African Tribal History Inspired Makeup

Every ethic and nation has their own tradition and culture. For example, Balinese from Indonesia have culture to hold Ngaben when someone from their family dies. Or Chinese have culture to do tea pai when they’re getting married. Today we’re gonna talk about one of African culture which has been in trend of makeup inspiration lately.

African people has main characteristic culture of using masks in rituals and ceremonies. It is believed that the earliest mask were used before Paleolithic era by Africans. These masks represent spirits of animals or ancestors, moral values, mythological heroes, or form of honoring of a person in a symbolic way. It can be made by wood, pottery, copper, bronze, or textile. Then they add some details using hair, animal teeth, bones, horns, or even feathers, seashells, or straw and egg shells. The ones that make masks in village given a high rank because Africans believe that they create a contact with spirit world, and creating crafts like this is inherited through bloodlines.

African usually create masks shaping just like human face or muzzle of some animals. They stylized because their culture distinguish between outer look of something and its essence. Abstract subject are represented through the masks. While animal masks represent spirit of animals and the one that bears the mask, become the animal himself which allows him to communicate with it, to instance ask the animal to keep away from their village.

Another theme for African masks is female face to represent feminine beauty, while the mask have breasts and ornamental scars, shaped eyes curved eyelash, thin chin and also filled with ornaments.

The masks representing ancestors commonly shaped as human skull, which are used in ceremonies as witnesses. The dancer use the mask, become the bearer of the spirit of the mask, sort of medium between the tribe and spirit.

Looking at its history, inspired me to create a makeup look of African tribal. Well, what comes cross your mind when you hear this? Tanned skin? White and gold tribal? Or what kind of inspo? I’m here combining every imagination I got and so, here’s the final look!

Also used some kind of scarf/pashmina to make it look more African tho ;p All I can think of was tanned skin, gold, popped up colors on my skin, and head scarf. Voila, here's what I got! Hope you girls enjoyed reading this post and of course got some insight and inspiration. Thanks for reading, and hope to see you on my next post, babe!

I'm using :

SkinDewi Temulawak Emulsion

Purbasari Compact Powder

Max Factor Smooth Miracle Primer

Morphe Eyeshadow 35u

Mizzu Eyeshadow Palette x Minyo33

MaxFactor Eyeliner

Maybelline Fashion Brow Duo Shaper

Mizzu Starry Night Lip Cream

Catrice Bronzer

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@jennitanuwijaya