If you have dark skin you know the problem: drugstore foundation ranges usually end at "caramel", and whatever comes after is grey, ashy or simply missing. A 2024 petition to a major manufacturer put it plainly: for non-white customers it is almost impossible to find their skin tone in the standard German range. That is exactly why we developed our INCEPTION liquid foundation in 15 shades – from very fair to deep, in three undertones.
Step 1: Determine your undertone
The undertone matters more for a natural result than the depth. Dark skin – like fair skin – has a warm, cool or neutral undertone. The quickest test: look at the veins on the inside of your wrist in daylight.
- Warm (W): Veins look greenish, gold jewellery suits you better than silver. Dark skin with a warm undertone often shows golden or reddish reflections.
- Cool (C): Veins look bluish or purple, silver flatters you. On deep skin tones this shows as a bluish-mahogany sheen.
- Neutral (N): Neither clearly green nor blue – both jewellery colours suit you. Most people are here.
Our shades carry the undertone in their name: N for neutral, W for warm, C for cool. A second test if you are unsure: a pure white T-shirt makes a cool undertone glow, a cream-coloured one a warm undertone.
Step 2: Choose the depth
Each undertone comes in five depths, from 010 (fair) to 050 (deep). For dark skin, 040 and 050 are the relevant levels. Never test foundation on the back of your hand – the hand is almost always darker than the face. Apply a stripe along the jawline instead and let it set for two minutes: the right shade disappears, it turns neither lighter nor greyer.
A common mistake on deep skin tones is choosing too light because you want to look "fresher". The result is a grey veil. When in doubt, take the deeper level and brighten only the eye area with a lighter concealer.
Step 3: Apply and set
A dense foundation brush such as our No. 4 foundation brush spreads the foundation thinly and without streaks – important on dark skin, where every edge shows. Then mattify only the T-zone with the INCEPTION loose powder ; it is translucent and leaves no pale film. If you like more glow, leave the cheeks unpowdered.
Blush and lips for dark skin
Deep skin tones call for strong, saturated colours: plum, berry, terracotta, warm orange. Pastels disappear. Our INCEPTION blush comes in shades such as Terra, Plum and Love that do not look chalky on dark skin. On the lips, the INCEPTION lipstick in berry and red tones is particularly expressive.
Why we know what we are doing
Dorothy Roffat was born in Cameroon and spent twenty years doing make-up for international brands in Paris – for clients of every skin colour. A foundation line that stops at 030 was never an option for her. All shades are dermatologically tested, paraben-free, oil-free and fragrance-free. If you are unsure about your shade, send us a photo taken in daylight – we will advise you personally.