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As her new book, The Light We Carry, makes clear, the only certainty in life is change — and Michelle Obama is embracing it. It seems she's finding a whole lot of joy in her current chapter — including through her fashion and beauty choices.
The publicity tour for the book has doubled as a runway: Obama has stepped out in emerald-green eyeshadow (which matched her '70s-inspired velvet suit), in box braids arranged in a sky-high top knot, and with ultra-shiny lip gloss paired with soft, smoky eyes.
"It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to be part of Michelle Obama's journey," her longtime makeup artist Carl Ray tells Allure. "Her book tour is just the latest example of the positive energy, elegance and joy she puts out into the world — I wanted to reflect those traits through the beauty looks we created."
Often, that meant keeping the focus on her eyes, says Ray: "She was on-stage, and I wanted to captivate her passion and expression [by creating] winged eye looks with strong lines, clean brows, and lush lashes."
His liner of choice throughout the tour was Beauty Pie Deluxe Precision Liquid Liner, which you can score right now for just $15 using the code BEAUTY50. “It's so precise and glides on effortlessly," says Ray.
Overall, "I wanted her makeup to complement but not overpower her fun fashion looks," Ray adds. "I went for a soft glam." Clearly, the beauty bar was set high throughout the tour — but Obama and Ray bested even themselves with the look for her final stop (a sit-down with Oprah, naturally).
Ray created a glittering, metallic eyeshadow look using Pat McGrath Labs Mothership I Eyeshadow Palette, and finished with a flick of the aforementioned liner. He kept the glow going on Obama's complexion using Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer and MAC Cosmetics Extra Dimension Skinfinish Highlighter in Whisper of Gilt.
As he did throughout the tour, Ray focused on adding sheen — not saturated color — to Obama's lips. "The glossy lip really highlights her fun and playful side," he says. For this look, he used a combination of Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk 3 Intense, Hourglass Velvet Story Lip Cream in Touch, and Pat McGrath Labs Lust Lip Gloss in Bronze Divinity.
The final, sparkling look served as not only a fitting end to Obama's runway show — we mean, uh, book tour — but also as a source of serious holiday party inspo for the rest of us. Not that we ever need an excuse to follow Michelle Obama's stylish lead.
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