Just when we thought Black History Month might be a complete bust, black history was made at the 2019 Academy Awards. No, not by Green Book, but this month marked the first time in Oscars history that more than one black woman won in a single year: Regina the King, Ruth “E for Excellence” Carter and Hannah “I Created Wakanda” Beachler all won well-deserved Academy Awards—Carter and Beachler the first in their respective categories, and only the second and third black women to ever win non-acting Oscars.
With their gold statues still fresh in my mind, I went golden for my third-to-last look of Black-Owned Beauty Month, relying on two other iconic black women—Rihanna and Pat McGrath—to give me an award-worthy golden glow over my basic five-minute face, which includes foundation, concealer, brows, mascara and liquid liner—all black-owned. (Okay, it took 10 minutes—I forgot I added a $19 false lash by Black Up).
First up? Fenty Beauty’s “Trophy Wife” Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter ($34), which I dusted from lid line to browbone, then swept down along my upper cheekbone. The 3D metallic finish gave a glittering surrealness to an otherwise natural look.
But to pack on the drama, I turned to the “Mothership”—specifically, Pat McGrath Labs’ MTHRSHP Subversive La Vie en Rose Palette ($55). The “Gold Nectar” shade is almost like using gold leaf; a few pats of pigment gilded my lids in a way I couldn’t possibly hope to capture on my iPhone’s camera (though Lord knows, I tried).
To give the look more dimension, I added the shades from Beauty Bakerie’s four-color Coffee & Cocoa palette ($38) to the crease, also using them as blush and contour. I may or may not have even used the bronzers as a lip color, sealing the look with an “Herbal Touch” Therapeutic Lip Creme I was gifted by Mother’s Garden ($5.99), which sealed in moisture with a blend of shea butter, coconut oil, and an aromatic blend.
But wait, there’s more: Continuing on my “fix my hair” journey, I’ve been using Mane Choice’s Sweet Oil & Honey Endless Moisture Sealing Cream ($14.99) on my damp hair daily, and whew, come through, shine! Of course, a little regularly-applied emollience from Thank God It’s Natural (TGIN)’s Miracle RepaiRx Anti-Breakage Serum ($14.99 for 4 oz.) hasn’t hurt. While the long-term health of my transitioning hair still hangs in the balance, my blowout was seamless and my shedding minimal in the process, so my hopes are high.
What do our last two days of Black-Owned Beauty Month have in store? Well, for me, packing, as I move in two days time. But I’m also trying to sneak in at least one more look and a list of the month’s favorites before we begin March with our regular Big Beauty Tuesday feature, so stay tuned!