Hey, friend!
Welcome! This is part one of the “BIPOC Actress Prep” series.
I'm Ebony and I wanted to share how I get ready for a day on set as an actress/ actor of color.
Before I continue, I want to let you know that this advice can work for dancers, athletes, and other performers of color. I am a black woman who has been working as an actress for over two years and I want to share what I've learned so far.
As actors of color, we have to think about things that we can’t leave the wardrobe, hair, and makeup to have ready for us. One of those things is making sure we bring products that match our skin tone and that would start with makeup.
Some people think it shouldn't be that big of a deal, while others believe it’s one of the most stressful things to do. Especially, when you’re already nervous and trying to memorize lines, movements, etc. It’s important to be prepared to handle these situations with poise and professionalism if you want to succeed in the business as an actor.
As far as makeup, there have been a few jobs that I’ve been on that had makeup artists who knew what to do with makeup for dark skin people. To be honest, most of them happen to be people of color.
Then, I’ve had other jobs where my makeup looked a little… ashy. Some don’t seem to understand that we aren’t just neutral brown, but some of us are brown with yellow undertones (like me) or red undertones, or that a white finishing powder will make us look grey.
And while I’m no professional makeup artist, I do understand my skin tone enough to know what to do and what not to do if I want to have my face match my neck or I just want to look alive. Therefore, I bring my own makeup. I bring powders, creams, lip colors, etc., and let them know that I prefer them to use my foundation and a color corrector if they have it and need to use it.
This is also smart to do because there may be days where you might have to do your own makeup or correct what was done. So, it would help you to learn how to do the basics like applying foundation, eyeliner, mascara, etc.
It would help to search and find a foundation that matches your face and neck. I recommend starting with something lightweight and buildable like Luv + Co Melanin Match powder foundation.
Luv + Co.'s Melanin Match foundation is a clean and vegan multi-purpose powder foundation formulated for people of color. This foundation comes in six different shades and contains no white powder, allowing us to keep our color. It can be used wet or dry and as a finishing powder. It’s great because it comes in a small and lightweight container, making it easy to travel with as well. And you can keep it all clear by pairing it with the Luv + Co. Chamomile primer for a result you can feel good about.
It’s available here on MyNudeShade.com. If you don’t know, we exist to solve the lack-of-inclusivity problem by helping people of color find their shade of nude in makeup, tights, underwear, and more. It’s a growing company black woman-owned company and new products and brands are often being launched on the site. I am the founder and CEO of MyNudeShade.com. As a black woman, I understand the struggle of shopping for nude colors for my brown skin.
So, join the My Nude Shade Fam and shop your shade while can because we have a very small batch of products for this launch.
