Top Rated Makeup Brands for Dark Skin in 2020

Best Foundation. Ask any makeup artist, and they'll have at least one Make Up For Ever product in. “Kinkster” is one of my favorite brown-girl-friendly nudes for those of us with olive and gold. Mac describes it as a 'rich warm chocolate' and it is hands down the darkest blush that I own. I go for it on those days that I want to go full on dark, days that I don't feel like toning anything down. I just go on ahead and slap it on, together with what ever dark lipstick shade that I have chosen, hehe.

The cosmetics industry has long favored only a select few segments of its ever-growing customer base over all the others. In particular, it has always geared the design of most makeup products towards customers with lighter skin color and tones. As a result, the cosmetic needs of Black women have remained largely unanswered by the prevailing majority of cosmetics brands. With the help of this guide, you will discover what makeup brands take the cosmetic needs of Black women seriously.

Looking for Makeup that Works, Black Women Waste More Money

It has been estimated that African-American women spend well over $7 billion a year on various beauty and makeup products. As such, African-American women represent a significant share of the market for cosmetics products.

At the same time, African-American women expend almost twice more money on cosmetics than other customers within the given market. This indicates that African-American women are perhaps the most dissatisfied customers out of the entire makeup products market.

Why is it much harder for Black women to come across the makeup products that they can be content with? Because the cosmetics industry as such doesn’t seem to take into consideration two key cosmetic needs that African-American women experience.

Top 5 Makeup Brands for Dark Skin

①Black Opal TOP PICK
②Lancôme
③Iman Cosmetics
④MAC Cosmetics
⑤Black Up

The Cosmetic Needs Black Women Experience Are Special

African-American women experience two key cosmetic needs that are different and that the cosmetics industry needs to be aware of. In particular, African-American women:

Have unique skin complexion The unique skin texture and skin color that Black women share make their cosmetic needs special. Most makeup products available on the market today, though, do not seem to account for these unique needs. Often, these makeup products don’t harmonize well with the unique skin complexion that Black women share.
May suffer from melanin hyperpigmentation This common condition causes some areas of the skin to look darker in color than the surrounding skin. As a result, the person who suffers from this condition has to rely on very precise shades of makeup products. Sadly, not every makeup brand today can boast of offering such a diverse range of shades.

Because of these two factors, Black women are often compelled to use the makeup products they do not find satisfying. For instance, many African-American women routinely find it difficult to:

Manipulate skin tone Without the right shades, it’s hard to lighten the skin to the extent that the result looks pleasing.
Change lip color Most lipsticks do not account for Black women’s skin complexion.

These are just a couple of common cosmetic issues that the majority of cosmetics brands can’t resolve for African-American women. Are there any makeup brands out there that can? Let’s find out below.

Top Brands that Meet the Cosmetic Needs of Black Women

Despite African-American women being a significant consumer of makeup products, most makeup brands continue to ignore their special cosmetic needs. Luckily, though, there are cosmetics brands that do pay proper attention to the unique cosmetic needs that African-American women experience.

The following cosmetics brands seem to be most in tune with what African-American women expect from makeup products:

① Black Opal Best Makeup for Black Women

In 1994, this brand was the first one to address the cosmetic needs of Black women on a mass scale. As such, it launched a mass market, technologically-advanced, and doctor-recommended line of makeup products for women with darker colored skin. Now present in more than 30 countries worldwide, it presents Black women with an impressively rich selection of makeup products. From foundation and highlighter to concealer and lipstick, Black women can finally get the makeup they want with Black Opal.

② Lancôme

Best Mac Makeup For Dark Skin Women

Part of the L’Oréal Luxury Products division, Lancôme is a French luxury cosmetics brand that distributes its makeup products worldwide. The company is perhaps best known for its patented line of mascaras, which can be of interest to African-American women. In particular, Lancôme’s line of mascaras claims to be able to improve skin texture qualities, such as uneven skin tone. As such, the company’s makeup products can prove to be especially valuable to Black women who suffer from melanin hyperpigmentation.

③ Iman Cosmetics

Best mac makeup for dark skinned black women

Started in 1994 by a Somali born fashion model, Iman Cosmetics strives to meet the cosmetic needs of Black women. After her long modeling career, Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid, better known as Iman, decided to start her own brand of cosmetics. As a result, the company’s products rely on years of Iman’s personal experience in mixing her own formulas of makeup. Offering a myriad of shades, Iman Cosmetics has the cosmetic needs of Black women at the core of its products.

④ MAC Cosmetics

Best Mac Makeup For Dark Skin

Standing for “Make-up Art Cosmetics”, MAC Cosmetics was the first cosmetics company to address the issue of ethnicity in makeup. As early as 1984, the company has made the cosmetic needs of women of darker skin color its main priority. The company’s makeup products are well-known for rich colors that cater to every skin tone, especially to darker skin tones. Embraced by such Black celebrities as Naomi Campbell and Janet Jackson, MAC Cosmetics is now a top global makeup brand.

⑤ Black Up

Started in Paris in 1999, Black Up focuses on the cosmetic needs of women with Black, dark, and mixed-race skin. Its Complexion line of products offers a wide range of shades with special attention to tan and dark skin tones. Download image lab software biorad free for mac computers. The company also has a nice selection of makeup products for eyes and lips in various palettes of rich colors. Through its range of products, Black Up merges the taste of French cosmetics with the makeup needs of Black women.

Best Makeup For Dark Skin Tones

⑥ Fashion Fair Cosmetics

Inspired by the Ebony Fashion Fair, the company aims to address the cosmetic needs of Black women ever since 1973. As such, it strives to root its makeup products deeply in the African-American experience, offering a wide range of shades. Across the company’s products, Black women can find everything from foundations and concealers to makeup products for eyes and lips. Besides makeup, the company offers skin and hair care products and fragrance, with Black women’s needs in mind as well.

Best Mac Products For Dark Skin

⑦ NARS Cosmetics

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