The meteoric rise of Fenty Beauty is a testament to how inclusivity can propel a beauty brand to cult status in no time. Sure, being attached to Rihanna's celebrity status helped. But countless other celebrity-backed brands are yet to capture consumers' attention while Fenty has taken the challenge head on and passed with flying colours.
How did Riri do it? She launched with a whopping 40 shades of foundation and concealer, giving melanated queens a chance to have access to a base that matches their skin. Representation matters, and in this case, it’s no different. Fortunately for beauty consumers in 2023, most brands have ridden the wave and begun offering inclusive foundation shades. Even so, how exactly do you find the perfect match for deeper skin tones? Even with shade cards handy and a pro at your side, you must watch your skin closely to settle on the perfect one.
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1. Determine your undertone:
Warm, cool, or neutral, the undertone refers to the underlying hue of your skin, and how makeup products will complement it. To determine your undertone, look at the veins on your wrist:
- If they appear green, you have a warm undertone.
- If they appear blue or purple, you have a cool undertone.
- If you can't really tell, or they appear both green and blue, you may have a neutral undertone.
2. Go for deeper shades:
This one may seem like a faux pas but when it comes to dusky skin tones, it's necessary to go for shades deeper than your skin tone. Try going deeper into the shade card, a few hues darker than your natural skin tone, to avoid looking ashy or washed out.
3. Test the foundation on your neck:
Apply a small amount of foundation on your jawline and blend it out. If the shade disappears into your skin, it's a good match. This also ensures you’re not directly exposing your face to used makeup tools at beauty stores.
4. Feel free to mix shades:
Spot any recent celebrity GRWM makeup routine, and you’ll catch them mixing foundation shades. This is because, sometimes, finding the perfect foundation shade is difficult, no matter the inclusive shade range. Try mixing two different shades of foundation to create a custom shade that matches your skin tone perfectly.
5. Keep your skin type in mind:
Matching the foundation texture to your skin type lends it a smooth finish. If you have oily skin, go for an oil-free, mattifying foundation. Pick a hydrating foundation with a dewy finish if you have dry skin. Balanced skin types can experiment with various textures according to their desired finish.
6. Test foundations in natural light if possible:
Your foundation looks most true in natural light. However, this can be tricky in a store, so try to ask for a sample of the shade to take home to test in natural light.
7. Look for brands that cater to melanin-rich skin tones:
Some makeup brands have a wider range of shades that cater to melanated skin tones. It's worth researching these brands and seeing if they have a shade that matches your skin tone.
Finding the right foundation shade for melanin-rich skin tones may take some experimentation and testing. Keeping experimenting with different shades and brands until you find the perfect match.
