Embracing All My Identities

I’m a lot of things. I’m a PhD candidate, a lifestyle blogger and business owner, and a wife! I get a lot of questions about how I balance all my identities, and I think one of the most critical things is to embrace them all! Before I got married, I had a hard time juggling my dual lives as an academic and a lifestyle blogger. I kind of kept each part of myself a secret from the other part – so if you knew me from school, you probably didn’t know I also created beauty content, and vice versa. Once I just accepted the fact that I like to research history of racial health disparities, but I also like to dress up, play with my hair, and take pretty pictures, balancing my identities became much easier!

In the spirit of celebrating the true you – no matter how many versions of you there are – I’ve partnered with Almay to create a beauty look for each of my identities! I’m using the new Almay Shadow Squad™ Eyeshadow, which is a monochrome shadow quad in four finishes – matte, glitter, metallic, and satin. The Shadow Squads come in 15 different shades ranging from neutral to bold, all with cute names like Unapologetic, Cause a Stir, and Throwing Shade (I’m a sucker for shade names!). I used a few Almay Shadow Squads to create beauty looks based off my three identities: the Grad Student, the Newlywed, and the Blogger.

The Grad Student

When I’m conducting research, meeting with my advisors, or presenting my work in front of an audience, I want a very natural face. For this look, I used a soft fluffy brush to add the matte finish of the Pure Gold, Baby Shadow Squad into my crease. I’m down for this quad because the matte finish is the perfect brown for my skin tone, but I also LOVE the color gold (it was one of our wedding colors!) and the name of the quad inspires me to power through my dissertation and reach the finish line!

The Newlywed

I have just one more month to claim my newlywed status (eek!), so for a date ready look, I pop a bit of the matte finish of the Own It Shadow Squad onto my lid. It’s a rosy pink that warms up my eyes so I look like I tried, but not too hard you know? I also added a touch of the glitter finish to my inner corner, some mascara, and a nude lip and I’m feeling bad and bougie! Even though I’m locked down for life (happily so), I still want to feel sexy, so Own It helps remind me that I still have the sauce ?

The Blogger

When I’m doing makeup for a blogger event or for Instagram pictures, I do a bit more because everything is just slightly more extra on the gram vs real life LOL! My favorite Almay Shadow Squad color is Ambition – it perfectly describes my attitude toward blogging! I’m always hustling to create better content and never settle for mediocrity. I’m pretty ambitious in general (hey all my degrees), but my academic achievements have come pretty naturally, whereas I definitely have to put in WORK to grow as a blogger. Anyways, the Ambition palette has a dark grey matte finish that works perfectly for a smoky eye, so I put that on my outer v, add some eyeliner, highlight, and darker lip, and I’m ready for the gram!

I hope this has inspired you to embrace everything that makes you you, no matter how different your passions and interests feel from each other, Whatever mood you want to channel, Almay Shadow Squad™ Eyeshadows can help you get there! From now until 3/24/18, all Almay Cosmetics at Walgreens are buy 2, get 1 free, so it’s the perfect time to pick up a few and try to create your different looks.

Are you a med student and a chess player? A mom and a mixed martial artist? Let me know in the comments what your different sides are and which Shadow Squad goes with it!

Get the Looks

The Blogger (180 – Ambition) | The Newlywed (230 – Own It) | The Grad Student (150 – Pure Gold, Baby)

no products