tendency to be oily (apart from Autumn/Winter
time) so using Simple products is a must – no grease, no perfume and nothing artificial;
instead this face wash is full of vitamins and minerals that are critical for keeping skin hydrated. E45 is my BEST FRIEND during the colder months. My skin
gets these weird dry patches around my forehead and cheeks, and I use E45 throughout
the day to keep dryness at bay. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter is my normal body butter,
but I buy myself a bottle for dry skin during winter months. I love how Palmer’s
feels on my entire body, and the smell….delicious!
Alternative: Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes
If you’re unable to wash your face with a facial
wash, the very least you should do is use facial wipes. I carry a pack of these
awesome wipes whenever I know I’ll be away from home but going out later in the
evening. OK, now time to apply some makeup….
You can always rely on M.A.C. Sometimes
this concealer is the only thing I use before leaving the house. This shade
fits my skin tone so perfectly you’d never know I was wearing it!
The feel of this is great. It’s not sticky
or greasy in any way and a thin layer does the perfect job for full coverage. I
left this on for an hour before applying the rest of the makeup to see if
there was any dryness. I’m happy to say there wasn’t and I’m so happy I found
this!
I applied a thicker line of eyeliner than
usual because I wanted to have a clear thin line of eye shadow for contrast.
I love using Black/Brown mascara as it gives a softer look compared to the harshness of Black. I also think a softer look on
the lashes works really well with dramatic lips (below) and the shimmer of eye shadow.
I would never have picked this colour up
before meeting Al. Again, I wanted to go with something soft as I wanted the focus to be on the eyes and lips. This colour is wonderful on darker skin and
I’m sure a more dynamic look could be easily achieved with additional
application.
Lipstick: Rimmel London – Shade: Tantrum
And the look is complete! I love the
intense red here. It draws the eyes in and would work perfectly if on a date ;)
So the moral of the story is there's hope
out there for black skin on the high street without having to break the bank. I
may do another post doing a proper hunt in various stores to see which cater
for darker skin, but thankfully there are some great smaller brands who are doing
what bigger brands aren’t – sound familiar?!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading!
‘til next time.
Love and hugs,
Isha
Xxx
