Make-up tips for dusky women

Make-up tips for dusky women

by Janaya M H

While many Indians rue the fact that they are dusky, many make-up artists believe that it is great to work on such a skintone. The trick is to match the right hues and shades and choose the right base and foundation. We spoke to stylist Swati Gupta of BodyCraft who shared some handy make-up tips for dusky beauties. 

If a dusky person were to wear foundation, how can they choose the right shade that won't force them to look 'fair'?

The best place to try a foundation before buying it is on your forehead and just below the cheek — right above the jaw line. It is important that the foundation is the exact shade of your skintone. With dusky skintones, it is very important to ensure that the foundation does not make you look ashen or grey. Most importantly, the foundation should complement your skin's undertone. (Read: Make-up tips to look picture-perfect)

What kind of eyeshadow would you recommend for a dusky-skinned woman?

Dusky skin is one of the best tones to work a smoky eye on. Hence, shades of grey and brown to create a dramatic smoky look would work excellently. Other tones that would work great are copper, brownish-pink and deep purple. (Read: Step-by-step guide to get smoky eyes look)

Can they use two-toned eye make-up? If yes, a blend of what colours would suit best?

A very sharp contrast of colour is not really recommended as eye shadow for dusky women. However, one can work with shades of the same family. For a dramatic look, starting off on a light shade and working the corners really dark will create a stunning effect. Good examples of shades to blend would be brown to black, burnt pink to burgundy, etc.

What about the lips?

Reds with burgundy, burgundy and browns are excellent tones to work with for dusky skin. Some dusky skintones can carry bright reds well. 

And the blush?

Some good ideas would be burnt pink, peachy coral, bronze and apricot. While she might not want to put on bright colours that may look artificial, it's definitely worthwhile to work with the shades mentioned above to add warmth to the complexion. Avoid very brown tones as they might make one look washed out. (Read: Make-up 101: How to choose the right blush for your cheeks)

If one is interested in colouring their hair, what shades would you recommend and what can they do? Would you suggest global colour or highlights only?

Dusky skintones work great with rich and deep colours. Chocolate browns, rich burgundy, deep violet are all great tones for hair colour. These will work well as global colours. Highlights look great on these skintones as well. It is just important to go for subtle shades which are not stark contrasts to the natural colour of the hair. Working shades just one to two times lighter than the natural colour would be perfect for highlights. (Read: Hair colouring – what you need to know)

Finally, could you recommend about four-five brands that focus on Indian skintones when selling their products here?

MAC and Bobbi Brown are two brands that have great colours for Indian skin. Some other brands are L'Oreal, Maybelline and Chambor.

Source: DNA

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