**REVIEW** Black Radiance Complexion Perfection

This is Complexion Perfection Liquid Foundation from Black Radiance*.

Let me start by saying how nice it is to use makeup formulated (by shade and balance) for black skin tones. Even though I think I got a shade that is a bit darker than my own, it still looks better than when I get a shade too light for my tone.

First thing to love about this product: the brush applicator. Second thing: how the brush applicator is set up.

 

That the removable applicator brush comes with its own cap cover is handy in a couple ways: It's detached from the makeup when not in use, and I can toss the covered brush into my handbag without worrying about smears. Nice.

What do I love about the foundation? Everything. Namely:

• Goes on very lightly and evenly. 
• Blends in perfectly with my skin tone (women who can buy makeup almost anywhere take this for granted).
• Is not sticky or heavy - and it doesn't smear at the casual touch. (This is a big deal with dark makeup.)
• My skin did not feel or, more importantly, look made up. It just looked, well, "perfected". No chalky/ashy look & no greasy shine.

By the way, this was not a freebie. It was a gift from someone I adore who watches my Gift List and, when he knows I'm feeling unloved, he surprises me like this. (Thanks, P. Gifts or no, you are very special!)

Now that I have found this foundation, I need to check out more things from Black Radiance. I'm just super-excited to find makeup that works for me - without adjustments or excuses.

I've been checking Amazon for more of the Black Radiance products (because I have a trial Prime membership) and will let you know if I decide to order some of their other items. Like these: 

That "Warm Berry" is gonna be mine

~sigh~ a BB cream for me. Finally.

Don't even get me started on the eyeshadows...

So in love with that eye palette!

Oh! I almost forgot the most important thing: Price. Both the eye palette and the BB cream runs around $5 each.

I'm in ❤with makeup again. (I'm going to be contacting my local Walmart and Walgreen stores because, as of now, they are not carrying the items in Anchorage.)

Peace
--Free

*This is a new product so I didn't see it on their website but, trust me, it's gorgeousness.

Makeup for Black Skin You Might Not Have Heard About

Since I've already ranted about the hard time I and other black women have in finding appropriately shaded makeup, I decided to go positive. I went looking around the web for makeup that does come in a wider range of shades - not just for black women, but for any woman who does not fit the trendy molds in place.

There are actually quite a few products to choose from, though you won't be able to make a quick Walmart, Target or Walgreen run to pick them up. (And, yes, I did cull some from lists I found posted by other people!) Here we go:

Sleek Makeup - Wide range of products. The CC and BB creams come in good shades for light & dark tones. Good pricing. They even had a cream-to-powder testing kit with varying shades.

Black Radiance - Nice shades in all their products - lips, eyes, foundation. The "custom coverage" foundation comes with 2 blendable shades. Nice. More brands need to follow that trend. Available in a lot of Walgreens & CVS stores (not in Alaska though!) Best of all: the prices ($1.99 for some lipsticks; $5.99 for the BB cream. That's more than affordable.) Since I can't find these in Alaska, I'm glad they are on Amazon.com for the cheap.

All those nice shades & for that price?!

Interface - This was under the Flori Roberts flag. While the shade were off for my liking in some products shown, there is variety for darker tones. Pricey though - especially after seeing the Black Radiance line. (By the way, I'm not sure why a black cosmetics brand like Flori Roberts would have a sub-line of black products.)

Interface (love the 2nd from left, but not for $18.50)

Those are just a few to get you started. I recommend checking out Amazon by doing a general search. There are a lot of brands that don't get the attention they deserve. Two brands that I had never heard of are: LAMIK and Joy Lorraine, (check Facebook); and one that I had heard of but didn't realize they had a wide range of shades - Kiss New York. That one was tricky. I had to see a YouTube video to know about the BB cream that can be found the Kiss page on Amazon. I could not find that cream on the brand page.

What I am realizing is that there are plenty of brands with shades of cosmetics to fit every woman. The problem is that companies are making too many wrong assumptions about women who wear makeup. It's as if, unless the customer lives in a major city - or one that is predominately brown - they're not likely to see "Mocha", "Chocolate" Deep-Deep" or other such shades on the shelves of the local drugstore. I always want to write to cosmetic companies and remind them that Blacks, Mexican, and Pacific Islanders do live here in Alaska. The Alaskan Natives and Asians aren't exactly one shade of whatever the brands seem to thing.

I also notice (now that I am back on Facebook - which you are not allowed to tease me about) that smaller brands aren't using the social networks effectively. Aren't you in business to do business? So, get yourselves out there on Google Plus, (and, okay, Facebook too) and Twitter - and promote, promote, promote. Send out samples and offer trial sizes. Hit up all those blogs and sites that discuss the lack of quality makeup and show them your stuff. I mean, come on, people...

Until I find more products, I'll stop this rant for now!

Peace
--Free