I have been absolutely enjoying Ronkeraji’s series where she does makeup tutorials on women with beautiful dark skin. In the video that I chose to feature, the model is a 24 yr old second-year law student from Howard University (@msnyajuok) and her skin is absolutely stunning. She was born in a refugee camp in South Sudan and moved to the United states at around 2 years old.
In the video, she makes the point that she finds it very difficult to find makeup for herself in a drug store and as we all know high end make up that may cater to dark skinned women are super expensive and not practical for a student.
As Ronke did her makeup she speaks a little bit about the stigma against people with darker skin who are often subject to discrimination and bullying growing up.
She also mentions the fact that there are areas of the Caribbean and Africa where skin bleaching can be rampant because people believe that having a lighter complexion is considered more beautiful.
This happens because mainstream media does not often use women or men with dark skin as standards of beauty which has had a huge impact on the beauty industry. To change this, representation matters and videos like this one are a great way to ensure that women who have dark skin as part of the standard of beauty.
Watch the video to hear her story:
Tips
Pro Tip from Ronkeraji’s Blog – Try this when you cannot find your color for concealer or foundation:
STEP 1: Get a bit of eyeshadow (you can use other black makeup items that are available) and mixed it with the concealer or foundation of your choice
STEP 2: Most darker shades aren’t always warm toned (red) some are cool toned however sometimes when you mix the eyeshadow in it may need a bit of warmth (ADD A BIT OF COLOR CORRECTOR)
Another tip for women with darker complexions is to always choose colors that are rich and pigmented that compliment your skin avoid frosty colors that are sparse in pigment. Comment below and let me know if you have dark skin and what your favorite makeup brand is!