People are finally interrogating what exactly we mean when we speak about "nude" as a colour in the fashion world. The LA Times even says there's a "nude" revolution going on.
Finding the right foundation has been a perennial struggle for black women, even in South Africa, where the majority of people are black.
In 2015, model Nykhor Paul called out the fashion industry for forcing her to carry her own makeup at major fashion capital shows, while all white girls had to do was "show up". Makeup artists would claim they didn't have anything for her skin tone, she said. One of the cities where she said this happened was Cape Town.
Some resort to mixing their own colours to get the right fit for their skin. But things are changing. Where there used to be just one shade of brown, now we see greater variety in the cosmetic products on offer to black people of various skin tones. Black-owned businesses have been at the forefront of this mental shift, resulting in bigger and more recognised brands coming to the party too.With the help of make up artist and beauty writer Zipho Ntloko, we've compiled a list of brands that are available locally you should look out for if you're trying to find foundation, nude lip colours and other cosmetics to suit your skin.
1. Iman Cosmetics
This brand, founded by retired model Iman, were made with black women as the target market. Their foundations, says Ntloko, are available in shades suitable for light, medium and dark skin tones. She says their formulas help to cover discolouration. With Iman cosmetics, she recommends women get foundation with Sun Protection Formula (SPF) to prevent discolouration from getting darker over time.
2. Black Opal
Black Opal foundations and concealers offer maximum coverage, Ntloko says. To cover scars and pigmentation marks, Ntloko recommends Total Coverage Spot and Scar concealer. She says it's great for covering tattoos and stretch marks too.
"An issue black women often have with skin is uneven tone. So our faces tend to have areas with pigmentation, where the skin is darker than the rest of the face — these dark areas are generally found on the sides of the face, maybe a little on the forehead from breakout scars as well as the sides of the mouth," says Ntloko.
3. NYX Cosmetics
According to Ntloko, NYX products are professional and high quality but also affordable, making them a great accessible brand for many women.
"With regard to their lipsticks, glosses and liquid lipsticks, there's now a much larger range of lip colours available that are super-flattering on darker skin tones. They've brought in more shades of nude, brown, red, purple and orange lipsticks so everyone can find their perfect lip colour. They've also introduced new eye shadows and eye shadow palettes, which are available in warmer tones and these colours work well with our undertones."
4. Bobbi Brown
A dewy make-up look is in. This means the perfect balance between matte skin which is free of shine, and of course a shimmery look. It's for when you want to look like you're just glowing from within. For dark skin, Ntloko recommends Bobbi Brown foundation sticks to get that perfect dewy finish.
"If you're looking for a foundation with a soft finish that's also moisturising (it has olive extracts and shea butter), definitely try these," she says.
5. L'Oréal Paris
L'Oréal has a brand called Infallible with two foundation types Ntloko swears by — the 24H-Matte Mattifying Infallible Foundation and the Infallible 24H Stay Fresh foundation. She says their foundations are great because they don't look heavy and painted onto the wearer's face.
"Last year, L'Oreal launched additional dark shades in their Infallible foundation collections, with shades being specifically formulated for the SA market — so you'll find both red-based and yellow-based browns offered in these foundations," she says.
6. Lancôme
The Teint Idole Ultra 24HR Foundation by Lancôme is available in dark shades and the darkest shade can be seen on actress Lupita Nyong'o in their ad campaigns.
"It blends like silk over skin and gives the face a beautiful dewy finish, which is great as dewy makeup has become quite a popular trend in the beauty realm," says Ntloko.
7. Maybelline
"Their Dream Matte Mousse Foundation now includes eight brown shades and their Super Stay 24HR Foundation offers 10 brown shades — both ranging from light browns to dark browns," says Ntloko.
To read more on what Ntloko has to say about the foundation struggles black women face, read her blog post here.