Decadence on a Dime: L'Oréal High Intensity Pigment Eye Shadow

(image taken from Hello Trade)

With Thanksgiving in the past, the season of cheer is officially here, and with it approach a bevy of glamorous cocktail and dinner parties, a carte blanche to don glitter and shine. Unfortunately, this Christmas season looks rather dim for me, at least in terms of formal parties, professional or social in nature; for the sake of being positive and optimistic, though, in this case I have decided all the merrier to make a party out of any occasion. Admittedly, I am the last person who requires any type of justification for dressing up or standing out, however, now, as frost starts kissing the cold grasses and artificial lights emit a festive glow in crowds of shrubbery, I will hopefully be in good company, a sea of sparkle.

Red lipstick is a traditional holiday make-up flair; the red reminisces of cranberries, holly berries, crushed velvet bows draped about boughs of mistletoe. I love lipstick, but, as I frequently lament, I abhor the maintenance required, especially with a bold red. For holiday parties, and otherwise, I typically remain faithful to shimmering eye shadow. For the past few years, my absolute favorite has been L'Oréal High Intensity Pigments, cleverly acronymed: HIP. These duo-palettes come in an array of metallic hues, from caramels to honey to emeralds to deep amethyst. Initially, the low price was frightening; surely, an eye shadow so affordable would not be intense, nor durable. I was pleasantly surprised to be wildly wrong on both counts; this eye shadow is vivid from noon to dusk.

Lately, my comfortable and trusted choice has been the combination golden ochre and army green, both of which complement my deep brown eyes; thankfully, according to a vapid column in Cosmopolitan a few years back, brown eyes give me the freedom to wear any color of shadow and liner I desire, without fear of downplaying any innate retinal chromatics. So, perhaps for this season, I shall return to one of my first beloved choices in this brand: pure silver.