Finding Your Reflection: Brown Beauty
Sometimes I wish there were words to adequately describe how it feels to spend your life searching desperately for somebody, anybody that looks like you. Anything I could write falls short of the inherent loneliness that comes with being the only person that looks like yourself in a classroom, concert, subway, etc. In this three part series, I try to find ways to alleviate that loneliness, and share what I have learned as a South Asian woman, in the hope that at least one other person can find someone that looks like them.
I've always had trouble with beauty products; it's hard to find products that accommodate people of color. One day, when I was at Sephora looking for a bronzer, the employee who had been helping me and my friend told me that the products I had been looking at wouldn't be deep enough for my skin tone. But, he continued, there was a different way to achieve the look I had wanted so badly. In that moment, it struck me: after months of research on what would show up on my skin tone, looking at makeup artists’ recommendations and scouring the internet, there hadn't been a single person to tell me what worked on deeper skin tones in the way I had so desperately wanted. So when I left that Sephora with a new purchase, as inconsequential as that encounter may have seemed, it came into striking clarity that it shouldn't have been that hard for me to both find a product that I liked, or as difficult to find people that looked like me - really - anywhere. So, perhaps somewhat selfishly, I have compiled a list of beauty tips that worked for my skin color.
Beauty Tips/Products:
This is a list of products/tips I have compiled over the years that worked well for my skin tone. I apologize that a lot of these are higher end; when I started wearing makeup, drugstore makeup had a horrific shade range (to be fair - in most cases, it still does), and once I found something I liked, I found no reason to change. Most of these purchases were made before the release of Fenty Beauty - now, if I can't find anything, I'll just be told, "Fenty probably has your shade" - something to keep in mind. I list these products only because I know how for each purchase I make, I have to research what brands actually include a shade range for darker skin tones, and a lot of the times, the cult beauty products are not always something that can work with my skin color. It can be frustrating, especially because there are not a lot of South Asian models I can see these products on. This is everything that works for my skin color, so hopefully this can be a one-stop-shop for at least one person who runs into these same problems.
Concealer: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in shade Amande. This is one of my holy grail products, and matched my skin perfectly. Nars does tend to have a shade range that is PoC friendly; however, it should be noted that there are only four shades darker than this, and Amande itself is much lighter than my skin color. Colourpop also has an affordable dupe, I believe.
Foundation/B.B. Cream: Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream with SPF 35 in shade Dark. This product does wonders for my skin, and is such a lightweight, creamy product. However, I use the darkest shade of the product, and the cream itself is already lighter than my skin. So, if you spend a little time in the sun, or look like me when I get 'tan' (pictured above), then this product will be too light for you. If I'm out in the sun at all, this product will be much lighter than my skin tone. Though it works to even my skin out, it's not worth the money if you are darker than me.
Eyeshadow: I own the Morphe 350M Nature Glow Matte Palette, but will also use pretty much anything from Colourpop*. For me, it is so hard to ensure that eyeshadows will be pigmented enough to show on my skin, and both of these brands are affordable enough and have enough pigment that I have nothing to worry about.
Blush: For a shimmery blush, my favorites are Colourpop's Super Shock Blush in the shade Drop of a Hat and a Nars blush in the shade Taj Mahal. For a matte blush, I like using Colourpop's Super Shock Blush in the shade Holiday in the summer and Cheerio in the winter. Cheeks are also easy because most lip pigments will also work on cheeks, for example, I like RMS' lip2cheek in the shade demure (a little too light on my lips, but fun to use).
Bronzer/Contour: Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in the shade Chocolate Geode. This is what Tommy from Sephora, the employee who helped me (he deserves a special shoutout), taught me. To create the bronzed look you see everywhere in the summer, for deeper skin tones, you do not use traditional bronzers as people with fairer skin do. Instead, use a highlighter to emphasize certain parts of your face, as the 'bronzed' look is already done naturally by your skin. Using a small brush, use this product on the high points of your cheekbones (and if desired, a little on your cheek itself), and it should give you the bronzed, glowy look that others achieve with bronzer alone. To contour or achieve a more chiseled cheekbone, use a lighter skin tint/concealer and trace underneath your cheekbone. That way, your deep skin will stand out, creating the illusion of a stronger cheekbone; you don't need a darker product to achieve the same contoured look as you often see on fair skin.
Highlighter: Colourpop's Super Shock Highlighter in the shade Lunch Money, Cover FX Enhance Click in the shade Candlelight, and Fenty Beauty's Killawatt Highlighter in the shade Ginger Binge and Moscow Mule, though this product is so pigmented I have only used it as an eyeshadow. Occasionally, I will also use the Nars blush Orgasm as a highlighter, or even just a bit of coconut oil.
The 'highlighter-as-a-face-illuminator' trend: Charlotte Tilbury's face primer Wonderglow. One time, I asked one of my friends, who happens to be fair skinned, how people can use liquid highlighters all over their face - sadly, she showed me how when she used liquid highlighters on her skin, it left her skin with a soft shimmery glow, but because of the pigment of the products, looked too harsh and bright on my skin tone. Out of stubbornness, I wanted to find a way to create the same look, simply because I couldn't when I wanted to. Using Wonderglow is a nice way to achieve this look, though definitely is not a necessity by any means. However, it is a product that has bits of gold flecks to reflect the sunlight, and if you are like me, I'm not a fan of glitter on my face. However, this is a product that really does work on many skin tones, and for that, I am a fan of it.
Eyeliner: L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner, Rimmel Exaggerate Auto Waterproof Eye Definer in the shade Blackest Black, and Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in shade Blacquer 42 - black. It can be hard to find a pigmented enough black to show up on my skin, but these all do the trick. I got a free sample of the Marc Jacobs eyeliner at Sephora, so I'm not sure if the full size is worth the money. It's worth noting that if you're looking for an eyeliner that stays on all day, none of these will work for you.
Primer: The Too Faced Hydrating Skin Primer: Hangover does not leave a white cast over the skin or attempt to change the color of your skin, which is something I really do appreciate. However, personally, I rarely use primers, and if I need one, I will most likely mix of one drop of lavender oil in a couple drops of coconut oil. This works wonders, smells amazing, and most of all, super cheap (what brown person doesn't already have Parachute coconut oil in their house?!).
Sunscreen: Supergoop 100% Mineral Invincible Setting Powder + Sun Protection in shade Deep. This is one of the most frustrating searches I've ever been on. Most sunscreens leave a white cast on my skin, leaving it looking grey and ashy, and each sunscreen I tried left some sort of visible remnant on my skin. The tinted sunscreens I found were meant for fairer skin, and the ones that weren't tinted just looked awful or left a slight sheen on my skin. At long last, I found this product, and it is invisible on me - which is all I could ask for.
*Colourpop is one of my favorite brands - they have high quality products with a drugstore price tag, but what makes them my favorite is that for each product, they have swatches on brown skin also. This was a complete game changer for me, and because each of their products are high in pigment, I never have to worry about.
