Holiday Beauty Tips - Metallic eyes

With the holiday season in full swing, I know that my dance card will be filling up pretty quickly! That is one of the things that I truly enjoy about the holidays, having the opportunity to spend some quality time with family and friends. Both at home gatherings and also stepping out on the town to actually see a show or even go dancing! And for me, this means having my holiday makeup together! I like to keep things fairly simple but with a bit of extra holiday pizzaz! And when asked for ideas for a holiday beauty by Walmart, I went directly to the store to find products that work for me.

A good makeup look in my opinion begins with a good foundation. I have acne prone skin so finding a product that works well is sometimes a challenge. I need to ensure that the product is not going to add to my skin problems. I am currently undergoing treatment for my acne so finding a foundation that I can still wear without further irritating my skin is a must. I decided to try the Black Opal Even True line (available in stores). Black Opal makeup is specifically targeted for women of color. The line has a wide range of foundation colors which is so important, particularly when other brands have a limited number of colors available for darker skin tones. In addition, Black Opal products were developed by a dermatologist - who just so happened to be my dermatologist when I lived in Washington, DC. Many years ago she was able to clear up my skin, so I do have some confidence in her products based on my personal experience with her.

This line is designed for problem skin and is supposed to both help keep the acne away and brighten the skin which is something I need since I have hyperpigmentation as a result of my acne. Although I cannot speak on the efficacy of the products in this regard because I haven’t been using them long enough to see a difference, I can say that I am happy with both the foundation (I'm wearing Hazelnut) and concealer (in toast) colors. I am particularly fond of the design of the concealer, the rollerball applicator helps make application quite easy.

This year, I’ve opted to keep the focus on my eyes so I went for a fairly dramatic look with metallic gold toned eyeshadow and liquid liner. I chose to use the High Intensity Pigment by L’Oreal Metallic shadow dual color Charged  ($7.12). One side is gold and the other is sepia toned. I first applied the gold to my eyelids and as a bottom eye liner. I followed in my crease with the sepia toned color and blended well. I used the Dual Although it is difficult to really get the full effect in the photos, my eyes are really quite dramatic and a bit more than I’d wear on a regular basis.

I highlighted the shadow with the black Master Duo liquid liner from Maybelline’s Eyestudio ($6.94) collection. I really like this liner because the liner pen provides you with the ability to do a thin line for daywear and a heavier line for night or simply when you want a more dramatic look. I am also impressed because the black liner does not smear on my upper eyelid which is a problem I’ve been having with other black liners that I’ve used in the past.

I finished the look with Cover Girl’s professional translucent loose powder in color 115. Although the color I used is not available online, you can find it in store like I did. The loose powder works well to set my makeup and helps keep it in place for long wear and hours of dancing or chatting the night away!

Finished look in natural light

I really like this look for the holidays and you can check out my video below to hear more about the products I used and have a look at the makeup on camera. I really like this look that I achieved with the products at Walmart at a very affordable price and I am ready for the holidays with this look!