Beauty...Natural Hair...Vibes

Tag: video

Black Owned Makeup Brands tutorial #BOMB

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Nothing to Disclose

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Hey! So I have had this on my mind for months, years, now. I have always  wondered why retail stores separated products specifically geared towards black consumers.  Yes, black owned makeup brands.  Why have an ‘ethnic’ aisle? I think this separation has made non-black people think that they could not use these products.  People of colour have been using not-black specific brands for decades, even as companies still don’t produce foundation shade in the darker end of the spectrum.  Certainly many people, who are non-black, have curly hair in need of moisture.  Coincidentally, Jackie Aina, who I follow on YouTube issued a challenge to non-black makeup lovers to step outside of their comfort zone and try makeup brands that are black-owned.  

There are many amazing black-owned makeup brands out there! Don't be afraid to try something new! After all, it's just makeup! Share on X

There are even more makeup brands that have extended colour ranges that cater to medium to dark skin as well as lighter skintones, that are not black owned like blackUp Cosmetics, Sacha Cosmetics and Black Opal. Get out there, as a makeup lover, and look beyond the M.A.C. and the Covergirl and discover the makeup that we chocolate ladies and gents have been loving! You might be surprised!

In this tutorial, I mostly used black-owned brands and I tried to used products from companies that I did not think that were on the lips of every beauty blogger or magazine editor.  There are more out there as well.  Let me know, in the comments below, other brands that did not make my list.

Check out my video below and links to all the products mentioned  are also listed.  

And here’s the look! A beautiful gold, teal and turquoise.  Perfect for a summer party or fete!black owned makeup brands tutorial

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LOTD: Tulip-inspired Spring Makeup + Dark Skin

Spring Makeup Dark Skin LOTD

Have you ever been moved by nature? Inspired by the beauty of warm weather? Well…that happened to me recently. I love when the calendar changes to spring and the temperatures start to rise. NYC does a great job beautifying the neigbourhoods, replanting trees and grass and planting vividly coloured flowers in hundreds of varieties in the parks. So one day while at lunch, I was awestruck at the gorgeous, bright-coloured varietals of tulips that were dotting the park. They were so stunning! I love tulips and I had never seen many of the different types of tulips. Some were monochromatic, some contained two colours, some were variegated and there were even some that had heavily ruffled petals! Nature is an amazing source for colour inspiration and combinations! It really inspired me to do a spring makeup on my dark skin.

Here is some of what I saw…

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NTB Tulip tutorial dark skin

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This one has monochromatic variegation

 

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This one has duochromatic variegation – red & yellow!

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Look at the deep purple colour!

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This one is tulip-shaped!

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This one has ruffled edges.

 

Nature is an amazing source for colour inspiration and combinations! Share on X

I was inspired by the colour of this particular flower that was pink and orange.

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See how it is pink on the outside and orange on the inside of the petals. Image by me.

Also, while at The Makeup Show (you should check out my blog post on that here), I saw a gorgeous pink eye kohl pencil from Black Up Cosmetics and this was ideal for the look! Waterproof in a pretty warm reddish pink colour. I created a simple spring/summer appropriate look. Great with a cute summer dress. Clean, natural skin, bright, but not too bright eyes, and nude lips. I also used two other new products that I was testing out, the new BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Luminous Blush and a newly discovered black woman owned lip colour line, that’s vegan called The Lip Bar. I will be doing a separate review on them at a later date.

Here’s how it came out!

NTB Tulip Inspired Spring Makeup Dark Skin LOTD

Colour, but subtle!

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Backstage!! With Venexiana and Mehron at NYFW SS13

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Hey!

I was so excited for this amazing opportunity! I was going to observe the madness behind the scenes!! So I hustled to Lincoln Center in the pouring rain to the Venexiana show, on Saturday Sept, 8th.

The makeup was being done by Mehron, which is a professional makeup line, known for their long-wear, theatrical, highly pigmented products.  They are particularly popular amongst professional dancers.  Did you know that Mehron was the brand featured and used in the movie “Black Swan” with Natalie Portman?  I have tried a few of their products and they are amazing and well priced!

Anyway, the show was keyed by the amazing body painter/makeup artist Dani Fonseca.  Venexiana is known for their rock and roll haute couture vibes, expensive fabrics with an edge and the makeup had to suit!  Typically, from what I have seen, makeup on the runway tends to be fairly simple, very neutral on the lid, occasionally a bright lip, but the idea is to not to compete with the clothes, but Kati Stern, the creator of Venexiana, wanted a bold, smoky eye with standout lashes!

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