In case you donāt know already, I am a bite-sizedĀ portion of milk chocolate covered gold. I am not dark by any means (Donāt mistake this comment for self-hate, I just know that there are tons ofĀ beautiful shades darker than my own. So in the grand scheme, Iām in the middle ofĀ the range of all complexions).Ā Despite that, I am pretty much the darkest shade you will find when walking into the drug store. And Iām dark enough where companies, on occasion, will forget that undertones exist. So buying new complexion products online or otherwise brings a lot of stress.
My shade is NW43, thatās what I knew and loved, but I had already committed to buying black, and my pot of MAC foundation was becoming real empty. Meaning my time was running out.
Side note: I found my products on a site called black-exchange.com. Unfortunately, they are no longer functioning as a website, but their TumblrĀ page is still up. You can search and scroll through to find a ton of black-ownedĀ companies. I was legit on this site every day amazed by all the businesses that were out there.
So boom, I find koyVoca Cosmetics; peep the shade range:
Ā koyVoca Cosmetics / Via Instagram: @koyvocacosmetics
Iām not worried about if sheāll have my shade, but whether or not I will pick the right shade. So being the fly businesswoman she is, she offers samples of every shade, so you aināt out here buying full sized products that donāt match yo neck. And she will shade match you via email, so here I go sending emails late at night, and I email her like Iām NW45 at MAC, what shade do you think best matches me? No problem, right, WRONG! She answered Alexandria and offers the sample options, Iām like nah Iām good, Iām just gonna order Alexandria. I pay for it, maybe a week goes by, order processed and sent in a timely fashion. Nice, clean packaging, ready to beat my face the next morning. I look in the mirror, but something feels off.
You already know the end, itās too dark for me. Iām a little pissed off, and Iām blaming Courtney Coates, the owner, for the nonsense. (Real talk, it wasnāt even that bad, but once I saw theĀ difference I couldnāt unsee it.)Ā I start going back to emails trying to figure out how this could this happen, ready to send my famous disgruntled customer emailā¦
Attempt number 2! I got the right shade, Calabar, crisis averted.
With any new product, you have to figure out how it works for you, which brushes to use, which primer to apply, etc. Not all cream products are the same, just like not all primers and setting sprays are the same. After extensive trial and error, and Courtney answering all of my questions privately on Instagram, I resolved that that particular product wasnāt for me. She was even willing to send me another product for free because I didnāt have a pleasant experience. FYI: I didnāt take her up on the offer, but sheās serious about making sure every customer has an excellent experience with every product she creates!
Her About Face Powder FoundationĀ though! This powder is a staple, I donāt imagine any other product ever taking its place. The quality is so high, itās highly pigmented and long lasting.Ā Maybe Iāll dedicate a whole other post to this product because it has become that much of a staple.
What Iāve Used:Ā KV Classic Cream-To-Powder Foundation,Ā About Face Powder Foundation,Ā KV Classic Cream Concealer,Ā KV Classic Setting Powder,Ā Ultra Powder, &Ā Make Me Matte Powder
The Royal Jewels: About Face Powder Foundation
Wishlist:Ā The HiLife Highlighter
koyVoca Cosmetics / Via Instagram: @koyvocacosmetics
Overall,Ā koyVoca Cosmetics is amazing, and if you are looking for new makeup brands, especially black-owned, this is a great place to go. Also, I need to add that Courtney Coates launched this company last year and does almostĀ everything by herself; it is unbelievable how much she has been able to achieve in a yearās time!
Ā Ā I bought foundationā¦online! In case you don't know already, I am a bite-sizedĀ portion of milk chocolate covered gold. I am not dark by any means (Don't mistake this comment for self-hate, I just know that there are tons ofĀ beautiful shades darker than my own.