How to Shop Drugstore Makeup When You Have Dark Skin

Shopping for makeup at the drugstore or mass market retailers like Target seem really fun on the surface because there’s just aisles and aisles of makeup calling out to you. But then after merely eyeballing things like foundation shade selection and product you can’t tell at all what the color might be like, you might get fed up and walk out. Or you walk out with your best guesses only to get home and have to turn back around and return it because it went all wrong. SIGH.

It’s exactly why my first experiences with makeup way back when were at the department store and places like Sephora where you can see and swatch and test to your heart’s desire before lining up to purchase it. But alas, as someone with dark skin who over the years has made many successful drugstore purchases (and who has an inner 16 year old self from the late 90s who gets pissed at all the advancements in drugstore makeup we see now that weren’t available back then) I’ve picked up some tips to share with you on how to make the process a lot easier. Here’s how to shop drugstore makeup when you have dark skin…

1. Shop the Department Store First

Macy’s 34th st Beauty Floor

Yes, I know on the surface this sounds crazy because the reason why you want to shop the drugstore is because department store stuff might be out of your budget, but here’s why you might want to scan the department store first.

You might be thinking drugstore stuff can do the same things that department store makeup can do, and in some cases that’s true. BUT there’s a reason why department store makeup has the higher markup (aside from things like ingredients), you can waltz into a makeup counter or speciality store and find someone who can help color-match you, tell you which brands/products might suit you, and you can swatch and test to your heart’s desire. In places like Sephora they’re even happy to send you home with a free sample or give you a mini makeup application.

This is when you take note of things like which colors looked the best on you, which finishes you enjoyed the most, what the undertones were of that foundation you tried and bring that knowledge with you to the drugstore to find items with similar coloring. More than likely the drugstore version you pick up will work for you, too.

2. Know Sometimes That the Beauty Supply Store Might Be Your Better Option

L.A. Girl Pro Concealers

So here’s the thing about drugstores—many of them only carry mainstream brands like Maybelline, Covergirl, and L’Oreal. You’ll have a few that carry brands catered toward women of color like Black Opal, Black Radiance, Milani, and SheaMoisture. But beauty supply stores will have brands that cater to women of color that you’d almost NEVER see in the drugstore. Brands like L.A. Girl Cosmetics, Kiss, Ruby Kisses (a Kiss brand), Nicka K, and then a host of others are typically found in beauty supply stores and have foundation shade ranges and color choices that best suit women of color—even those with darker skin tones. I’ve seen some of the deepest foundation and concealer options I’ve ever seen sometimes at beauty supply stores.

I recently went into Beauty 35 here in NYC and picked up a slew of Nicka K concealers, some NYX Cosmetics foundations I had NO clue came so deep, and some other stuff I plan on reviewing here on the blog later.

3. Go Prepared

Jordana Cosmetics Matte Lipsticks

You can’t just go willy nilly into a drugstore and buy makeup these days. There’s SO many brands and SO many new launches you’ll be overwhelmed in no time. Go in there knowing what you’re looking for. Your best bet is to search blog reviews and videos first to get an idea of what might also work for you. I have a drugstore makeup series here, but there are also tons of blogs specifically dedicated to drugstore makeup that you can look at as well. It’s amazing how many great bloggers and vloggers you’ll find simply by using Google, Pinterest, Instagram, and Youtube.

4. When You Go, Make Sure Your Cell Phone is Fully Charged

Thank GOODNESS for the online beauty community. There are hundreds of thousands of beauty enthusiasts who post makeup swatches on their blogs and Youtube channels so all you have to do when you’re looking to buy a particular product is Google image search it right from your phone to get an idea of what the color might look on you. I use this ALL the time especially when looking for drugstore lipsticks to review for the blog. Nothing is more annoying than wanting to try a lipstick but the packaging makes it difficult to even see the color. So I Google image search it and from there can determine if it’l work on me or not PLUS if the product is even worth the hassle.

5. Know Which Colors Work Best for You

From a recent Maybelline lip color review

This is most important. I’m able to tune out a ton of makeup at the drugstore and focus only on what I know works for me. I have a Your Best Makeup Colors series here on the blog that I did YEARS ago that can help you (I had to take the images of the celebs out but the information is still good). Going in with that info helps a lot. For instance if you know a certain shade and undertone of a foundation works for you, look for brands that mimic that color and undertone at the drugstore. If it looks like it might be your shade, it might be your shade :)

6. Know the Brands That Cater to Women of Color

Black Opal foundation sticks

The brands that have made it their business to produce makeup shades that suit women of color are still around and many are revamping their lineups. It’s one thing to know these brands have your foundation shade, but it’s also great to know that many of them are bringing fashion-forward and NOW color choices when it comes to eyeshadows and lipsticks. Because if I see one more frosty gold lipstick…

These brands include Iman, Black Opal, Black Radiance, Milani, SheaMoisture, and please add any more in the comments because I’m drawing a blank :x

Also one of my favorite drugstore makeup brands isn’t even sold in any stores in the U.S. (at least not yet): Sleek MakeUP. Thankfully you can buy at their online site and shipping isn’t as high as it used to be (there used to be a $12.99 flat fee but now it’s on a sliding scale and I’ve paid like $2 for shipping recently on an order). They’re not a brand that caters only to women of color like a Black Opal or Iman does, but they do such a great job of having great quality eyeshadows, blush, lip color, and foundations that come in shades that work for darker skin.

7. Know the Return Policy

Hey, sh*t happens. Sometimes you go in there armed with all the info you need, get the right colors and finishes, but then the product doesn’t perform like you need it to. When all else fails, return that bad boy. It happens to the best of us. Knowing the return policy ahead of time will save you time and money. Many drugstores offer no hassle returns of makeup products that didn’t work out, but make sure you check that ahead of time. Some places you think will be lenient with makeup returns might not be.

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Want to add to my list? How do you drugstore makeup show? Tell me in the comments!