Six races, six faces: Australian indigenous

Australia is known for its ethnic diversity. From Indigenous to blonde, Mediterranean, Asian, Celtic and dark-skinned, Australian multi-cultural beauty embraces all races, skin tones, hair and eye colouring and exudes a fresh and natural appeal, which reflects the vibrant, laid-back spirit of the country.

The dark skin colouring of indigenous Australian women can be in many different shades and tones, but make-up artist Nadine Monley, who worked on our model Katie for this beauty story, says that it generally has an orange undertone. “Stay clear of pink tones as it makes the skin look redder,” she comments. “Go for more neutral, cooler tones to balance this out the undertones and enhance the complexion.” Sometimes there can be excess darkness under the eyes, and this can often be balanced by using an orange-based concealer.

Blush basics

Make-up artist Angie Barton who also worked on our shoot suggests sticking to “burnt” tones of terracotta or orange, which “looks fantastic on dark skin. You can even go for a playful look with hot pink or fuchsia,” she says. “Just avoid deep burgundy or purple.”

Lip tricks

For a natural look, Angie suggests emphasising the natural tone of the lip with a pink/brown lip pencil. Perhaps add a soft brown gloss. “When you want to make an impact, go for orange or red, with an orange undertone.”

Eye style

To give some width and openness to dark eyes, Angie likes to a little highlighter in the corner of the inner eye with a white highlighting pencil. “Dark eyes can be really emphasised by also using a dark or black kohl pencil under the eyes to draw out their depth,” she says. Opt for a vibrant colour eyeshadow such as blue, or purple to make the brown eyes “pop”. “When you have dark eyes you can certainly get away with vivid tones,” she adds. “But avoid pinks as they can make the eyes look bloodshot.”

Check out other cultural make-up looks here…