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The Black Girl Makeup Routine I Swear By 🤎✨
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items Looking for a makeup routine that actually works for melanin-rich skin? Before becoming a busy mom, I worked as a professional makeup artist and loved helping women feel confident and beautiful. These are the exact makeup products I still reach for e...
Sections
9
Prep & Base ✨
Brows✨
Foundation✨
Eyes ✨
Lip Combo✨
Setting Spray✨
Prep & Base ✨
Like everything in life, a solid foundation is essential! These primers create the perfect base and help my makeup last all day.
This primer really understood the assignment. It grips my makeup so everything stays put, but it doesn’t leave my skin feeling sticky or heavy. If I need my makeup to last all day, this is my go-to.
The Face Glue Gripping Primer
This gives my makeup something to hold onto so it lasts all day. It leaves my skin feeling smooth and hydrated without feeling greasy.
Power Grip Primer | Sticky Gel + Hyaluronic Acid
If you have combination or oily skin like I do, this moisturizer is such a staple. It hydrates without leaving my face greasy, layers beautifully under makeup, and helps my foundation go on so much smoother. I’ve repurchased it more than a dozen time...
Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Gel for Skin Barrier Repair
If you wear makeup every day, don’t skip SPF! This is one of my favorite sunscreens because it gives me broad-spectrum SPF 45 protection without the white cast. The lightweight gel texture dries down with a soft matte finish, so it layers beautifully...
Make It Matte Sunscreen - SPF 45 - Black Girl Sunscreen | Ulta Beauty
Brows✨
Brows frame your whole face! These are the products I use to get soft, natural-looking brows that don’t look overly drawn on.
Hands down the best eyebrow pencil! It’s smooth, pigmented, and easily buildable! I always keep this product stocked!
Micro Brow Eyebrow Pencil | NYX Professional Makeup
I’ve repurchased this brow pencil more than once because it gives me the perfect amount of pigment without looking too harsh. It glides on easily, stays put all day, and the spoolie makes blending super quick when I’m rushing out the door.
Retractable Brow Pencil - Waterproof - SEPHORA COLLECTION
If you love a clean, laminated brow look, this is a must-have. I use this gel to brush my brows into place before filling them in, and the hold is amazing without feeling flaky or crunchy. It keeps every hair in place all day and gives my brows that ...
Glued Brow & Edge Gel - got2b | Ulta Beauty
Foundation✨
Foundation is the base of every great makeup look, and these are the formulas I trust most. As a former makeup artist, I look for foundations that give beautiful coverage, blend effortlessly, and still let my skin look like skin. These are my go-to p...
One of my holy grail drugstore foundations! 🤎 It gives amazing coverage without feeling cakey or heavy, blends like a dream, and leaves my skin looking smooth and natural. I love that it comes in so many shades, making it easy to find a great match....
Fit Me® Matte + Poreless Foundation Makeup
I’ve been reaching for MAC Studio Fix for years, and it never lets me down. As a former makeup artist, it’s one of those products I always kept in my kit because it gives beautiful full coverage without looking flat. When I want a flawless, long-last...
MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation
Eyes ✨
From natural lashes to full glam, these are the eye products I reach for most. Whether I’m wearing just mascara or adding a pair of falsies, these favorites help define my eyes, hold up all day, and complete the look. These are products I’ve trusted ...
My absolute holy grail mascara! 😍 I naturally have short, straight lashes, but this mascara gives me so much length and volume that people actually ask if I’m wearing falsies. It separates my lashes beautifully without clumping and is the perfect ev...
Better Than Sex Volumizing Mascara
If you’re on a budget, DON’T skip this one! 💗 This mascara gives me long, fluttery lashes without clumps or flakes. It’s one of those products I always come back to because it delivers high-end results for a drugstore price. The curved wand makes it...
Lash Sensational® Washable Mascara for Length
I’m still a strip lash girl, and Kiss lashes never disappoint! They’re affordable, comfortable to wear, and easy to apply whether I’m doing a quick everyday face or full glam. I always keep a multipack on hand because they look natural, last well, an...
Kiss Lashes in Beauty by Top Brands
Ardell has been a staple in my makeup bag since my makeup artist days. They have so many styles to choose from, so there’s something for every occasion—from soft and natural to full glam. They’re lightweight, reusable with proper care, and one of my ...
Ardell Lashes – Diverse Styles for Every Eye Shape
Lip Combo✨
A good lip combo can pull your whole look together. This is my go-to lip combo that never lets me down. The MAC Chestnut lip liner gives my lips the perfect definition, while the NYX Butter Gloss in Cinnamon Roll adds just the right amount of shine a...
Cinnamon Roll has me in a chokehold! 😍 NYX Butter Gloss is one of those products I repurchase over and over. It’s smooth, non-sticky, and gives my lips the perfect glossy finish. Paired with a brown MAC lip liner, it’s one of my favorite everyday li...
Butter Gloss Non-Sticky Lip Gloss | NYX Professional Makeup
If you know, you KNOW. 🤎 A good brown lip liner is non-negotiable, and MAC has never failed me. The formula is buttery, long-lasting, and gives that perfectly defined lip every time. I use Chestnut, Cork, and Whirl depending on the vibe, then top it...
MAC Lip Pencil | Whirl, Nightmoth, Cork, Chestnut & Spice Lip Liners
If you need your lipstick to LAST, this is it! 💄✨ These Sephora Collection liquid lipsticks are so underrated. They’re super pigmented, dry down comfortably, and stay put through eating, drinking, and a full day out without constant touch-ups. I rea...
Liquid Lipsticks
Setting Spray✨
After all that work, I’m locking it in! These setting sprays help my makeup stay looking fresh through long workdays, errands, and everything in between.
Love this! One because the can is pink, which is my fav color. But this keeps my makeup in place, rain or shine!
On 'Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray
Love this product! I use it throughout my makeup routine to saturate my face, my brushes, and to bring my look all together.
Makeup Setting Sprays | NYX Professional Makeup
When I say this setting spray is a BEAST, I mean it! 😂 It locks my makeup in place for hours without making my skin feel tight or sticky. Whether I’m at work all day, out on date night, or cheering from the sidelines at my son’s football game, my ma...
L'Oreal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Spray
Highlight & Contour✨
Contour and highlight are what bring my makeup to life! These are the products I use to add warmth, definition, and the perfect glow without looking harsh or overdone. They’re beginner-friendly, blend beautifully on melanin-rich skin, and help create...
This contour palette is such a hidden gem for melanin-rich skin! I love that it gives me everything I need in one compact palette—the contour adds definition without looking muddy, the sculpt shade blends beautifully, and the highlight gives the pret...
Black Radiance True Complexion Contour Palette Makeup - Medium To Dark
This will ALWAYS be a fav! It was the first concealer I ever purchased and I keep grabbing for it because it is consistent and blendable!
L.A. Girl Pro Concealer
This foundation has earned a permanent spot in my makeup bag. It blends beautifully into my skin, gives me a natural finish, and is easy to build from everyday coverage to full glam. It wears well throughout my workday without feeling heavy.
Black Opal Foundation Stick
This has been one of my go-to concealers for years. The coverage is amazing without feeling heavy, and it blends so easily. I love that it stays put throughout the day and doesn’t settle into my fine lines, even after long workdays or running around ...
Can't Stop Won't Stop Contour Concealer
Tools & Brushes✨
The right tools make ALL the difference. ✨ You don’t need a million expensive brushes to get a flawless makeup look. These are the brushes and beauty tools I actually use to blend, buff, and perfect my makeup. They’re beginner-friendly, affordable, a...
Great makeup starts with great tools, and Real Techniques has never let me down. The brushes are soft, blend products beautifully, and make my foundation, contour, and concealer look so much more seamless. I also love the dual-sided puff for setting ...
Big Blends Energy Brush + Dual-Sided Puff Set - Real Techniques | Ulta Beauty
You don’t have to spend a fortune for a flawless blend! This e.l.f. sponge is soft, bouncy, and gives my foundation and concealer a smooth, airbrushed finish without soaking up all my makeup. I’ve reached for it time and time again because it perform...
e.l.f. Total Face Sponge
A good blending brush makes all the difference, and this one has never let me down. It blends eyeshadow like a dream, makes smoky eyes effortless, and helps everything look smooth and professional. If you’re only going to splurge on one eye brush, I’...
MAC Cosmetics - 217 Synthetic Blending Brush
Makeup Removal✨
Your makeup is only as good as your skincare. ✨ These are the products I trust to melt everything off without irritating my skin, so I can start fresh and wake up glowing.
A makeup bag must-have! 🩵 These remove stubborn makeup so easily without leaving my skin feeling stripped. Perfect after a long day or when I’m traveling—they’ve never let me down.
Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes
An old-school beauty secret that still works! ✨ If you wear full glam or waterproof makeup, this is AMAZING for melting everything off. I massage it in first, wipe away my makeup, then follow up with my regular cleanser (double cleanse). My skin alwa...
Albolene Moisturizing Cleanser -Makeup Remover-Facial and Moisturizer Fragrance Free 12.0 oz