Crucial Things To Know Before Choosing The Best Blush For Dark Skin

by Aishani Laha · September 18, 2017

If you melanin beauties thought that blushes were made just for fair skinned girls who want pink, rosy cheeks, then boy have we got a surprise for you or what! Before we start off with a list of the best blush for dark skin, let’s all hold hands and go through a few reasons why most dark skinned girls absolutely SLAY in the beauty department. For starters, that natural glow radiating from your skin makes you look like a bronze GODDESS. Also, while pale skin tends to become wrinkly and get dark spots relatively easily, dark skin tends to remain smooth and tight for a much longer time. Also, all that popping golden highlight that the world seems to obsess over (see: Fenty Beauty’s Trophy Wife highlighter, Charlotte Tilbury’s Gold Brick highlighter) looks like pure gold on dark skin, providing further proof that dark skinned women are essentially badass bronze goddesses.

Contrary to outdated beauty rules, having dark skin does not mean you get excluded from all the edgy beauty trends that have taken over social media sites and fashion runways. Nor do you have to keep away from looking like dewy skinned angels with no-makeup-makeup. With the right kind of blush, you can look like anything you want – a glam goddess, a mellow angel, or an edgy high-fashion rock star.

Here are a few examples of dark skinned women looking like total bombs.

Here are our top tips on picking out the best blush for dark skin.

1. Know your skin type

While dark skin types tend to be mostly on the oiler side, sometimes dark skinned people can also have dry or combination skin. In each case, the type of blusher you use, has a significant effect on your final look.

If you have very oily skin, the best options for you would be to either go for a heavy duty blush or a strong cheek tint. While sheer blushes are beautiful and you may use them on days you don’t feel like wearing too much makeup, more often than not, the color does not pay-off very nicely on dark skin, thus leaving you with a layer of glittery/shimmery nothingness. Instead opt for blushes that are packed with pigment. The powder form will help absorb any extra oils secreted by your cheeks and help the blush really melt into your skin. Furthermore, the pigmented shades will last longer and make your face look bright and fresh.

Here are our top picks for powder blushes:

Benefit Galifornia Blush

NARS Liberte Blush

Marc Jacobs Shamless Bold Blush in 204

Alternatively, if you have dry skin, then cream blushes will work best for you. Not only will a cream blush add a much needed glow to your skin, it will also moisturize your skin and last all day. Here are our favorite cream blushes for dark skin.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Amp’d Up Apple

Clinique Chubby Stick in Heftiest Hibiscus

If you have combination skin then almost all of the above may look pretty on you. However, cheek stains and pressed powder blushes will work best. Here are some of our favourite blushes for combination skin.

Benefit Gogo Tint

Lakme 9to5 Lip and Cheek Mousse in Magical in Maroon

2. Pick a Makeup Style:

You do not always have to be a glam goddess with lots of gold highlight, although if you want to then four for you Glenn Coco, you go Glenn Coco. Dark skinned women can slay no-makeup-makeup looks as well as edgy couture looks. So pick your style and we’ll help you find a blush that will elevate your makeup-game from “basic” to “Instagram-worthy”.

If you prefer minimal makeup, then you may have a habit of skipping the blush because blush is almost always considered a bit extra. Instead of skipping the step completely, opt for sheer blushes, or shades that are quite close to your skin tone. This will add just a pop of color and some glow to your skin, making you look bright and fresh. Here are some of our favorite minimalistic blushes for dark skin.

Sisley L’Orchidee Deep

Marc Jacobs Air Blush Duo in Flesh and Fantasy

If you’re more of a full-face of makeup girl who enjoys a popping highlight and flawless skin then ditch the sheer blushes and go for more vivid, pigmented blushes that will up your glam game. Go for shades like coral, purple, fuchsia or even bright red, which will complement your gorgeous skin. You can opt for shimmer or matte blushes, depending on the kind of look you are sporting at the time. Here are some of our top bright blushes for a more glamorous look.

MAC Frankly Scarlet

Urban Decay blush in Crush

Marc Jacobs Shameless

Despite the lack of diversity in most couture beauty ads edgy makeup actually does look AMAZING on dark skin.

If you like taking makeup risks and aren’t afraid of trying something new, then go for the brightest shades of blush you can think of. While dark blushes look edgy on fair skin due to the sharp contrast of the color on a pale background, the opposite works for dark skinned people. While a dark purple shade may in fact look pretty awesome on you, if you really like edgy makeup, opt for bright, light shade blushes like baby pink, mauve, etc. While shimmer blushes look beautiful on everyone, since you’re going this far with the look, you might as well go all the way and swap the shimmer for highly pigmented matte/glitter blushes. Here are some of our favorite edgy blushes for dark skin,

MAC WellDressed

NARS Sex Appeal

strong>NARS Angelika

3. Know your Undertones

The key to really nailing any makeup look is to know your undertones. Most lipsticks, blushes and foundations cater to different undertones and matching your skin to the correct color will make you look like a pro. If your skin tone is closer to a warm milk chocolate brown then you most probably have warm undertones. Alternatively if your skin has an almost blue tone to it, like dark chocolate brown, then you probably have cool undertones. Finally if your skin has an almost grey feel to it then you have neutral undertones. If you fall on the lighter end of the dark skin spectrum, you most likely have warm undertones whereas if you fall on the darker end of the spectrum, chances are you have cooler or neutral undertones. The trick is to match the correct color to make your cheeks really pop.

If your skin has a warm undertone, it is fairly easy to get a flushed look with sheer blushes. Opt for bright warm colors like coral, orange, or even red (if you’re feeling a bit brave). These colors will complement the warmth of your skin and make it look bright and plump. Here are our top warm-toned blushes.

NARS Blush in Amour

Tarte Glisten

Nars ExhibitA and Urban Decay Bang

For cooler undertones, you should choose blushes that are more purple than orange. You can pick bright pinks, baby pink, mauve, purple, dusty rose, etc. These colors have cool undertones and will complement your skin tone beautifully. Alternatively, you can opt for warm shades as well, although they may look a bit OTT. So if you want something simple and pretty then go for cooler toned blushes. But if you’re in an adventurous mood, you might as well go ahead and pick a warm shade. Here are our favorite cool toned blushes.

Urban Decay Bittersweet

Nars Sin

Clinique Cheek Pop in Berry

If your skin has greyish/neutral undertones then it is relatively easy for it to look a bit dull and flat. A beautiful, bright blush can add the color and warmth your skin may need. The fun thing about having neutral undertones is that almost all shades will complement your skin tone. However, if you want just a subtle hint of color, then earth-toned blushes will be perfect for you. Here are some of our favorite neutral-toned blushes for dark sin.

Clinique Cheek Pop in Heather

MAC Blushbaby

Nars Seduction

These were our top tips on choosing the best blush for dark skin. However, these were simply guidelines to help you find something that makes you feel like a million bucks. There are no hard and fast rules in beauty. You should wear whatever makes you feel happy and beautiful. The lack of diversity in beauty brands may seem a bit disheartening but do not ever let that keep you from finding products that make you feel good about yourself, and wearing the heck out of them.

Other than foundation, we are yet to find makeup products that do not look amazing on almost all skin tones. So do not let regressive beauty rules keep you from spending all your money on makeup, and looking and feeling like a total boss. Accept and embrace the person you are, with all your quirks and all the things that make you one of a kind.

Featured image source: Instagram

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