When it comes to beauty, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, especially for melanated skin. The unique shades and undertones of darker skin require specific techniques and products to highlight and enhance its natural beauty.
Understanding Your Undertone
The first step in mastering your makeup routine is understanding your skin’s undertone. Undertones are the subtle hues beneath your skin’s surface that influence how colors look on you. Your skin can have a variety of undertones, including:
Warm (golden or yellow): Skin has a golden, peachy, or yellow hue.
Cool (red or blue): Skin has a red, pink, or bluish hue.
Neutral: A balance of both warm and cool undertones.
Top Tip: To determine your undertone, look at the veins on your wrist. If they appear green, you likely have warm undertones. If they appear blue or purple, you have cool undertones. If it’s hard to tell, you might be neutral.
Foundation Matching
One of the most important steps in any makeup routine is finding the perfect foundation shade. For melanin-rich skin, it’s crucial to find a foundation that matches both your skin tone and undertone. The wrong shade can result in an ashy or overly orange finish.
Top Tips:
Choose the Right Formula: Opt for foundations that offer a wide range of shades specifically formulated for darker skin tones. There are lots of brands on the market that have extensive shade ranges designed with melanin-rich skin in mind.
Test in Natural Light: Always test foundation shades in natural light to get the most accurate match.
Consider Multi-Shading: Many melanin blessed people have multiple shades on different parts of their face. You might need to use two different foundation shades: one for the centre of your face and another for the edges, to achieve a uniform look.
Highlighting and Contouring
Highlighting and contouring can work wonders on darker skin by adding dimension and enhancing natural features. The key is to choose the right shades that complement your skin tone.
Highlighter: Apply highlighter on the high points of your face; cheekbones, bridge of the nose, and brow bones.
For Berry Skin: Champagne gold, bronze, deep rose gold
For Cinnamon Skin: Rose bronze, copper, warm peach
For Caramel Skin: Gold, honey bronze, soft champagne
For Café au Lait Skin: Pearl white, soft gold, champagne pink
Contour: Use a contour shade that’s two to three shades darker than your natural skin tone. Focus on contouring the hollows of your cheeks, the sides of your nose, and along your jawline.
Eyeshadow and Blush
Melanin-rich skin can pull off a wide range of eyeshadow and blush colors.
Eyeshadow: Choosing the right eyeshadow shades can make a significant difference in how your makeup enhances your natural beauty.
For Berry Skin: Rich plum, bold emerald, warm gold
For Cinnamon Skin: Copper, terracotta, deep burgundy
For Caramel Skin: Champagne, soft gold, and peachy pink
For Café au Lait Skin: Taupe, warm brown, and golden olive
Blush: Bright blush shades add warmth and glow to melanin-rich skin. Choose a shade that will complement your skin tone rather than overpowering it.
Lip Colors
The right lip color can complete your entire look. Melanated skin pairs well with a variety of lip shades, from nudes to bold colors.
For Berry Skin: Deep Plums, Rich Reds, Chocolate Browns
For Cinnamon Skin: Burnt Orange, Brick Reds, Warm Mauves
For Caramel Skin: Peachy Nudes, Coral Pinks, Rich Berry
For Café au Lait Skin: Soft Pinks, Rosy Browns, Warm Reds
Skincare Tips
Flawless makeup starts with a solid skincare routine. If you’re melanin blessed, you will be prone to hyperpigmentation, so it’s important to focus on products that even out skin tone and provide hydration.
Use a gentle cleanser that removes impurities without stripping your skin’s natural oils.
Keep your skin hydrated with a moisturizer that suits your skin type. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps retain moisture.
Always wear sunscreen, even if your skin is dark. Any kind of sun damage can lead to hyperpigmentation and premature aging.
With the right products and techniques, you can create makeup looks that not only complement your skin tone but also empower you to feel confident and radiant. Your melanin is a gift, celebrate it with makeup that showcases your unique beauty.
