10 Brown Girl-Approved Products That Are Perfect For Duskier Complexions
Get that melanin poppin', hunny.
Buying cosmetics and skincare hasn't been easy for some of us brown girls
Items in the market are usually formulated to suit fairer skin tones, so we don't really have many options. All we can do is experiment until we find the perfect product.
But we brown-skinned ladies gotta have each other's backs, right?
Here are 10 highly-recommended products that have been tried and tested by other brown girls, so you can incorporate them in your everyday routines without worrying about a thing!
1. First up, yours truly. Sunblock always tends to leave a white cast on darker skin, but Klairs Soft, Airy UV Essence has an amaaazingly light formula that doesn't leave me with a ghostly pallor!
"It's also very easy to wash off, and isn't too oily or matte on my skin. This sunblock gives me that natural ~glow~, perfect for the final step in my skincare routine. Now, I'm all about that Sun Protection Factor, sis."
2. As a makeup artist, Arisha recommends red lipsticks with blue undertones, and orange eyeshadow, as they complement brown skin tones
"For orange eyeshadow, anything works. Colourpop has good ones, but so does Charlotte Tillbury. If you wanna #sapotlokal, definitely check out the Breena Beauty Wanderlust eyeshadow palette. It has oranges, browns, reds, golds - super versatile and gorgeous."
3. Gowri has been using The Body Shop All-In-One Face Base in the shade 065 ever since her teenage years, and she still loves it till today
"I love that it's an all-in-one base 'cause I'm veryyyyy malas LOL. I love being able to just put on one thing and boom! Base done. I also don't like how thick and cakey some liquid foundations can feel on my face, so I prefer powder ones like this instead. The matte finish is nais too. And of course, the most important reason, it perfectly suits my skin tone!"
4. This super affordable foundation from Maybelline is at the top of Lydia's list because of its awesome consistency and coverage
"The finish blends so well with my skin, and it looks like I'm not wearing any foundation! I used to be a huuuge advocate of MAC StudioFix Foundation in NC55, but now I'm a big fan of the Maybelline FitMe Liquid Foundation since it comes in my shade. I've bought so many bottles already (:"
5. Tammy recommends Beeper from ColourPop, because it's her fave shade
"I find that most lipsticks in Malaysia are suited to fairer skin tones. It's hard to find a good matte nude shade that isn't too pink or orange for daily wear. Other nude shades tend to also be either too light or too ashy for my skin tone. Beeper is the perfect shade for me - goes with almost every outfit and lasts long."
6. Makeup artist Joni Lynne suggests baking your foundation with Ben Nye Banana Powder to cancel out grey undertones
"Ben Nye Banana Powder is great because it adds just a hint of colour, so you can avoid that white cast that may come with other setting powders. I would also recommend the MAC Pro Conceal and Correct Palette in Medium and Dark if you're looking for a colour corrector and a concealer!"
7. Amirah shares a hack that might actually save y'all some cash— by using eyeshadow as highlighter so you can glow to the gods (on a budget)
"I use shade 4 in the Reloaded Hypnotic Makeup Revolution eyeshadow palette (second from right, first row) as my highlighter, and it really works! It has a nice colour payoff and doesn't look grey. Would totally recommend this palette to anyone who's looking for a gorgeous, shimmery gold highlighter that will make you look on-point!"
8. Eyebrows frame your face, so Masitah shares her fave product that will make sure your brows are always on-fleek
"I love the Anastasia Beverley Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate because it complements my NC42 skin tone without looking too dark and harsh. Also, I get my brows threaded regularly to maintain their shape."
9. Shabina, a talented makeup artist, beauty enthusiast, and law student, tells us her go-to blush palette that always receives positive reviews from her clients
"The Zoeva Coral Spectrum Powder Blush Palette has got the four best ranges of hues that go well on brown skin tones if you're looking to build a flush of warm radiant colours to the apples of your cheeks! The shades CR010 and CR020 have a soft matte powder formulation, and if mixed together, gives off a vibrant warm orangey-coral colour to your cheeks for a natural sophisticated look on your beautiful brown skin."
10. Dusky beauty Nandini lets us in on her holy grail foundation, Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 504 Deep Mocha— which doesn't break the bank and stays on for 16 hours
"It’s super long-wearing (I’ve fallen asleep with it and woken up with it still on, ya bad habit I know HAHA), it doesn’t get cake-y, and it’s super moisturising! BEST PART: It’s so affordable at only RM32.90 (keep an eye out for sales because it can sometimes be as cheap as RM27!) Also, Rimmel is the only drugstore brand in Malaysia that has the darkest shade of foundation (504) and I support that 100%."
