Makeup For Dark Indian Skin Tone – How To Apply?

Nilesh Patel

Updated on:

Sometimes, it’s really difficult to find the right makeup for dark Indian skin as the makeup industry caters to the small percentage of Indian women having lighter skin. Keep in mind that everyone’s skin is unique. If we talk about brown skin, there is a lot of variety in the shades.

When it comes to darker skin, it is incredibly versatile, and also you can find numerous makeup products that flatter your skin. Here, you will learn about the guide for choosing the right makeup as well as how to apply it if you have darker skin.




Indian skin usually consists of a yellow or peach undertone. It means if you have lighter skin, there is a pink undertone, and if you have darker skin, the more orange undertone you will have. Foundation, concealer, and other makeup products are used with the aim to improve your natural shade.

If you are looking for how to do makeup for Indian dark skin, you may find it a little tricky at first. But, with the right techniques, you can make your dark skin looks amazingly alluring. Also, remember that makeup should not be overwhelming. Let’s start with the steps for simple makeup for dark Indian skin, followed by some helpful tips.

Guide To Apply Makeup For Dark Indian Skin

  • Steps For Applying Makeup For Dark Indian Skin
  • Choosing The Right Makeup Products For Dark Indian Skin
    • Choose the right foundation
    • Choose the right concealer
    • Choose the right blush and highlighter
    • Choose the right lipstick
    • Choose the right eyebrow pencils
  • Some Tips For Perfect Makeup For Dark Indian Skin
Makeup For Dark Indian Skin Tone

Steps For Applying Makeup For Dark Indian Skin

The aim of applying makeup for dark skin is to enhance the natural beauty of a woman, but make sure it should not be overpowering. Simply follow these steps to apply flawless makeup that looks perfect on dark Indian skin.

  1. First of all, you have to wash your face properly before you start applying makeup.
  1. Now, apply a skin primer to make your skin ready for makeup. It is used to protect your skin and also helps greatly in creating an even application for the foundation.
  1. Once you are done with a primer, apply a lightweight moisturizer based on your skin type.
  1. Then, apply a concealer under the eye area. Make sure to pick the one with an olive or yellow undertone. Also, dab a concealer on blemishes, pigments, or any imperfections on your face.
  1. Now, it’s time to apply a foundation. Make sure to select the perfect shade of foundation that suits your skin complexion. If you have a light foundation, apply it using a wedge sponge. If you are going to use a mineral powder foundation, simply apply it evenly with the help of a brush.
  1. Take a bronzer and brush it onto your face with gentle even strokes.
  1. For eye makeup, you can choose golden or earth tones eyeshadow with the aim to brighten your eyes.
  1. To highlight your eyes, use black liquid eyeliner on the base of the eyelash. It will help in bringing out your eyes.
  1. End the eye makeup by applying mascara from the outside of the eyelash and moving towards the base of the eyelash. To get the full look, you can make various quick even strokes on each eyelash. You can also use false lashes to get a more dramatic look.
  1. Don’t forget your eyebrows. You can brush them with a brow brush with gentle upward and outward motions.
  1. Now, it’s time to highlight your lips. You can start by applying a small amount of lip gloss. Here, you can use pink or neutral lip gloss as both make a good choice. Next, take a nude or plum lip liner in order to line your lips. If you want to create an illusion of fuller lips, the best idea is to apply lipstick using a lip brush. In the end, apply the lip gloss again. It is recommended to avoid red and other dark-colored lipsticks that are more likely to look harsh.
  1. After this, take a warm blush and apply it to the cheekbones. The best way to apply blush is to blend it just to the edge of the hairline.

Choosing The Right Makeup Products For Dark Indian Skin

Though most Indian women have yellow and olive undertones, pigmentation is one of the major problems because dark circles and blemishes appear easily as a result of melanin production. You need to know how to choose the right products when applying makeup for dark Indian skin.

Choose the right foundation

Makeup For Dark Indian Skin Tone

When you know your undertones and complexion, it becomes easier to determine the right foundation for your skin. For Indian skin tones, a foundation with a yellow base is the best choice. It would be good to test it on your face or neck, not on the arm. You can choose a liquid or a matte foundation based on your requirement. If the foundation is too ashy, it will be too light on the skin, and if it is too muddy, it will be too dark on the skin.

Choose the right concealer

Concealer is the backbone of the makeup, especially when looking for how to do makeup for Indian dark skin like a pro. Concealer works as the right product for flawless makeup. Make sure that your concealer should be one or two shades lighter than your skin tone or foundation. Test it on your forehead or on the side of your face. If it blends properly, it will be the perfect shade for your skin.

Some makeup experts use an orange liquid corrector to hide pigmentation as it blends easily and also works great in hiding saturated dark circles promptly.

Choose the right blush and highlighter

Some women find it difficult to choose the right blush. To apply simple makeup for dark Indian skin, experts recommend using dark coral hues for dark skin tone.

Highlighters are available in various shades, and you can choose the one depending on your skin tone. Use rose gold and bronze tones for dark complexions.

Choose the right lipstick

When it comes to selecting the right nude lipstick for dark Indian skin, it is not just about one nude shade. So, it is advised to use the lip colors over thoroughly lip lined and colored lips with the aim to get full coverage. It is so because most Indians have pigmented lips.

Makeup For Dark Indian Skin Tone

If you want to get nude lipstick, make sure to choose the one with one shade darker than your skin tone. When it is about choosing bright hues, you should opt for lipsticks having warmer undertones for darker skin tones. Similarly, you must look at lipsticks with cooler undertones for paler skin tones.

Choose the right eyebrow pencils

Choosing the right eyebrow pencil for makeup for dark Indian skin is quite easier to master. When choosing the eyebrow pencil, you need to ensure that it should complement your hair color. You have to use the pencil with gentle strokes to outline your brows.

If you have black hair, you can use dark grey or black brown pencil to fill your brows, while for brown hair, you can use different shades of brown.

These tricks will help you to choose the right products for simple makeup for dark Indian skin. These will enable you to learn the skills of getting the perfect makeup for darker skin tones.

Some Tips For Perfect Makeup For Dark Indian Skin

It can be really hard to learn all the tips and tricks for Indian skin tones. Here, we have compiled some of the top tips that will enable you to learn how to do makeup for Indian dark skin properly.

1. Never over clean

Firstly, it is important to ensure that your face is not overly clean. Remember to keep it gentle. It is so because Indian skin is extremely sensitive, and you need to make sure that your makeup looks as perfect as possible. So, it is good not to be too rough at all.

2. Know your skin shade

Another makeup tip is to know your skin shade. It is required to choose the right foundation, right primer, and right concealer. It is not good to get a too light or too dark foundation. You need to get the one that matches your skin color flawlessly.

3. Hide blemishes

You should learn the tricks to conceal blemishes using a concealer and a little foundation, especially when applying makeup for dark Indian skin. It helps in powder away any imperfections on your skin. It works great in making your makeup look shiny and beautiful.

4. Match your foundation

It is already mentioned earlier that you should know your skin shade. The same goes for the foundation as well. Whether you want to cover something or want to highlight it, it is important that you must match your foundation.

5. Use darker eyeliners

Makeup For Dark Indian Skin Tone

It is important to note that dark colors, such as dark browns, deep blacks, and dusky navy work well with darker skin tones. It looks beautiful when Indian women apply deep black eyeliner around their eyes.

6. Don’t use too much powder

It is always advised to avoid using too much powder. It is so because it can make your skin looks cakey. So, make sure not to use the powder on your whole face. If you want to use it, apply it to fade away imperfections.

This guide will help you apply makeup for dark Indian skin as flawlessly as possible. You will really feel great to have perfect makeup. Moreover, the tips will help you sharpen your features for a sultry look.