The Best Foundations for Black & Asian Skin
When it comes to foundation, there definitely isn’t a one colour fits all product, as you have probably discovered during your attempts to find your perfect match. Just looking at the darker end of the skin tone spectrum, there are thousands of slight colour variances. We feature the best foundations for Black & Asian skin tones.
Some of us have warmer skin, others have red undertones, while some girls have ashier complexions. Since bespoke foundations are (yet) to be commonplace, these beauty brands offer the best selection of foundation shades, to help you find the shade that disappears on your skin:
Bobbi Brown created her makeup line when she struggled to find natural-looking foundation shades for all complexions when she was working as a makeup artist. Her makeup line delivers on its promise of offering a wide variety of colours for all skin tones. The brand has seven foundation ranges; from a powder, to a serum, a tinted moisturiser and one containing an SPF. Their hero product is the Skin Long-Wear Foundation which comes in a liquid formula. It is medium to full coverage with a natural and matte finish. It’s also available in 42 shades.
When a brand touts itself as the first cosmetics collection designed for all women of colour, you have high expectations. Luckily, Iman Cosmetics doesn’t disappoint. She has the Second to None foundation range which comes in cream to powder, powder and a stick. Each product has an average of 13 shades, but they are all created for darker skin tones. There is also a liquid foundation that comes in seven shades.
MAC’s catalogue of foundations is legendary - not just because of their wide variety of shades but the different textures and finishes available. Creams, powders, liquids and sticks - MAC has it all. Their most iconic foundation is Studio Fix Fluid which is a buildable foundation which has a matte finish. The brand did go through a rut around ten years ago especially with the NW45 situation (if you know you know) but thankfully those days are over and MAC are back on point.
This brand is very under-rated but considering it is dedicated to Black and Asian women, it is not to be overlooked. The have five foundations that come in liquid and powder which have between 10 to 21 different shades, but you need to bear in mind that these shades are all suitable for Black and Asian skin tones. The new Matnifique 24H Matte Foundation comes in 22 shades , it is a light texture with a velvety matte finish.
This brand is much revered by MUAs and beauty enthusiasts and with Naomi Campbell as global ambassador you can only expect good things. They have a handful of foundations but what they have are amazing. Their hero product is the Sheer Glow Foundation which comes in 40 shades; it is sheer and buildable with a natural looking finish that evens your skin tone.
Who can remember life before Fenty? We can’t. One of the reasons why they caused a stir when they launched a few years ago was because of the way they catered for a wide variety of skin tones. Whether you had alabaster skin or deep ebony, chances are you would find your match at Fenty. The Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation was extended from 40 to 60 shades last year. A few months later a matte version of the foundation was launched for dry skin.
This is a vegan friendly, paraben and gluten free brand that creates skin-perfecting mineral based makeup and skincare. Their 4-in-1 Love Your Selfie Longwear Foundation & Concealer comes in a whooping 100 shades - with at least 25 for Black and Asian skin tones.
Their foundation game has always been strong but they really upped their game when they recruited Lupita Nyong’o and then Zendaya to be ambassadors. The Teint range is impressive especially the Idol Ultra Wear Foundation which is their hero product. It is long lasting and provides full coverage without leaving you cakey, plus it comes in 45 shades.
Opulence is the word we would use to describe this brand which is created by the iconic makeup artist of the same name. The Skin Fetish Sublime Foundation delivers flawless medium coverage and a silky and luxurious texture. It also comes in 36 different shades as well as five shade categories from light to deep, which have been custom-curated for all skin types, tones and undertones.
Prior to Fenty Beauty, Estee Lauder were also creating foundation shades for darker skin tones. What also set them apart is they were also addressing undertones by creating foundations with yellow, red and neutral undertones. They have several foundations on the market and a few come under the Double Wear range, but it is Stay in Place which is their hero product. It comes in 60 shades and offers a fresh matte, oil-free look.
Now that you know which beauty brands offer the best variety of foundation shades, finding your perfect matching foundation will be that much easier.
