Senegal & make-up: a matter of ceremonies
Here, beauty has its own calendar. Weddings first, where the bride may change outfits over the course of the day and the guests vie with one another in elegance. Then the naming ceremony, the ngente, the celebration that gives a newborn its name, when everyone brings out their finest clothes. And the two great Muslim festivals, Korité, which marks the end of Ramadan, and Tabaski: on each of them, the whole country is dressed to the nines on the same day.
In the days before Tabaski, Dakar’s salons are packed: hair, nails, lashes, brows, last alterations at the tailor’s, everything is prepared at the same time. Make-up comes at the very end of the chain, often on the morning itself, once the boubou is ironed and the hair is done. Women get ready together, sisters, cousins, friends.
This know-how rests on a skill that is harder to find elsewhere: long experience with Black and mixed-race skin. Reading a warm or cool undertone, choosing a foundation that does not turn ashy, applying a highlighter that catches the light without whitening: that is everyday work for Senegalese make-up artists.
One last thing, and it is a line we hold across this whole section. In Senegal, the Press Code bans advertising for skin-lightening products in the media. The make-up offered here evens out and brightens your complexion as it is; it never promises to lighten it.
Formats: from light make-up to the three-ceremony package
- Simple or soft make-up: an even complexion and understated eyes, for a night out or a lunch; half an hour can be enough.
- Event or ceremony make-up: more elaborate, for a wedding, a naming ceremony, an evening do or a festival morning, designed to last several hours.
- Full face: the whole face, complexion, contouring, eyes and lips, also suited to a photo shoot.
- Three-ceremony package in one day: three make-up looks on the same day, to keep up with the outfit changes of a wedding or to go from one celebration to the next.
- One-hour salon session: time to talk through the look you want, choose the colours and fine-tune before you leave.
To choose, start from how long the event lasts rather than the look you dream of. A lunch or dinner calls for soft make-up; a ceremony that starts in the morning and finishes late needs long-wear products and more careful application; a wedding day with several outfits justifies the package. The price varies with the format and duration: compare the listings before you book.
Where to get your make-up done in Senegal
- Dakar: the widest choice, from thirty-minute sessions to the wedding package.
- Saly, on the Petite Côte: a one-hour salon session, handy if you are staying by the sea and have an evening out, a dinner or a wedding ahead.
When to book
People have their make-up done all year round, but diaries fill up around the festivals. The days before Korité and Tabaski are the busiest; these dates follow the lunar calendar and move forward by about eleven days each year: check them at the start of the year. For a wedding or a naming ceremony, book several days ahead, and even earlier if you are after a three-ceremony package.
The season matters too. During the rainy season (hivernage), July to October, heat and humidity put your complexion to the test: go for mattifying, long-wear products. In the dry season, the harmattan dries out the skin: moisturising well the day before helps foundation stay fresh.
Good to know & budget
Before the session. Arrive with a clean, moisturised face and no make-up, especially for a short session. Bring a photo of the look you want and, if possible, the outfit or headscarf you will be wearing: the colours are chosen to match. Give the time and place of the event, because make-up for daylight is not done the same way as make-up for a room lit at night.
Making your complexion last. A primer, a setting powder and a setting spray help make-up get through a long day. Keep blotting papers and your lipstick on you for touch-ups. The right foundation is judged on the jawline and neck, in daylight: that is how you avoid the mask effect.
Hygiene. Clean brushes, sponges that are not shared, products cleaned between clients: that is what prevents irritation and infections of the eyes or lips. Sensitive skin, a known allergy, contact lenses: say so at the start of the session. Make-up enhances; it does not treat anything.
Booking and paying. The price of each session is shown on its listing, per person; it varies with the format and duration. You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day of your appointment. No additional official fees. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate is shown on each listing).
Who is it for?
For the bride who wants a look for every outfit, for guests at a wedding or naming ceremony, for an evening out or a photo shoot.
Residents, Senegalese or expat, will find a make-up artist to trust with the year’s ceremonies, with the resident rate and an appointment booked in good time before Tabaski. Visitors invited to a wedding in Dakar, or staying in Saly, will find what they need to get ready like the other guests, with professionals well versed in darker skin. To round things off, see hairdressing & braids, eyelash extensions, facial treatments the day before, or the whole wellness & relaxation section.
As every Tabaski approaches, the Senegalese press tells the same race against the clock: fabric markets packed to bursting, tailors finishing embroidered boubous, Dakar’s beauty salons besieged for hair, brows and nails. On the morning of the festival, once the boubou is ironed and the hair is done, there is just one step left before going out to greet the family: make-up.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a make-up session last?
From half an hour for simple make-up to an hour for ceremony make-up or a full face. The three-ceremony package spreads three make-up looks over the same day.
Can make-up lighten your complexion?
No. In Senegal, the Press Code bans advertising for skin-lightening products in the media, and the sessions in this category even out and brighten your complexion as it is, with a foundation chosen to match your skin tone.
When should you book for Tabaski or a wedding?
Several days ahead. The days before Korité and Tabaski are the busiest, as are wedding Saturdays.
How should you prepare your skin before the session?
Come with a clean, moisturised face and no make-up, with a photo of the look you want. Mention sensitive skin or an allergy right at the start.
How does payment work?
You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day of your appointment. No additional official fees; residents get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate is shown on each listing).
