Our inspiration.

Our inspiration.

By now we’ve all heard Solange’s A Seat at the Table—at least I hope you have. If you haven’t, I HIGHLY recommend you bless your ears at once! The only word I have for the album is: inspirational. When I listen to Solange’s songs while I’m doing my makeup, everything just gets better. My eyeshadow looks more blended, my highlighter gets brighter, and I add just the right amount of flush to my cheeks. In her song “Weary,” Solange sings, “But you’re facing the world,” and that’s what this album helps me do. To help you face the world, too, here’s a makeup trick inspired by Solange’s words.

What you’ll need:

  • Primer (optional)
  • Peachy blush
  • Dark brown eye shadow
  • Clear lip gloss
  • Gold eye shadow
  • Highlighter

How to do it:

Step One: Eyes
Don’t look too close tonight…

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For the eyes, the key is to BLEND. After applying primer to my eyes, I brushed peachy blush on the outer creases of my eyes. Then I packed on a dark brown shade of eye shadow (from this palette) on my eyelids and blended it outward, keeping the color concentrated at the base of my eyelids. Simple!

Step Two: Cheeks
Away, away, away, away…

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I swept the same peachy blush I used on my eyes over my cheeks. Really blend it in to get a “just frolicked around a pretty desert landscape” kind of flush.

Step Three: Lips
You got the light, count it all joy…

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Watching the “Cranes in the Sky” video, I was mesmerized by the part where a gold-covered Solange sits regally on a rock. So of course I had to add some of that gold to this look! I applied clear lipgloss, then scraped some gold eyeshadow from the palette I used earlier and patted the loose shadow on my lips. I repeated layers of gloss and shadow—just one layer is pretty sheer.

Step Four: Highlight
I got so much magic, you can have it…

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I finished by applying highlighter to the tops of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, and in the inner corners of my eyes. All done and good to glow. ♦