The Best Clean Makeup for BIPOC Womxn

heyyyy friends! i’ve been testing clean makeup for quite a few months. since being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, i’m super conscious about  the skincare products that i use however, i hadn’t been as serious about transitioning to clean makeup.

here’s the truth — it’s hard to find clean makeup for dark brown skin. until recently, most companies didn’t span the color spectrum and products like lipsticks and eyeshadows weren’t nearly pigmented enough. thankfully, things are changing.

READ: The Best Nudes for Black Womxn

my friends over at wren and wild were kind enough to send me a few new brands to try and voila! everything started to fit into place. now, i’m proud to say that i have clean beauty products that work for my complexion. from lipstick to foundation to mascara, i’ve definitely found some gems.

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however, i’ve also tried a few products that are total failures. as i mentioned, not all clean makeup is made the same and some products just don’t achieve the results that i need. keep reading for the best clean makeup for bipoc womxn.

The Best Clean Makeup for BIPOC Womxn

most of the products below were purchased with my own money; however, a few were gifted. the latter products will be noted with an asterick.

My Favorite Brands

first, let’s discuss brands because they’re not all made equal. for the most part, i’m pretty pleased with ilia and bite. every product that i’ve purchased from them has been top notch with great color payoff and texture. plus, you can find ilia at wren and wild. they’re giving my tribe 10% of any purchases with code Tashira10.

if i could only use three products from the list below they’d be bite’s changemaker foundation, ilia’s warm nude eyeshadow palette and westman atelier’s lip suede. now let’s jump into my recommendations in order of use.

Recommendations

1. primer – saie sunvisor broad spectrum spf 35: this primer is actually an spf moisturizer, but it works great on my oily skin. it has a mattifying effect that’s perfect when worn alone or under foundation.
2. eye shadow primer – ilia: this product is a must have if you’re like me and love eyeshadow. my oily skin will make eyeshadow crease in a matter of minutes if i’m not wearing a good primer. i love this one because of the doe foot applicator and it’s results.
3. foundation – bite beauty changemaker foundation: i’ve been using this foundation in the shade “d175” for almost a year and love it for everyday wear. it’s slightly buildable, but mostly light coverage if you’re the “no makeup-makeup” type. plus, the shade range is impeccable.
4. concealer – kjaer weis: another doe foot applicator that I love, concealer is creamy smooth. it immediately brightens under my eyes and doesn’t take much to do the trick. i’m currently using shade “d330”, but plan to go lighter next time.
5. setting powder – lawless seal the deal loose setting powder: lawless doesn’t get the love that it deserves in the clean beauty realm. their setting powder is a great laura mercier replacement and doesn’t break the bank. plus, you can find it at sephora.
6. eyeshadow – ilia: i’m currently in love with their warm nude palette for every day use. it’s the first clean beauty eyeshadow that i can use from top to bottom. every color works well in the palette for my dark chocolate skin.
7. blush – ilia multi-stick: the cream blush is the bee’s knees. i love the color payoff and their IG promotion sealed the deal for me. it shows up beautifully on all skin tones. currently, i’m using the shade “at last.”
8. mascara – ilia: this is probably the toughest category to find quality clean beauty products. finally, i’ve settled on ilia’s mascara to do the trick. it’s not lumpy and the wand separates my lashes beautifully.
9. lip gloss – ilia: if i could only wear one lip gloss forever, this would be it. it’s not too sticky and glides on beautifully and again, the color payoff is amazing. my favorite shade so far is “linger.”
10. lipstick – lawless: i grabbed this lipstick on a whim and fell in love. the color range is impressive and i found a deep chocolate brown called “saddle” that’s perfect for fall and winter.
11. lip crayon – bite: their lipsticks are bomb. the bright colors do wonders on chocolate skin and my favorite shade for summer is acai smash.
    
12. lipstick – westman atelier lip suede*: handsdown 100 percent my favorite product on this list. it’s a compact with four brown-skin friendly shades of lipstick. the price is kinda steep, but when you consider that you’re getting four products in one, i definitely think it’s worth it. in fact, i’m wearing the pink shade in this post.

Don’t Waste Your Money

1. kosas mascara: the wand is horrible and product is clumpy. it almost made me give up on even trying a clean mascara.
2. alima pure loose shadows*: i’m down for their cream highlighter, but their loose shadows are disappointing. i have three colors and only one actually shows up on my skin as it does in the container. the color payoff just isn’t there for dark brown skin.
3. kjaer weis flush and glow*: this product is a cream highlighter and blush duo. neither works on dark skin and most certainly is NOT worth your coins. they left my skin looking super ashy.

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i hope you’ve found this post helpful! leave me a comment down below with your favorite clean beauty brands. don’t forget to shop at wren and wild and use code Tashira10 to save 10%!