In the past years, our industry has grossly neglected cosmetic products for the ethnic woman. There are as many unique and diverse skin tone ranges and just as many skin care challenges in ethnic skin as there are in Caucasian skin. It is important to understand that women of color will require a makeup that contains a higher level of pigment than the Caucasian woman because color on darker skin tone is absorbed. The model during this treatment is Athena. Her skin is oily with light acne and large pores. Her face undertone is slightly golden with hints of beige. It is necessary to bring balance between the two so her skin tone becomes even. 1 After moisturizing her skin, we used the Tinted Face Primer in the areas where her pores are large. We also applied it to her forehead to help smooth the appearance of her skin. 2 When under eye circles are dark, it is important to find a color slightly lighter than her skin tone. We blended U2 & U4 Ultimate Cream Concealer together to attain her perfect concealer color. U2 has a yellow tone and U4 is a neutral orange tone. We placed three small dots of product strategically around her eyes. We pressed it into the skin with a fingertip to warm up the color. Next, we used the Foundation Blending Brush to smooth the concealer around her eyes. 3 We chose to custom blend her mineral foundation. We selected Sienna, which is a foundation with a soft yellow-olive undertone, and Deep, which has a pink-orange undertone. The color was blended onto her skin with a Dome Brush and layered several times to even her discoloration. We dabbed a small amount of Rhonda Allison’s Grape Moisture Gel underneath the inside corner of her eyes with a Foundation Blending Brush to keep her eyes looking soft and smooth. 4 Brows – We used the Angle Shading Brush to blend Mink Brow Color into her brows to define and emphasize her eyes. 5 Eyes Gold Shimmer was applied with the Blending Brush from the base of her lid up to her brow. The color was pressed onto her lid to create a long lasting wear. Next, we applied Marmalade on her lid using the Blending Brush. Marmalade by itself would have been too rich on its own, and would conflict with the undertones of her skin. By applying the Gold Shimmer first, Marmalade went on lighter and blended well with her skin coloring. We then applied Mahogany into her crease with a Shadow Brush, following the shape of her eye. We selected a matte color in her crease due to her brow bone being very prominent; shimmers tend to make areas appear larger. A little more Gold Shimmer was blended onto the brow bone to add hilight and lift to her eye. Dark Suede Liner was used around her eye to emphasize the shape. We selected brown over black because her skin is warm and golden. We then curled her lashes, applied three coats of Perfect Lash Mascara in black, using the Mascara Fan Brush to lift and separate her lashes and build fullness. 6 Cheeks – Apricot Toast, a bright red-orange blush was placed on the apple of her cheeks and blended downward to add a vivid pop of color to her face. 7 Lips – Athena’s lip line and her upper lip are the same color. It is important to keep her lips soft since the focus is her eyes. We lined her lips with our Neutral Liner and filled them in with Antique Pearls Gloss. As in most ethnic skin, the lips tend to be different colors in the lower center of the lip. It is important to balance and even out the different tones by either choosing a liner, lipstick, or gloss that will avoid making the lips appear darker. 8 To complete her look, we lightly dusted Matte Finishing Powder in Warm over her face. It is always important to apply a small amount so that the skin does not turn an ashy color. In America today, our society is diversely mixed. It is important for us to understand our client’s skin so that we do not miss out on an opportunity to fulfill their needs. Want to read more? Subscribe to one of our monthly plans to continue reading this article.