Wow, just when you thought the world couldn’t get any more frightening and tragic, it does. Before I start talking about things I’m actually educated on (makeup and skincare), I think it’s pertinent to quickly talk about things I’m less educated on (BLM). What’s going on right now is equal parts horrific and inspiring, and to the true activists making a difference, all I can say is that the world is forever in your debt. Sign petitions, get out and protest, donate to bail funds, and please start learning as much as you can. 

But another way to put your money where your mouth is? Support Black-owned businesses. Not only does this help Black entrepreneurs, but it helps diversify the beauty community. You know nothing good comes out of a homogenized industry—and it’s absolutely despicable that in this day and age there are brands that cater almost exclusively to Caucasian skin tones. With that said, there’s an absolute wealth of options in terms of shopping Black-owned. The products used to achieve the above look (from Juvia’s Place Instagram page) are of the highest quality—meaning supporting Black businesses has never been so easy. Let’s go!

You want to begin, like with any makeup look, by cleaning your face. Rosen Skincare is an absolutely brilliant Black-owned skincare brand. It’s designed for younger consumers to target the typical skincare issues they face—primarily oils, acne, and darker spots. The Earth Cleanser, though, is great for all skin types, particularly for a morning cleanse. It’s gentle but foams up enough to feel like it’s really cleaning off the night’s grime. 

A vitamin C serum is a great option to treat in the morning. It’ll help protect the skin from sun damage, while also treating any darker spots or uneven skin tone. Vitamin C serums are hard to get right, though, and can sometimes feel sticky, tingly, or otherwise unpleasant. The Hyper Clear Brightening Clearing Vitamin C Serum is none of the above—sinking quickly into the skin with a barely-there feel but giving noticeably brightening and protective results.

To protect the skin further and prep for makeup, moisturizer is always a good idea. Back to Rosen Skincare now—their Moonlight Moisturizer is seriously incredible, most prominently because it’s again great for all skin types. Despite being designed with oily skin in mind, the inclusion of niacinamide and some gentle plant oils means it’s hydrating enough for pretty much everyone. It also gives skin a dewy, slightly sticky glow, making it great for under makeup.

Another key skincare step to protecting skin and keeping it looking youthful is SPF. But, like vitamin C, SPF can feel rather unpleasant—often gritty, tacky, or irritating. The Black Girl Sunscreen range stops all that—plus gets rid of any infuriating white cast. Their SPF 30 is perfect for daily use under makeup. Just get into the habit and stick to it, okay?

When it comes to inclusive base makeup, Fenty Beauty is the undeniable supreme. The shades are not only wide-ranging but cleverly chosen to represent every facet of the tone of the human complexion. 

While their original Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation was great for some, I far prefer the formula of the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation instead. I just find the application easy, and the softly radiant finish more flattering. Both work even better over the incredible Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer and applied with the Fenty Beauty Precision Makeup Sponge for a truly flawless-looking base. If you do want to add some brightness to the under-eyes, or extra coverage over blemishes, a dot or two of the Black Opal Flawless Perfecting Concealer blended in with the same sponge is ideal.

Add dimension to the cheeks with the Beauty Bakerie Coffee and Cocoa Bronzer Palette on a fluffy brush. You can also add some of the darker matte shade around the perimeter of the forehead and under the jawline for extra sculpting. Add color to the cheeks with the amazing Iman Cosmetics Luxury Blushing Powder in “Sable.” This dusty rose shade is universally flattering, and the softly glowing formula means cheeks look juicy and plump. For extra glow, use a fan brush to dust some of the Black Opal True Color Illuminating Powder on the tops of the cheekbones and above the brows. Use a finger to add a tiny bit to the tip of the nose, too.

Brows should be kept simple and neat. The Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil and Styler is a great multitasker for this. Use the spoolie to comb upwards, then fill in tiny hair-like strokes using the pencil. Again, Fenty has absolutely killed it with the shade range here, so you’ll be guaranteed to find a perfect match.

Prime the eyelids with the Danessa Myricks Invisible Eyeshadow Base to ensure everything stays put perfectly, then go in with the Juvia’s Place The Festival Palette. Use an angled brush and your bright orange shade to sketch out a cut crease shape. Join it to a wing from your upper lashline. Use a fluffy brush and the yellow shade to blend out the shape above the crease and along the lower lashline. Fill in the gap of your cut crease using the soft peach shade on a flat brush. Finish by using the white shade to highlight underneath the eyebrow and in the inner corner of each eye. A liberal coating of the Pat McGrath Labs Fetisheyes Mascara on both top and bottom lashes will add the perfect amount of drama and fluttering—seriously, this mascara is insanely good.

For lips, first line and slightly fill in with The Lip Bar’s Stright Living Lip Liner. Then, add some of The Lip Bar’s Cocoa Cooler Lipstick to the center of the lips, and blends by pressing your lips together. Throughout the day, top up with Undefined Beauty Glow Balm in “Unbothered,” which is a beautiful, similar-toned nude shade that adds color and keeps lips looking soft and smooth.