It's kind of hard to recommend makeup for the very wide range of skin tones black women possess, but Sam Fine was kind enough to tell me a little bit about some of his favorite products and brands, after I was done grilling him about the glamorous life of a celebrity makeup artist.
You may be surprised by how inexpensive some of his picks are. As Sam says, "Just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's going to do the job."
A few of his faves after the jump.
• L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara: It's his favorite mascara. Try the waterproof; it builds better.
• Iman Pressed Powder: Trust me, it's not just because they are great friends and she's a client. I'm a big fan of her powders, something those of you who've been reading Stereohyped since the beginning probably already know!
• Black Opal True Color Creme Stick Foundation: I've never tried it, but Sam has me kind of wanting to take a trip to CVS and pick some up. You can use it for small coverage as well as all over, he says.
• Christian Dior Gloss: Great glosses with great shine.
• MAC Cream Eyeshadow: These shadows try down to a great powdery finish, says Sam. He would recommend them for anyone.
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Yay! makeup! Now bmd is happy. I love this man! I'll have to buy that mascara today and see how it works.
I have Black Opal in my kit. It's the only thing I use on black skin. Someone told me about it years ago - maybe I learned it from Mr. Fine at his master class??? I don't remember how I first heard about it. It's cheap and they have a lot of colors.
MAC can do no wrong imo. I love them long time.
Aww, no Fashion Fair? My mother would shit if she found out her favorite make-up didn't make the cut.
I love Mac too! A long time ago someone told me about Black opal being good but I always worry when you cant test makeup before buying it. Maybe I'll take the chance now.
I like MAC for everything except foundation. The colors they have for black skin are off - I can't explain it. However I still buy it b/c a lot of people are like you Jilly - they swear by it or they swear by the name at least….sometimes I just put things that I prefer to use into MAC containers and my clients are none the wiser - even those who say they've been using a certain color for years. It's pretty funny. Fashion Fair = pigmented vaseline. It also has too much titanium in it (the stuff that makes your face look white in pitures).
blackmistress:
Ohhh, that's why my mom keeps getting confused as being a clown.
high five to blackmistressdiva! I think MAC foundations always look off too. I can actually call girls out on the street, wearing that ish. Ever since Estee Lauder bought out the company it hasn't really been the same in most respects though. Funny that people just love to latch on to a brand name.
Jilly - You are too much!
inciquay - Yea, when Estee bought MAC it went down hill in a major way. I loved MAC when it first came out (or when I first started wearing their lipsticks in high school) and it was a cult brand. It's all about marketing now and less about "makeup art" which is what they are named after. LOL. I get 40% off of all MAC stuff - and if I didn't I probably wouldn't buy it.