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Dark Skin

Red Lipsticks For Dark Skin

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

black

Red Lipstick In American Culture

Red lips are iconic. Throughout modern American history, they have come to symbolize power, femininity, and sensuality. For many women, red lipstick is a tool that helps them tap into their strengths and tackle the world with confidence and poise.

I’ve had seasons of being intimidated by red lippies. Why? Negative messaging in media and culture. Growing up, some would say that red was unflattering next to deep brown- clownish even. I’ve heard it be referred to as loud, garish and even promiscuous.  Interestingly enough, these sentiments were only expressed when the bold color was worn by black women. Let’s pretend to be shocked. 

Rejecting Stereotypes About Red Lipstick

Throughout my twenties, I’ve been intentional about rejecting those ideas. Deep brown beauties can wear any color with style and grace. Let me tell you, I’ve seen some black and brown girls wear the heck out of a red lipstick. If you’ve been toying with the idea of going for a bold red, this is your sign to just go for it. 

Red Lipstick Inspiration

On the fence? Check out some amazing looks featuring red on women of color. PS. I threw in a personal example – plus a quick tutorial to help you achieve my favorite red combo! You can also get inspiration from this list of iconic red lipsticks from Harper’s Bazaar!

Rihanna

Rihanna stuns wearing a red lipstick from her brand Fenty Beauty

Janelle Monae

Janelle Monae stands out with a red lip at the Met Gala

Lupita N’gyong

Lupita plays with color wearing a bright red lip and powder blue suit

Zoe Saldana

Zoe Saldana holds an award on the red carpet- wearing a sporty black dress and a red lip

Brianna (@thatbreezybeauty)


My Favorite Red Lipstick Combo

I’m wearing my favorite red lipstick combo. I’ve been obsessed with lining my lips with Beauty Bakerie’s Bite Sized Lip Whip, in the shade Truffle. It’s a rich, deep brown. Then I fill in my lips with Beauty Bakerie’s Cake Pop Lippie in the shade Apple Acai. The result is gorgeous and really complements my skintone.

Do you have a favorite red lipstick?

Hair Dye Without Damage- Easy Temporary Hair Color Tutorial

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

I dyed my hair a bold green shade without any dryness or damage. You can too.

I know you’re here for the hair story, but first I have to share a quick life update.

We made it to 2022. It’s a big deal. 2 years into this panorama. It’s wild . I’m honestly so grateful. Everyday is a blessing. Tomorrow isn’t promised. My goal is to live my best life now by living life on purpose.

I’m excited to use this platform to do just that. This year, in addition to beauty inspiration – you can expect even more self care, mindset and motivational content. After all, feeling beautiful starts on the inside with confidence and boldness.

I’m excited, I hope you are!

While we’re talking about being excited…

I forgot to share some amazing news. As of December 2021, I am a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. I’m honored to be a part of the oldest Black sorority because of it’s amazing legacy of supreme service to all mankind.

That also means that on January 15th I celebrated my first Founders’ Day. If you’re a regular reader of Breezy Beauties you probably know how much I love going all out, so it shouldn’t be very surprising to hear that I did a hair and makeup look for J15.

What I used: 

Poise N Ivy Green hair wax

Clinique Even Better Foundation 

Dose of Color – Pretty Cool Eyeshadow Palette

Beauty Bakerie 👩🏾‍🍳-Do It For the Graham palette

Beauty Bakerie 👩🏾‍🍳 -Brownie Bar palette 

M.A.C.  lipstick – shade Sultry Move

NYX Lip liner- shade Downtown Beauty 

Farmasi – Satin Pink Lip Gloss

Tag a friend who’s a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

9 Highly Rated Black Owned Makeup Brands to Check Out ASAP

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

These black owned makeup brands are top notch.

People of color, specifically black women, are oftentimes overlooked in the beauty world. Many brands neglect black consumers by launching complexion product lines with limited (if any) options for deep skin tones. Other times, the offense is subtle; creating 15 shades of pale pink lipstick or “nude” products that only reflect the natural shade of European descendants. 

Not only is the experiencing frustrating, it can make black beauty lovers feel like outsiders and reinforce the many voices in western culture that calls African features less desirable. As a black woman, I felt like this many times from a very young age. One of the reasons I’m passionate about beauty, is its connection to self-concept. We should love ourselves regardless of our appearance but we should also redefine what is beautiful and fall in love with our own aesthetic. 

In my journey to do this, I’ve found some great beauty brands that have recognized and celebrated black beauty from the beginning. While I love seeing mainstream beauty brands include more comprehensive color options in their in their product launches; I make a point to support black businesses who have made this a priority since day one. This is a list of black owned makeup brands that have top rated products. Some of them, I’ve tried. Others are on my must try list.

Beauty Bakerie

Beauty Bakerie was founded in 2011. It offers a wide variety of bakery themed makeup products. I’ve tried quite a bit from this company, including their long-lasting lip whips and several eyeshadow and blush palettes. If you like highly pigmented products and a bit of whimsy, this is a brand worth checking out. 

The Lip Bar

The Lip Bar is known for stunning lipstick shades. Founded in 2012, this brand is close to my heart because its founder is from my home state of Michigan. Founder, Melissa Butler, is a HBCU grad with a degree in finance. After working as a stockbroker, she decided to launch a line of vegan lipsticks. After being rejected from SharkTank, the company managed to negotiate partnerships with Target and Walmart. We love to see the black girl magic!

My favorite shades from The Lip Bar are Savage and Drama Queen but I can’t wait to try more. They’re super pigmented and the color options are amazing. Recently, they’ve added complexion products to its product lineup.  Visiting their flagship store in Detroit is definitely on my bucket list. 

Mented Cosmetics

I haven’t personally used Mented Cosmetics yet but they’re definitely a hot black owned brand to watch. 

Mented Cosmetics offers a full range of makeup products, but is most known for its lipsticks. They offer a great selection of nude lippies. They also have a variety of red shades that complement deep skin. 

Iman Cosmetics

No black owned beauty brand list can omit Iman Cosmetics. Founded by model Iman in 1994, Iman Cosmetics is known as the first company to specifically cater to women of color.While I haven’t tried this brand myself, it’s been going strong for over 2 decades. 

Fenty Beauty

Fenty Beauty was created by music and fashion icon turned entrepreneur Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Rih Rih, who has a passion for inclusivity, revolutionized the industry by launching her makeup line with 40 shades (they currently offer 50). The makeup is arguably as iconic as Rihanna herself. 

Since we’re talking about black owned businesses it’s worth mentioning that the company is only 15% black owned. Fenty’s parent company is LMVH, a Parisian company that specializes in luxury products (think Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, etc.). French billionaire, Bernard Arnault, is the majority owner, while Rihanna acts as CEO. 

Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs falls under the category of high end makeup brands that I’m dying to try. Pat McGrath is a black British makeup artist who created makeup lines for Giorgio Armani and other luxury fashion houses prior to releasing her own makeup line. McGrath was dubbed the most influential makeup artist in the world by Vogue. She has worked with notable celebrities such as Oprah and Madonna. 

I could definitely use a bit of luxury in my life and the fact that it’s black owned and HIGHLY RATED puts it on my must-try list. 

LYS Beauty

If you like “clean beauty”, you definitely need to check out LYS Beauty. It’s a black owned cosmetics brand committed to offering plant-based, vegan beauty products at an accessible price point. Everything in its product lineup is under $30. The company goes beyond the typical requirements of clean beauty. According to LYS Beauty’s website, none of its products have ingredients like talc, mineral oil, fragrances, gluten, or SLS. It also claims to include ingredients that actually improve common skincare concerns. 

I haven’t tried this brand yet, but it certainly sounds impressive AND the packaging looks so luxe. 

BLK OPAL 

Black Opal or BLK OPAL is an OG in the black beauty game. It’s been making makeup for black women since 1994, however it just recently became black owned. 

Black Opal was founded by a chemist named Niko Mouyiaris.  Niko saw how limited makeup options were for his wife Carol, a black woman of Jamaican descent. Niko passed in 2019 and Carol now owns the company with the help of fellow black woman co-owners, Desiree Rogers and Cheryl McKissack. 

It’s just as important to have accessible drugstore and luxury options. Thankfully, the new owners, who have crazy impressive corporate pedigrees have landed distributorship deals with major retailers like Walmart, Target and Rite Aid. Easy to find options are always a good thing. 

Uoma Beauty

Uoma Beauty was founded by a Nigerian woman, Sharon Chuter, in 2018. Uoma means beautiful. According to its website, the company values self-expression, colorful living, African pride, and inclusivity and strives to create an “empowering tribe while igniting a “beautiful rebellion”. Fans of Uoma love its wide shade selection (51 shades from super deep to very pale in a variety of undertones). 

Beyond complexion products, the brand has lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes that look amazing. I currently have my eyes on its Coming 2 America collection. It’s all so stunning. 

These are just a few of the many amazing black makeup brands that are out there. As a bonus to those of you who like to “shop small” many of these brands are also small independent businesses. Black queens from across the globe are running these brands. I’m thankful that the internet creates a global economy which results in a plethora of options for you and I. 

Which black owned brands do you love? Tell me a black owned product that I NEED to try. 

Proof Is In The Puddin’ Eyeshadow Review

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

Proof is in the Puddin’ palette from Beauty Bakerie

Eyeshadow can completely overhaul your makeup look. I absolutely love bold, bright colors but quality palette of neutral tones is essentially for creating beautiful blends and gorgeous everyday eyeshadow looks.

Proof Is In The Puddin’ palette from Beauty Bakerie

Beauty Bakerie is a black-woman owned independent makeup brand which I’ve been a fan of for the past few years. I recently got its “Proof Is In The Puddin’” eyeshadow palette on an insanely good BOGO deal. 

The eyeshadow colors are named after various puddings. Shades like Rice Pudding, Warm Cocoa, and Almond Jelly allow makeup lovers to create a variety of looks. In total, the palette includes 9 shades that range the spectrum from beige, tan, and brown. The palette typically retails for $38.

Proof Is In The Puddin’ palette

As a woman with deep brown skin, it’s super important that neutral eyeshadow colors be exceptionally pigmented. If they’re not, they simply don’t show up well. I was skeptical about shades like Rice Pudding and ‘Nana Puddin’ working for me at all. I was pleasantly surprised.

Swatched shades (listed from top to bottom): Rice Pudding, Chia Pudding, Bread Pudding, Butterscotch’d, Spiced Caramel, Mango Pudding, Nana Puddin’, Warm Cocoa, Almond Jelly

Check out this eye look featuring The Proof Is In The Puddin’ Palette:

Proof Is In The Puddin Palette
Proof Is In The Puddin' Palette

I used Warm Cocoa, Mango Pudding, and Spiced Caramel. I sprayed my Farmasi Mineral Water spray on my shadow brush before applying Spiced Caramel. I finished the look with my magnetic gel eyeliner and magnetic lashes from OpulenceMD Beauty‘s limited edition Warrior Lash set.

Overall, I’m pleased with this palette. The color pay off was better than I expected. The palette has enough variety to make a beautiful look by itself or combine with shadows from other palettes. Price-point wise, the palette provides a great value. Approximately $4.22 per .05 oz shadow pan.

As I mentioned previously, the brand is still independently owned and was founded by a black woman who refers to herself as “head baker”. All the products have fun whimsical packaging based on sweet treats. It’s adorable and worth checking out if you like supporting independent businesses, minority owned businesses, or are just fan girl-ing over its superb branding.

Have you tried the “Proof Is In The Puddin’’ palette yet? How did you like it? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this look and the “Proof Is In The Puddin’” palette. Let me know what you think! 

GLOWY MAKEUP FOR DEEP AND DARK SKIN TONES

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

One of my favorite things about makeup is its ability to make you look glowy and radiant. A good foundation makes your face look super smooth. The downside is that it makes your face look flat. Not ideal. Highlight, contour, and blush bring dimension back to your face so that you look vibrant again – only this time over a smooth canvas.


I recently discovered this amazing 3-In-1 palette by Farmasi. I might be a tad bit obsessed. 

Reasons I’m loving it:
– Everything’s in a convenient place. Because it’s all in one palette- I don’t have to spendtime rifling through my makeup bag looking for different highlighters, bronzers, and blush. Ahh, simplicity😌

– I’m pretty sure these colors are universally flattering. Seriously, from ladies who are extremely pale to mildly tan and women with deep skin tones like myself. This stuff is the secret sauce. Farmasi, y’all really DID THAT!
– Pricepoint. At $18.90 retail- it’s a budget-friendly product and definitely on my must-have list!  

Like I mentioned earlier, I love glowy makeup looks. I’m also obsessed with deep, sultry tones that compliment dark skin. That’s why I’m calling this look “Deep Glow”.

Products Used: 


Farmasi VFX Pro Strobe Primer

Farmasi VFX Pro Foundation-Shade 8

Farmasi Full Coverage Concealer -Shade 7

Farmasi 3-In-1 Face Palette 

Farmasi Pigments- Morocco and Pineapple 

Farmasi Eyeshadow Trio- Vintage Season 

Farmasi Zen Mascara

NYX Suede Matte Lip Liner – Maison

Farmasi Matte Liquid Lipstick-Superstar 

Farmasi Brow Liner

What do you think of this look? Are you a bronzer or a highlight girl?

Wanna try this palette out for yourself?

Shop here*: https://bit.ly/2SL0f4q