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
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’.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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