Ghana is blessed with some of the most stunning skin tones on the planet — from warm honey to rich espresso. But not all makeup advice you find online is written with us in mind. These five tips are specifically tailored for Ghanaian women who want a flawless, long-lasting look that handles our heat and humidity.
Tip 1 — Always Start with Primer
Ghana's heat and humidity can cause even the best foundation to slide off your face by noon. A good primer is non-negotiable. Apply a pea-sized amount all over your face after moisturising and before foundation. It fills in pores, smooths the skin's texture, and — most importantly — keeps your makeup locked in place for up to 12 hours. The L.A. Girl Face Finity All Day Primer is a firm favourite in our collection for exactly this reason.
Tip 2 — Match Your Foundation to Your Neck, Not Your Face
This is one of the most common makeup mistakes. Your face can be slightly lighter or darker than your neck due to sun exposure. Always swatch foundation on your jawline or neck — not the back of your hand — to find your true match. If you are between shades, mix two together to create your perfect custom shade. For deeper skin tones, look for foundations with warm, golden, or red undertones to avoid an ashy finish.
Tip 3 — Setting Spray is Your Best Friend in the Heat
After you've completed your full makeup look, finish with a setting spray held about 20–30cm from your face. This seals everything in and creates a protective layer against sweat and humidity. It also gives your skin a natural, skin-like finish rather than a cakey look. Reapply setting spray over your powder throughout the day instead of adding more powder — this prevents the dreaded cakey build-up.
Tip 4 — The Lip Liner Trick for a Fuller Lip
Ghanaian women are naturally blessed with beautiful full lips, but a good lip liner technique can enhance your lip shape beautifully. Line just slightly outside your natural lip line with a matching lip liner, then fill in the entire lip before applying your lipstick or gloss on top. This prevents feathering, makes your colour last longer, and gives your lips a defined, polished look that photographs beautifully.
Tip 5 — Understand Your Undertones
Ghanaian skin predominantly falls into warm and neutral undertones — meaning the hidden tones beneath your skin are yellow, golden, peachy, or orange-red rather than cool pink or bluish. This matters hugely when choosing blush, highlighter, and eyeshadow. Warm undertones: Go for terracotta blushes, bronze highlighters, and warm-toned eyeshadow palettes. Neutral undertones: You can pull off both warm and cool shades — lucky you! Avoid silver-toned highlighters and very pink blushes if you have deep warm skin, as they can look muddy.
Shop the Look: Find all the products mentioned in this guide — from primers to setting sprays and lip liners — in our Makeup collection. Not sure what shade suits you? Message us on WhatsApp and Berlinda will help you find your perfect match.