Under The Radar: IMAN Cosmetics

Iman....The Somalian-born Supermodel who is married to David Bowie (strange couple I know). She made her modeling debut in the 70s. Twenty years later, after being fed up with the lack of color selection available to women of color developed her own cosmetics line- IMAN Cosmetics.

This line is absolutely amazing for women of color!!! I love that the line contains no red undertones, that are commonly found in other brands. All of the foundation shades have golden undertones. In addition to the undertone, the foundations are oil-free and contain silica derivatives, which help to absorb excess oil is commonly produced by ethnic skin. All of the names of the foundations are "earthy" names, such as Earth, Sand and Clay. The brand is sold primarily in Ulta stores, by Color Me Beautiful Reps,Sephora and my favorite place....Target. The price points are VERY reasonable, but vary depending on what retailer you purchase from!! You may notice that if you purchase the products from a Color ME Beautiful rep that the products are packaged a little differently, due to the brand being sold to Proctor and Gamble. Here are a few of my must have items in the line:

1. Iman Second-to-none Foundation Stick:
This stick is a must have for makeup artists and regular gals alike.It has medium to full coverage with a matte finish and can be thinned out by using a damp sponge or brush.I love, love , love that the foundations have golden undertones.You can swipe it on, and not have to worry about looking red by the day's end. It also helps to absorbs excess oil. If you have dry skin, don't fret!! Just moisturize really well before applying the stick.

2. Oil Blotting Translucent Powder-
Translucent Powder is excellent way to "set" your makeup. It absorbs oil very well helping to maintain a natural matte finish, but will deposit a little color. Since the powder deposits some color, the powder can be worn alone for a very small amount of coverage. I recommend choosing a color one shade lighter than what you would normally choose under the eye area (which is mainly the only place I "set" my makeup).However, if you wear a foundation that is a tad too light, use a darker color powder. The sponge that comes in the compact should be thrown away, because it can deposit too much powder (invest in a small powder brush). There are four color selections to choose from.


3. Sheer Finish Bronzing Powder
This was one of my beauty staples during the summer!! It is the perfect bronze color with a slight shimmer!!! I dusted this on my arms, legs, eyes.. EVERYWHERE!! Especially on those nights when I was out on the town. It gives the perfect bronze glow. You couldn't tell me that I wasn't Beyonce!!