Black women have been synonymous with beauty for decades.
From the glamorous days of Dorothy Dandridge to the launch of
Essence magazine, we’ve stayed on the forefront of beauty. When there weren’t any companies that catered to us, we created our own (Iman Cosmetics, Pat McGrath Labs). When beauty brands weren’t paying attention, we gave them no choice but to take notice.
Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in September 2017 and
reportedly racked up $100 million in sales within 40 days. With 40 foundation shades ranging from light to real deep shades designed for the darkest of Black women, Rihanna single-handedly changed the beauty industry. Period. To say the beauty industry had to go back to the drawing board is an understatement. More and more beauty brands began launching products of their own to compete for the spending power of Black women. And many top brands extended the shade range for their foundations and concealers, leading to the emergence of more Black women as the faces of brands or securing partnerships with brands.
So now? We’ve got options.
Is L’Oréal’s voluminous mascara still your go-to? Are you still splurging on that MAC lipstick? We’re not saying to throw them out. But if those are still your favorite products, it might be time to switch up your beauty routine for a few new kids on the block.
Blend, Blend, Blend
Every person is different: Some people prefer applying foundation with a brush, but a quality makeup sponge sets the stage for the rest of your makeup with an even application. The original, the
beautyblender, is priced at $20 and helps foundation blend seamlessly into the skin for a flawless finish. Wet the sponge at the beginning of your morning beauty routine so it’s damp when you’re ready to apply foundation. The sponge expands and becomes super soft to apply foundations, powders and other makeup products.
The
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is also a great alternative to the beautyblender. At $6 a sponge, this dupe is available at Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Ulta Beauty.
Find Your Shade of Beautiful
There are a few brands that have extended the shade range of their foundation in recent years: Make Up For Ever, Maybelline, Too Faced. But Fenty Beauty kicked down the door and has kept its foot on our necks with its 40-shade-range foundation. With medium to full buildable coverage, the
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matter Longwear Foundation ($34) is perfect for wearing day-to-day makeup and versatile enough for a night out. The foundation has only been around for a year and has already nabbed
Allure magazine’s coveted Best of Beauty Awards.
The newly launched
NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Full Coverage Foundation just hit the shelves and has already gotten rave reviews from beauty influencers and YouTubers alike. This drugstore foundation offers full coverage in 45 shades with a $15 price tag.
Luscious Lips
A cult classic,
Colourpop is the low-cost lipstick you never knew you needed. The brand recently expanded into Ulta Beauty stores worldwide. Most of us are willing to spend a good amount on a lipstick that will last all day long. Colourpop offers long-lasting wear with a large variety of lipsticks, lippie stix and liquid lipsticks. There’s a shade for every occasion and a finish for every preference — $5.50 for lippie stix, $7 for lipsticks, $6.50 for liquid lipsticks.
A fan favorite to splurge on is the
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick. For $22, this matte finish lipstick stays in place for hours on end.
Powder Power
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder is a multidimensional product so popular that its finish is often referred to as “the Laura Mercier filter” because of how it makes you look in front of the camera. Mini sizes are priced at $23.
Drugstore products get a hard rap but Maybelline has remained consistent. The go-to remains the
Maybelline FIT me loose finishing powder. Paired with the Fit Me foundation, this loose powder will have you set for the day. (And night!)
In the Shadows
Even before all of the YouTube influencer collections,
Morphe 35F Fall into Frost eyeshadow palettes were known for having a multitude of nude, bright, shimmery and dark-pigmented shadows. The 35F Fall into Frost eyeshadow palette offers 35 matte and metallic colors, making it great for work and to happy hour later. Plus, 35 shades for $24? A steal.
The
Give It to Me Straight shadow palette from Colourpop is a similar palette with matte and metallic shades to give your eyes a cool winter glow.
Set It and Forget It
After you’ve primped, primed, applied all of the foundations, contour, highlighter, eyeshadow, lipstick and setting powder, it’s time to seal everything up. Enter
Urban Decay All Nighter long lasting setting spray. You’ll never have to worry about your makeup transferring to clothes or fading away with this setting spray. Simply close your eyes and spray about 8 inches away from your face. This spray keeps your face together for more than eight hours. It works. It starts at $15. Trust me.
The
Sephora Collection beauty amplifier spray offers a mini-sized version that sets and refreshes your face all for $5.
These are just some tips and tricks that I’ve picked up that really work. Try something new and watch your beauty routine transform.
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