Where's the best place for a black chick to buy makeup in Central London?

[MayaAngelCool]

Someone help me, please!

I am v pasty myself but have heard Bobbi Brown caters for all skin colours? May be worth a go - any Debenhams will have it I think.

Can't live without mac

Go to Selfridges. MAC, Bobbi Brown and Illamsqua do good shades for darker skin tones. Don't go on a weekend though, will be packed! I would spend on foundation and concealer, but go for cheaper on other items. I love Sleek which you can get from Superdrug - their colours are really pigmented and show up well on dark skin. Their blushes and eyeshadows are particularly good and cheap!

I hear MAC do darker tones.

Ooh, Sleek in Superdrug - I'll check out my local. And there's a Debenhams near me as well.

Will also try MAC.

So have Fashion Fair and Iman disappeared from the department stores then? It's been years since I went in there.

Thanks everyone.

Am not black, am very pale and wane looking at the moment! However, I do know that many more rural debenhams don't do MAC, but they all seem to do clinique and they do foundation tones from tones for ghosts like me to really dark colours if you are looking for foundation etc. not sure on eyeshadows or lippy though, but they do a great eyebrow pencil that I think goes up to black.

Sorry, being muppet, just noticed you're in central London! Liberty also stocks MAC. X

selfridges! in fact all central London will have good cosmetics

My friends swears by fashion fair, not sure if a bit biddy?

Thanks all, I went to Sleek in the end but feel a bit old for the colour range! Biddy is probably right up my street - the best colours I ever bought were from Fashion Fair 10 years ago. They made me look amazing, so much better than anything I've ever bought from the lovely MAC.

Think I'll have to find out where in the world they've hidden themselves, but in the meantime my new Sleek stuff will do me just fine.

Thank you!

Screenface and Cosmetics A La Carte have mixing services and products for all skin types and colours. Mail order repeat services too.

Ooooh, brilliant tip, thank you!

Fashion Fair are still about, larger/est Boots will have counters, big Debenhams, HoF and the like.

But I still don't think you'd beat Bobbi Brown / Mac / Illasmasqua / Nars. It's basically the makeup artist brands that you want. Get them to apply makeup on you, tell them what look you're after... if it's perfect complexion, say just that. If it's defined but natural eyes... say that! All those brands' sales people will ahve been trained in makeup for all skin colours... but MAC and Illamasqua people will actually be makeup artists first, and sales people second.

So: Bobbi for pretty, natural beauty, Illamasqua for bold brights. Nars a bit less bold/bright that Illa, and MAC for bloody everything!

Oh, forgot to say - Boots.com carry FashionFair I think if you're having trouble finding a store. But er, you'd be mad to buy makeup without putting on your skin first!

MAC, Shiseido, Illamasqua are great for brights and fashion forward make up but unless it is formulated specifically for black (for example Caribbean or African) skins, it may tend to look 'ashy' on the skin. As suggested, test, test and get it applied for you.

Also even brightly coloured lip glosses and lipsticks lack the depth of basal pigment needed for them to properly show up on non Caucasian natural lip tones.

Brooklyn, the ashy thing is the problem, isn't it? Also the hues are that bit better suited to black skin if you buy specially-made brands, I don't know what it is about them but it just is. So IMO the mighty MAC is an inferior choice to a high quality black brand.

And hazel - thanks for the online tip. It is a pain since, as you say, you really need to try first. But I'll see if I can find a counter somewhere and use Boots.com for follow-up purchases.

what did you buy from Sleek? agree some of their stuff looks crazy bright but looks ok once applied on darker skin (the blushers in particular). they also do an 'au naturel' eye palette which is great for everyday.

I've seen FF in Debs too I think.

MayaAngelCool (love your name BTW)

Yes, the milled base ingredients in powder make up such as titanium and other 'talcs' produce that ashy hue. Products for non Caucs do not have the same formulations. However MAC uses triple and quadruple milling of its powders alongside different constituents, hence the suitability of its products.

I have also noticed that some brands tend to 'coat' non Cauc skin in such a manner as to diminish a 'natural glow' (for want of a better way of putting it). I like to see the skin tone shining through especially when darker skin colours can have such depth and resonance. It's a shame to see that 'killed' by foundation, powders and even some eye shadows.

Some online suppliers will send small samples to you.

Shu Umera do wonderful bright colours too.

Fashion Fair foundations are really orange. I've yet to find a decent foundation colour from them. I actually went to a black skin workshop for Make up Artists at Illamasqua earlier this week and their Skin Base Foundation is fantastic. In a week or two they are broadening their range of colours too and will be doing a matching/sampling service so that might be worth popping in for. They are on Beak Street.

MAC also do a good range of black skin colours but I'm not crazy about a lot of their foundations. BUT their eyeshadows are great, especially for black skin as they are highly pigmented and don't contain talc which is what makes the colours look ashy on black skin. Ask for advice on colours from the staff as they understand what works well on black skin. For naturals, you need to go a lot redder/warmer than you think. ie. where you'd use a beige on caucasian skin, you'd use a warm peach on black skin.

Iman's make up range was one of the first and is one of the best. She's pretty much an expert on what does and doesn't work because of her job.

It depends on your colouring. Iman's foundations are all very biased towards the golden shades so may not work if you have more red in your skin. Like any other skin tone it's a good idea to check out the different brands to see what's available really and what works for you. For example, in the same way that for caucasian skin, Chanel's bases are too yellow for a lot of people so they have to find a more suitable brand.

In my own opinion as a make up artist, dealing with many different skin tones rather than just my own I do rate the two brands I named for their comprehensive selection of shades. I've not tried Bobbi Brown's black skin foundations, but have heard good things about them. Lancome have also launched a black skin range but I've not explored that yet either.

Well I don't wear foundation, just a light powder dusting. I didn't know about the milling/ talc thing, but that makes total sense.

Kittens, thanks for your tips! I shall try illamasqua next time I'm near there.

Black up is the best you can get it from Debenhams you will not use anything else when you try it.