The festive season comes with a lot of activities to look forward to. From cracking open the Christmas decs to sipping mulled wine, but the deed we most look forward to is our Christmas make-up routine.

2019's party season trend du jour? Gold, gold and more gold. The more you can pack on your face the merrier, but the bold metallic can make us a tad wary of getting the whole look totally wrong. No one wants to resemble the tin man.

Fear not, because we’ve put together a super easy guide to wearing gold make-up no matter what your skin tone. So you can look as gleaming as a Christmas tree bauble in no time (goals).

How to wear gold eyeshadow
Gregory Scaffidi

How to wear gold...eyeshadow

Gold eyeshadow might seem like the simplest way to wear the make-up trend but a lot of people are put off by the thought of glitter chunks ending up on your cheeks (and champagne) an hour into the night.

Top Tip...

Stila UK Lead MUA, Sascha Jackson, recommends opting for a stickier base instead of a dry powder shadow if you really want to pack on the glitter. ‘Using a liquid glitter instead of a powder is the best way to avoid the glitter fall out. Stila’s Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows dry down super-fast and lock in to the eyelid, without creasing or moving though-out the day or night’.

Keep It Subtle...

If you’re more of a make-up minimalist, opt for a metallic gold eyeshadow that can be lightly swept onto lids to add a glow to the eyes, without having to manage glitter fall-out. Jackson recommends applying with a fluffy eyeshadow brush or ‘gently dabbing the shadow on top of a base colour with your fingertips’.

ELLE Edit: The Best Gold Eyeshadows
Sequin Crush Mono Glitter Shot Eyeshadow
YSL Sequin Crush Mono Glitter Shot Eyeshadow
£15 at LookFantastic
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Best gold eyeshadow
Chanel Ombre Premiere Exclusive Creation Creamy Powder Eyeshadow in Grandeur - £31

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Best gold eyeshadow
Giorgio Armani Eye Tint in Gold Foil - £27
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Best gold eyeshadow
Glossier Glitter Gelée in Glass Bonsai - £12
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Best gold eyeshadow
Sisley Les Phyto-Ombres Eyeshadow in Glow Gold - £36
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Best gold eyeshadow
Stila Cosmetics Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in Smoky Storm - £24
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Best gold eyeshadow
Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow in Foil - £26
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Best gold eyeshadow
CHANTECAILLE Luminescent Eye Shade in Lion - £48
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How to wear gold make-up 
Matteo Scarpellini//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

How to wear gold...eyeliner

Eyeliner might be quite daunting to apply, especially if you’ve had a few champagnes before applying (no judgement here). The good news is that not everything has to be a precise cat eye flick, in fact, a gold smudged liner is so easy you could do it on the tube.

Keep It Subtle...

Going for a darker golden tone gives the same definition as a smokey eye with a brighter festive twist. Either apply and smudge out around the lash line or apply all over the lid.

Go Bold...

Alternatively, if you’re up for a full on glitter winged liner, go for a wetter texture as it gives you more play time (aka enough time to clean up with a cotton bud). Pat on rather than swipe to get more glitter power.

How to wear gold eyeliner
Filippo Fortis

More Is More...

If you’re in full party mode and willing to take it to the next level, apply gold rhinestones using eyelash glue.

Celebrity Make-Up Artist, Patrick Ta says an encrusted-gem eye is a huge trend this season: ‘I’m loving all the glitter looks inspired by Euphoria for the holidays. A really quick way to add some glam to your look is applying rhinestones to your eyes. Place them along the lash line or the inner corners for a super fun, flirty look’. Will the Euphoria inspiration ever end? We don’t think so.

ELLE Edit: The Best Gold Eyeliners
Best gold eyeliner
Bobbi Brown Dual-Ended Long-Wear Liquid Liner in Azzurro/Oro - £28
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Best gold eyeliner
Nudestix Rock N' Roller Easy Eyeliner Ink in Golden Rose - £20
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Best gold eyeliner
Yves Saint Laurent Dessin Du Regard Waterproof Eye Pencil in 5 - £21
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Best gold eyeliner
Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Liner in Glimmer Gold - £26
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Best gold eyeliner
Dior Diorshow On Stage Eyeliner in Pearly Bronze - £23.40
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Best gold eyeliner
e.l.f. Stardust Glitter Eyeliner in Shimmering Gold - £5
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Best gold eyeliner
Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in Goldmine - £17
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Best gold eyeliner
Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in Rococoa - £20
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How to wear gold eyeshadow
Alessandro Zeno

How to wear gold...highlighter

Perhaps the trickiest of the lot, get this wrong and you could end up looking like a golden Covent Garden street performer.

Top Tip...

Jackson has a tip on what golden shade to go for depending on your skin tone: ‘Bronze golds look fantastic on deeper skin tones, and prevents that "ashy" look. On paler skin I prefer brushed or champagne gold tones as true gold can be too warm on really porcelain skin and may look too obvious’.

When it comes to application, Jackson advises keeping a fluffy brush in your kit. ‘ It all depends how intense you want the finish to be. If you want something subtle, using a fan brush will be best. For fuller coverage I like to build it up with my fingertips’.

Which texture of highlighter you go for also has a huge effect on the golden glow. ‘I like cream textures when the complexion products are cream based, or if you want to achieve more of a natural sheen as opposed to a heavy highlight. If you use powder products for your base, then powder highlighter sits a lot better and doesn’t upset the finish’ explains Jackson.

ELLE Edit: The Best Gold Highlighters
Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter
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Best gold highlighter
Charlotte TIlbury Beauty Light Wand in Goldgasm - £29
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Best gold highlighter
Lancôme Teint Idole Custom Drops Liquid Highlighter in Golden Glow - £26
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Best gold highlighter
Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Face Highlighter in Spectrum Bronze - £26
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Best gold highlighter
Stila Heaven's Hue Highlighter in Bronzed - £28
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Best gold highlighter
Guerlain Terracotta Skin Highlighting Stick in Gold - £34
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Best gold highlighter
Fenty Beauty Trophy Wife Fairy Bomb - £24
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Best gold highlighter
MAC Star-Dipped Face Compact in Medium Deep - £39
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How to wear gold lipstick
Alessandro Zeno

How to wear gold...lipstick

This can be the perfect bold party statement when done right.

Top Tip...

If you have dry lips, use a lip balm to prep but make sure to pat off using a tissue right before lipstick application, otherwise it will be too slippery for the lipstick to stick to. Then use multiple layers of a liquid lipstick to achieve an opaque base and top off with a shimmer lipstick to get a long-lasting pigment.

Keep It Subtle...

If you’re not a fan of a liquid gold lip, go for your trusted go-to lipstick shade (the darker the better) and swipe a golden layer of lipstick topper to add a frosted finish. If it does happen to rub off during the night, it won’t take a lot of precision to re-apply so you can spend your time on the dance floor, rather than faffing in front of a mirror.

ELLE Edit: The Best Gold Lipsticks
Best gold lipstick
UOMA BEAUTY Black Magic Hypnotic Impact Metallic Lipstick in Lady of Gold - £23.50
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Best gold lipstick
Pat McGrath Labs BlitzTrance Lipstick in Blitz Gold - £35
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Best gold lipstick
NYX Professional Makeup Love Lust & Disco Lipstick Metallic Topper in Gold Dipper - £8
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Best gold lipstick
Lime Crime Diamond Dew in Starlight - £18
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Best gold lipstick
TOM FORD Lip Spark Lipstick in Surge - £40
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Best gold lipstick
Lancôme L'absolu Lacquer Lipstick in Gold For It - £24
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Gold Lipstick 
L'Oréal Riche Gold Obsession Lipstick in Pure Gold - £6.99
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KissKiss Crème Lipstick in 2
Guerlain KissKiss Crème Lipstick in 2
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How to wear gold make-up
Matteo Valle//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

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