Khuraira

Makeup Artist • www.khuraira.com

How did you develop your interest in skin care, and ultimately your profession as a make-up artist and your skin care line?

My love for makeup started in my teenage years, playing with natural colorants like Henna, juice from blackberries and cherries. In Africa, Nigeria, where I’m from, women wear minimal make-up and these natural colors are often used to enhance ones beauty.
My makeup line is not a skincare line, but has key ingredients used in skin care. I include ingredients like peptides which induce collagen in the skin and help in firming. Aloe vera helps in improving the complexion, and Vitamin E in the elasticity of the skin. My makeup line came about at a time when I was traveling and teaching women about makeup application. Most women had concerns about doing four steps of skincare and doing three steps of makeup afterwards. There, the idea of my Age Control Makeup, which is skincare as makeup, was born. ACM, the primer, is the serum that primes and firms; Concealer is an eye cream that conceals and firms; the Foundation is also a moisturizer. I listened to the concerns of these women and created these products to cut the time in half for their beauty regiment.

What is your philosophy about beauty and makeup?

Beauty should be what you are comfortable with and what works with your lifestyle. Makeup should be minimal, because having dramatic colors discourages the application of it. Nuetrals colors are best to work with.

What are some of the major beauty challenges you see with ethnic skin?

Challenges with ethnic skin are the myths that ethnic skin is oily and there is no need to moisturize or cleansing may cause it to dry. Another is the misconception of having melanin and therefore we do not need SPF. Diet also plays a big part of how our skin reacts. Ethnic people like fatty foods and eat less fruits and vegetables.

What would you say is the ultimate treat for maintaining clear and glowing skin?

The best way to get glowing skin is adopting a skincare regiment that best fits your skin type, for example use an oil free cleanser and moisturizer for oily skin. For combination skin use a light weight moisturizer and a cleanser that has no alcohol. For dry skin use cleansers that have no alcohol, but those enriched with moisture such as milk based ones, and cream moisturizers that are enriched with moisture. Diet: drink a lot of water, fruits, vegetables and maintain a simple workout regiment.

Final thoughts, suggestions, recommended products

My recommendation is to follow a simple makeup technique that complements your features and matches your complexion. Skincare from Oil of Olay, Neutrogena, Lancome, and makeup from Iman cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, Khuraira cosmetics, are some of the makeup lines that are great for ethnic skin. Make sure your protect your skin from sun damage by applying SPF 15 or more.

Eye Makeup application:

1) Apply eye primer that is closest to your skin tone using your camouflage brush.

2) Use neutral eye color that is closest to your skin tone to set the primer using a fluff brush or an allover eye color brush.

3) Define eye by apply a medium shade on the crease using a crease brush.

4) Use a cake liner at the base of your lashes using a flat angle liner brush. For best results, use a sealant instead of water to prevent smudging.

5) For lashes, use a lash primer first before applying mascara. Apply from the base of lashes to tip of it using the end part of the mascara brush.

6) Finish the eye look by filling in your brows using brow defining powder and set with a brow gel. Always apply eye makeup first before face makeup.

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Khuraira cosmetics

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