As the Olympic Games roll into Vancouver this February, you can channel your inner athlete with makeup that takes inspiration from gold, silver and bronze medals. Going metallic is the perfect way to jazz up your mid-winter makeup routine, plus there’s a shade to match every complexion. Scared of sparkle? Read on for tips on how to rock a metallic look for day or night.
How to do metallic right:
1. Unless you want to look like you’re heading to a costume party, always keep metallic shades to just one area of the face. (And that includes nail polish!)
2. Use makeup brushes (not the sponge applicators you find in compacts) for greater precision, especially when using loose powder or glitter formulas.
3. If you think you’ve gone overboard, tone your shimmer down by smudging it with a cotton swab and layering over it with a corresponding matte shade (taupe for gold, light grey for silver, and brown for bronze).
Here’s how to rock a gold, silver or bronze shade:
Gold Rush
Best for: All skin tones.
Day-time gold: A sheer wash of gold – or champagne-coloured powder eye shadow, worn all the way up to the brow bone, will brighten up your face and bring out any eye colour.
Night-time gold: Wear a more concentrated gold cream shadow on your lids (from the lash line to the crease). Pair it with black eyeliner and mascara on your top and bottom lashes for a smoking-hot gaze. Tip: for better staying power, layer some gold powder shadow over the cream shadow.
Silver Sparkle
Best for: Dark skin tones.
Day-time silver: A simple line of silver liquid eyeliner will add some shine to your eyes without going too disco. Leave the rest of your lids bare to keep the look laidback.
Night-time silver: Up the glam factor by applying a silver cream shadow from lash line to crease. Top it off with a light dusting of a loose powder glitter product. Tip: Make sure to do this before you put on the rest of your makeup for easier clean-up in case some glitter goes astray.
Bronze Goddess
Best for: Light to medium skin tones.
Day-time bronze: Apply some bronze eye shadow on top of your regular brown eye shadow, concentrating it in the crease to really make blue or green eyes pop.
Night-time bronze: Re-create the classic smoky eye by trading in black for bronze. Start with a darker shade of bronze or brown liner along the top and bottom lash lines, and then use a shimmery bronze shadow to gradually build more colour around the eye.
