4 steps to nailing your face beat tonight - Wakanda style

Today could be known as "Black Panther Day" if someone was to make it official because in honesty - it might as well be.  The excitement of the masses to set their eyes on the first frames of the Black Panther movie tonight is quite hard to contain.   

We cannot wait to express our "black girl magic," '"melanin magic," and Wakanda style in full force; from our unapologetic traditional printed clothing to our natural hair styled into royal adornments.  If your outfit for tonight is already sorted but wondering how to finish off the look, then keep on reading as we show you how to channel the women of Wakanda to inspire a face beat fit for a queen.

Tribal accents like Shuri

Shuri usually keeps her look quite youthful and fresh-faced, sporting radiant skin and hardly any makeup. However, when she switches it up for the fight, she is usually seen with a bit of colour on the eyes and graphic, tribal accents on the face.

Steal her style:

1. Apply your foundation as you normally would but add a liquid strobe cream to amp up your skin's radiance. 
2. Add a light dusting of a powder highlighter to the cheek bones and bridge of the nose and make sure to blend until it looks completely natural.  
3. Choose a bold coloured eyeliner of your choice and rim the lower lash line to create a graphic detail to the eye. Finish off with mascara.
4. Use white face paint or a liquid eyeliner and create tribal markings on the face.  Focus on the eye area and cheeks for maximum impact.  Finish off with gold liquid liner or paint used to add a solid line on the lower lips.

Shuri's Kit:

Illuminated and smoky like Nakia

Nakia sports quite a classic look that is very feminine and sultry.  Her skin is kept quite natural without much blush or contouring but she uses highlighter to accentuate her facial features to make them appear stronger.  She also smokes up the eyes and uses a slight hue on the lips.

Steal her style:

1. After applying your foundation, apply a cream highlighter in a bronze or gold shade on the high planes of the face - cheeks, brow bone, bridge of the nose and the cupid's bow.  
2. Intensify your highlighter by applying a powder highlighter in the same shade over all the places where you had applied the cream highlighter.
3. Use a matte black eye shadow or a chocolate brown shade, if black is too intense and sweep it all over the eyelid, right up to the brow and carry it along the lower lash line to create a smoky eye.
4. Finish off by dabbing a deep berry lipstick on the top and bottom lip and spread it all over the lips with your finger to create a deep stain.

Strongly contoured like Okoye

Okoye is a warrior queen - it's the only way to describe her.  She has very strong facial features that are further accentuated by her shaven head.  She uses contouring and intensifies her eyes to create an even stronger appearance.

Steal her style: 

1. Play around with the dimensions of your face and use a powdered foundation that is one to two shades darker than your skin tone to contour.  Start with a little bit and slowly build up until you are happy with the intensity. Apply the contouring powder in the hollows of the cheeks, temples and along the jawline and blend in a number 3 shape to carve out stronger features.
2. Fill in your brows with a dark brown brow pencil using hair-like stokes to create a bold brow.
3. Use the same contouring powder in the crease of the eye to contour the lid and rim a black eye pencil along the upper and lower lash line.  Smudge with a brush to create a slight smoky effect.
4. Add some false lashes to add further drama to the eyes and apply a dark chocolate or burgundy matte lipstick to the lips to finish.

Okoye's Kit