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[SPONSORED] Meeting Your Melanin Match: Finding Your True Foundation Match Just Got Easy

By Niki McGloster ·
Does your makeup brand have the range? Thanks to emerging beauty trends and creators, finding the perfect foundation for Black women has become a lot easier. The expansive variety of hues now allows Black women of all shades to throw their signature skin coverage in the bag and go. But where to start? Sephora, sis! We sent two ESSENCE staffers to our favorite house of beauty for help choosing their flawless foundation match and some priceless need-to-know tips. Here’s how it all went down.

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Breanna Arthur, Integrated Marketing Manager

TARTE Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation SPF 15 Though Breanna is a creature of habit, she braved the Sephora experience to try a new makeup look. Instantly, the beauty store’s approachable Beauty Advisor put her at ease and took their time to figure out her specific beauty needs, including skin type and lifestyle. “They even took a look at some of my best IG photos to understand my style,” she says. “It was great, especially because as a woman of color, it so hard to find the right shade, coverage, and finish all in one.” After trying on multiple shades, brands and swearing by Sephora’s Color IQ experience, Breanna finds that TARTE Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation SPF 15 In 39N Medium-Tan Neutral is her perfect match! “My new foundation is right for the summer, keeping me matte in this muggy New York heat. And when I add my highlight and contour to finish off the look, I’m unstoppable!”

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Danielle Kwateng, Content Producer

FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation While some people spend hours browsing drugstore aisles in search of the right foundation, Danielle found no challenge in getting straight to her perfect hue in Sephora. “The Beauty Advisor eyeballed the exact color shade that I matched and even gave me application tips,” the on-the-go girl says. “She also knew when to back away and let me sit with the product.” With Sephora being a sea of foundations (and liner and lipsticks and more!) to get lost in, the knowledgeable Beauty Advisor who guided Danielle directly to the FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 460 was her favorite part. “I love how my Fenty liquid foundation matches my skin tone and has it looking glowy when it settles.”