“Where will I find the perfect foundation to match my skin tone now?“, many of my readers wondered aloud.
Well I’m here to let you know — the days of black skin finding limited matches in the drugstore or department stores are SO over. Sure, there are some brands that still stubbornly offer six shades of foundation, but there are others who go above and beyond to satisfy consumers of all skin tones. Here are some of my favorites.
MAC. Yes, obviously. But MAC’s Studio Fix is the go-to foundation for makeup artists for a specific reason. In a recent interview with celebrity makeup artist Tia Dantzler, she was able to look at my face and instantly tell me my MAC Studio Fix shade. I made it my business to run right out and buy it the next day!

Make Up For Ever – When I know I’m going to be out all night, I most often reach for Make Up For Ever’s HD Cover. It gives great coverage but still looks natural, and comes in a dazzling array for bellas all shades of beautiful.

Fashion Fair – Yes, I said Fashion Fair! The OG of black makeup is still around, and still providing the kind of colors and coverage women of color need. Recently I had the privilege of being matched by an artist, and the one-two punch of Fashion Fair stick foundation together with powder helped to match my exact skin tone.

Three Custom – If you’ve got specific skin tone needs, don’t sleep on Three Custom Color Specialists! This brand prides itself on offering re-created discontinued shades of makeup, and even coming up with unique shades to match you perfectly. The quality is superb, trust!

IMAN - Of course the brand owned by one of the most elegant supermodels of all time caters to a truly global array of skin color needs! IMAN is available on QVC, at ULTA and in drugstores too, and the stick foundation is just as good as any I’ve tried.

Black Opal – here’s what I love about Black Opal. They’re affordable. They’re stashed at the back of just about any drugstore cosmetics aisle you can find. And their products offer amazing quality for deeper skin tones! Many well known makeup artists secretly swear by Black Opal cosmetics to keep their clients of color looking flawless. Now the secret is out!

Beauties of color, I’d love to hear from you — what’s your favorite foundation on the market today?

Confession time: I’m a closet Tyra Banks fan. Why wouldn’t I be? She’s beautiful, intelligent, and ambitious. She’s the physical embodiment of the phrase “more than a pretty face.” Tyra has proven that she can pretty much do it all and look fabulous while doing it. 

Maybe that’s why I found myself so frustrated with the fifth season premiere episode of her self-titled talk show. Tyra’s “Real Hair Day” left me in dismay. All because of semantics. You see, when Tyra announced she’d be sporting her real hair on her program, I conflated “real” with “natural.” And “natural,” I assumed would mean Tyra’d be rocking an unaltered hair texture. Which, from all appearances, she wasn’t. 

I suppose I shouldn’t nitpick. I shouldn’t be disappointed. As Angela Bronner Helm indicated on BVHairTalk.com, this is a huge step for Ty Ty. The unabashed queen of lacefront wigs exposing her own tresses is a big deal! To expect more would be ridiculous:

“Tyra used the word “real” because her hair is definitely chemically enhanced. Now, you can’t expect Tyra to come out with no weave AND an Afro, right? “

Honestly, the way the show was being hyped, I kinda did. 

I held out hope throughout the episode: when Tyra appeared with her hair slick straight and soaking wet I had a sinking feeling but still hoped she would begin to address the issues behind black women and hair. I hoped she’d at least explain — “oh, by the by, I use a relaxer to achieve this texture,” or “I’ve had that Brazilian straightening,” or said something to give context to her hair’s appearance. 

But instead, she stuck closely to a self-congratulatory script about weaves and extensions, and proceeded to have her hairdresser blow out her hair on television. 

Often on ethnically diverse message boards whenever black women’s hair comes up, I notice readers of other ethnicities questioning why. “What’s the problem? It’s just hair!” Or, “my hair’s curly too — what’s the big deal?” For many women of color, it’s a bigger deal than you may assume. For some of us, it can never be “just hair.”

The complicated issues behind black women and hair date back to the days when the color of your skin and the texture of your hair determined the labor you had to do, and your proximity to the plantation house. For centuries, women of color have resorted to chemical means to alter their kinky, coily hair into a semblance of artificial straightness. I had hoped that Tyra would at least address that, or feature an array of guests with varied hair textures and lengths. Why not feature a woman with an afro? Or with really short hair? Alas, that wasn’t to be. Not this episode.

But I’m not gonna give up on Tyra, not just yet. There’s always next season.

We’ve been saying this since the Seventies, and some people still don’t know. Some people still don’t believe. And saddest of all, some of those who don’t know and believe that in their hearts are black women.

So allow me to say it loud and say it proud for us all — black is beautiful.

Look in the mirror and smile at yourself. The pigment of your skin is glowing and gorgeous. Anyone who makes you feel any less is an idiot, and they are not worth a second of your time.

Why am I writing this? It’s a follow up to this comment I got on Afrobella in February, 2008. Scroll down to comment 75. Yup, I’m still getting comments on this thread a year later, and that particular one lingered with me.

“This article was, for me, very empowering. I had just searched on Google “are black women beautiful?” because as a teen who goes to an all white school, sometimes i’m doubtful. But thankfully it is in a neighborhood that is very diverse with all sorts of people attending my school, even a few native americans. Over this summer I’ve come to realize that I am beautiful, with my mahogany skin, black eyes, kinky hair, the works. I have been wearing my hair natural for all my life except for about five months when i was feeling unusually insecure and got it pressed. i think god was looking out for me because had i gotten a perm, my hair would not be the shoulder length, thick, and healthy hair it is now…

I love being black and all the things that come with it, things like not having to worry too much about sunburn and melanoma, being able to get away with not shaving for a while (at least if you have dark skin like mine), and being able to wear practically any color except gray or chartreuse ….this article just reaffirmed all that for me. thanks again.” — Willow

Willow, you’re the reason I blog. Women like you. There are so many of us out here, who know the truth in our hearts but sometimes are seeking that little nugget of affirmation. For Willow, it came over the summer, and via Google. But for many, many beautiful brown skinned bellas around the world, that realization takes longer. Or never happens.

What does being a black beauty mean? It means that wrinkles and crows feet are unlikely to afflict you as you get older. You can wear absolutely any color under the sun and know that it looks amazing on you. People are spending beaucoup bucks on injections to make their lips as full and luscious as yours naturally are. So maybe there aren’t a ton of women who look like you on the catwalks of New York Fashion Week, or in the pages of the typical women’s magazines. Who cares? You don’t need that mainstream affirmation to reinforce what you know.

I’m here on Who’s The Fairest? to give you loving reminders like this. Even though you may not be the “fairest” in terms of that old school definition of being light in color, you’re certainly the fairest in terms of being fresh, comely, and radiant. But if you can’t look at yourself and believe it 110%, nobody else will. So check yourself out, chica. You are beautiful!