Having a dusky complexion means you have a slightly different set of makeup rules from your lighter skinned counterparts. The essence of skincare and makeup is to bring out the best version of your skin and to highlight the beauty that you’ve been naturally bestowed with. With these tips and tricks handy, you will master the key essentials of makeup and beauty suited to your gorgeous caramel skin tone!
1. Always moisturise
This will help your skin stay soft and smooth and you can avoid ashy patches. Dry skin tends to look ashy on dusky skin tones so be very, very diligent with your moisturising routine. Makeup never compliments dry, flaky skin.
Also Read Beauty Tips For Girls To Have A Flawless Skin
2. Never skip the sunscreen
This one goes for all skin types but more so for dusky skin tones as they tend to have a higher content of melanin (which is awesome because it protects you from being burnt in the sun), but, the flip side is that your skin tends to tan very easily. Prevent any damage by using a broad spectrum sunscreen with high SPF.
3. Right foundation
This is the key to making your makeup look natural and flawless. Pick a foundation that matches your skin tone exactly. Try it out on your jawline (never swatch it on your hand because, well, you’re not going to apply it there, then why swatch it there?). See how it looks under sunlight and your camera flash to know if it matches your tone exactly.
4. Mix it up
Do you find it difficult to find the perfect foundation to match your skin type and skin tone? Mixing two foundations – one darker than your skin tone and one lighter than your skin tone is the perfect DIY way to make your custom foundation. Make sure the two foundations are of the same consistency and preferably from the same brand so that the formulations don’t clash.
5. Know your undertone
Yes, even dusky skin tones can have a cool undertone! You can’t just presume your undertone is a yellow one because you have dusky skin. A foundation with heavy, yellow undertones could make you look orangey and sunburnt if you’re cool undertoned. So, be very careful when you pick your base makeup.
6. Avoid frosty lipsticks
Frosty and pearly finishes, tend to make your lips look thin and dry and often clash with your skin tone rather than complementing and enhancing it! Instead, opt for light glosses or something with an intense colour pigment to complement your beautiful caramel skin tone. They flatter one of your best features – your skin, in the best way possible.
7. Exfoliate well
Well buffed skin means that your skincare products will absorb better and your makeup glides on to give an airbrushed look. Dry patches tend to look accentuated on dusky skin tones and the makeup tends to settle in those dry patches making it look very uneven. Avoid this by exfoliating once or twice a week or opting for deep exfoliating facials every 3 weeks.
8. Treat your acne scars early
Treating an acne scar is best done early. The moment your acne clears up, you should target the spots to get rid of them efficiently. The longer you wait the harder it gets, especially for dusky skin tones because the melanin content is relatively higher. Have your dermat prescribe topical treatments to lighten scars. This is better than having to layer on loads of concealer to cover them up.
9. Highlight like a boss
Highlight your caramel skin and your prominent features using an illuminator or a highlighter. You can choose the consistency of the highlighter depending on your skin type and intensity of the look you want to achieve. Dab some on the high points of your face and you’ll have that dewy, glowy goddess like look.
10. Don’t go overboard with powder
You don’t want to look ashy or want to hide your beautiful skin, do you? Use powder only if you have oily skin or if it is too humid, but within limits. Skip it entirely if you have dry skin as it will make it look ashy and dull.
11. Get Blushing
Picking the right shade of blush can be quite a task for a dusky-skinned beauty. Yes, according to stereotypes blush should be pink (think rosy pink cheeks), but they really don’t flatter your skin tone best. But don’t worry, there are plenty of shades that do look fabulous on your skin. Warm oranges, corals, plums, wines and some darker shades of pink look great on dusky complexions. Also, gold compliments Indian skin amazingly so any blush with gold shimmer looks spectacular on medium to dusky skin tones. Just stay clear of silver shimmer, though.
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