Makeup has always been a girl’s best toy, as we play which a large variety of colors and products to enhance our unique features and better relay our impeccable beauty. As women of color, we learn early on that every color doesn’t work with our cocoa lush skin tones, and we find from a series of disappointments that most products on the market weren’t made with us in mind, so we’ll experiment with many products as the beauty industry continues to slowly move into an ethnic friendly direction. Despite the disadvantages, we still get glam like no other, yet some of us wear makeup as if our life or beauty wholeheartedly depends on it, and eventually, we cross right into clown territory with the overuse of our favorite cosmetics.
Despite all the cosmetics you see at your favorite drug stores and behind your dependable beauty counters, a woman doesn’t need a bulk of cosmetics to achieve her desired look. Less is more isn’t just true in fashion, but a mentality women should hold on to when applying makeup.
Here are a few tips to keep your face gorgeous and bozo free.
1. Dark eyeshadow is fine, but it should never be paired with other heavy cosmetics.
If you wear dark eyeshadow, it’s usually best to complete the look with a light gloss, blush, or lipstick. Cool tones paired with darker tones keeps the illusion of light makeup. When we wear dark shadow, with a dark lip, and dark cheek; we will appear to have applied too much makeup.
Fashion designers take heed to this rule when working with their runway models, as they tend to pair dark eyes with nude lips to create a glamorous look.
2. Dramatic lips work best with easy going eyes.
Similar to the dark eyeshadow rule, bolder lip shades such as deep reds work best with neutral toned eye shadow.
As a rule of thumb, lights work best with darks, and darks work best with lights.
Light on light is barely there, while dark on dark is clownface.
3. Fake eyelashes are great to achieve length, but a great mascara can also do the trick.
Long eyelashes are gorgeous and the perfect beauty accessory, but with the constant invention of the perfect lengthening and voluminous eyeshadow, there’s really no need to wear falsies everyday. Sometimes falsies can make a woman appear to have on too much makeup.
Great lengthening and voluminous mascaras include Covergirl Lashblast and Maybelline Lash Stilettos. Grab these at your local drug store.
4. Pick the right concealer and foundation.
There’s no better way to get your clown on than to rock a foundation and/or concealer that is too light or too dark. When selecting a concealer/foundation, always be sure to use a tester. Make sure the shade is the closest match to your complexion.
The proper shade of concealer and foundation looks more natural.
5. Always use a lip liner when wearing darker lip shades.
Who doesn’t love a great red lip or an amazing deep purple? These colors may be fabulous, but they are runny and improper without some lip lining. A woman with runny lipstick just looks messy and unorganized.
6. The basics are the only essentials.
Honestly despite my admiration for beauty products and vivid colors, a woman only needs to walk out of the house with a little gloss, a great mascara, and cheek highlighting blush. Yes, that’s it. Why? Because these products highlight the most important of your features.
The blush that isn’t too dark but rosy enough to work with your skin tone will bring attention to your amazing cheeks. A fabulous lengthening and voluminous mascara will will dramatize and bring out the best in your natural eyelashes. And a lip gloss will keep your lips luscious, moisturized, and alluring. Keep it simple with the basics, but you will still turn a few heads in the process of your simplicity.
Sorry, but this is why I almost never wear makeup. Too much fuss, money, time, and plus as a personal opinion, unless we have major blemishes and flaws, Black women don't need makeup because we have a beauty that is naturally enhanced. Most of us have plump lips to some degree that other ethnicities would pay for. Most of us have dark features (whether it be skin or hair) that bring out the beauty in us and hide blemishes.Give me some facial moisturizer(plus Vitamin E oil or olive oil), lip gloss, and I'm good to go.