Natural Makeup for African Women

By Del Sandeen

Natural makeup for African women doesn't have to be boring or plain. Anyone can achieve a look that enhances her complexion and brings out her natural beauty instead of overwhelming her good looks.

A Good Foundation

Achieving a beautifully natural look starts with the right foundation. Not makeup foundation, but the foundation of good skin. If you make skin care a priority and put forth the effort involved to maintain a clear complexion, minimal makeup will look fantastic on your flawless skin.
When you don't have to worry about covering blemishes or uneven complexions, you can wear no foundation or a very sheer foundation. This allows your gorgeous skin to show through.

Basics: Natural Makeup for African Women

When you're ready to apply your makeup, make sure it's makeup for African skin tones so that it matches your complexion as closely as possible. When going for a natural look, you can either forgo foundation or choose a lightweight one.
In general, liquids and sprays provide sheer coverage and don't camouflage your skin. Instead, these light bases just even out your complexion and create a smooth, uniform canvas. Another option you have for a light base is to mix your liquid foundation with your moisturizer. This way, you moisturize and apply a base at the same time. The addition of your facial lotion makes the foundation even more sheer.
Apply a light dusting of loose powder in a shade that matches your face as closely as possible. Blush, if you choose to wear it, can either match your skin or imitate the shade of flushed cheeks. Cream blushes should be applied beneath face powder, while powder blushes should go on top of it. Whichever blush you choose, make sure you blend, blend and blend some more for a natural look.
When it comes to eye makeup, you can get some ideas from brown eye makeup pictures or even from makeup colors for hazel eyes since these are the predominant eye colors for African Americans. You can skip eye shadow if you like, or go with a light layer of shadow that matches your skin.
However, for women with lighter skin, a pale dusting of pink or peach eye shadow can still look natural while adding some color, while women with darker complexions can go with chocolate or taupe shadows. If your eyelashes are naturally long and thick, just curl them with an eyelash curler. Otherwise, apply one to two coats of black mascara and your look is nearly complete.
For the lips, you have a range of options, especially with the availability of sheer and glossy lip colors out there now. Wear lip colors in these shades:

• Clear
• Pink
• Peach
• Bronze
• Gold
• Chocolate

Now your natural look is complete!

Natural Doesn't Mean Bare

Some women think that a natural look means no makeup, but this isn't always the case. Instead, you should focus on enhancing your natural beauty. This is a great look for spring and summer, when heat and humidity make a lot of makeup seem uncomfortable. Plus, it's a breezier, more casual time of year and that calls for shedding extra clothes and makeup. African American women should remember to wear sunscreen beneath their makeup all year long. Just because skin with more melanin in it isn't as prone to sunburn, anyone can get skin cancer if they don't take steps to protect themselves.

Natural Brands

If you're looking for makeup brands that carry natural makeup for African American women, or any ethnicity, check out lines like Origins and Physicians Formula Organic Wear line, which contain natural or organic ingredients.

Naturally Beautiful

When the weather heats up and you want a natural look that fits right into spring and summer, as well as lightweight fashions, makeup that enhances what you already have is the smart way to go. .