From gold foils to heavy set gold lids & lips, blinding gold highlighters or gold-flecked illuminating powders--gold has been rather popular with the high on glamour girl. Though a popular colour of choice for weddings and parties, Gold is rather a flattering yet tricky colour to pull off. But the kind of richness it lends, keeps makeup lovers coming back for more. Gold in makeup is not new but it has been on a new high this year; right from the runways to real life, gold along with other metallics is hogging the spotlight.
Pro tips:
As gold is a strong colour, ensure that you do your base makeup really well before applying any kind of gold makeup. Use a full coverage foundation like the Total Makeover FF Cream palette to create an even base that gives your face an even-toned look. An uneven or sheer base will make your face/skin look dull under the shimmering gold makeup.
Gold makeup looks rich on India skin tones and can give your face an alluring look. When trying out golden makeup, the key is to create balance and highlighting only one part at a time with gold. Don’t go crazy and overdo it.
Here’s how to do the gold makeup right…
Sheer bold eye makeup
This look is bold and may not be for everyone as gold may look extra blingy on certain skin tones. Plus, it will best suit women with smaller lids. Apply this sheer gold colour on the eyelids and blend it to even out. Use a soft and fluffy brush to pick minimum pigment at a time so that it does not overdo your look. Start with less and build more colour if you want. You can add a black eyeliner to make the eyes look defined, extend the wing for a dramatic effect.
Gold highlights
For a subtler look, go for a hint of gold on the eyes. Use gold eyeliner for that stylish and elegant look. Use a gold highlighter to highlight the inner corners of the eyes, brow bone and on the Cupid’s Bow and bridge of the nose. Dab some gold highlighter on the centre of the lips over your lipstick for a shimmery look on the lips. Dab some gold highlighter on the Cupid’s Bow and centre of the lips after applying lipstick to make the lips appear fuller.
Gold smokey eye
A glamorous, gilded take on the regular smokey eyes. Both black and gold are strong colours and need to be placed well to look elegant. Gold Smokey eye is perfect for an evening out with your guy or for a party. It makes your eyes so lustrous and draws attention to it immediately. Add a dash of gold highlighter on the inner corners of the eyes to add shine and freshness.
Gold on the lips
If you like your lips bold and want to jump into the metallics trend bandwagon, then gold is a great option. With the metallic trend big right now, gold lips are an edgy way of embracing the trend. You can either go full gold with a gold lipstick or gold pigment or cheat a little by using a shimmery gold eyeshadow instead. Mix it into your gloss before applying, add a dab of gold highlighter on the centre of the lips over your lipstick for that shimmery gold look.
Gold on the nails
If you are conscious about wearing gold on your face, the safest way to pull of gold is on the nails. Besides looking great for parties and weddings, golden nail paint can be worn on any given day. Opt for a subtle gold nail polish for every day or go glitter for festivities. Gold comes in fine and chunky glitter and makes your nails look fab in an instant. You can also go with just one gold nail in case you want to keep it to a minimum. MyGlamm’s Two Of Your Kind Nudes & Glitter range has gold glitter paired with sophisticated neutral shades of nail polish. You can pick from 8 stylish duos.
Gold as a popular bridal colour
We are taking the liberty to say that Gold may be the new red for Indian brides. It’s classy, subtle and totally regal; the golden colour perfectly complements all Indian skin tones. Since metallic makeup is in, gold adds a contemporary touch to the modern-day bride’s makeup making her look distinct yet definitive on her special day. As Indian brides tend to wear a lot of jewellery, gold makeup matches every kind of jewellery, from polki, kundan to diamonds and even gold jewellery. Gold is the colour of royalty and sophistication which is a must in Indian weddings. Also, gold in makeup enhances other colours, adding the right amount of bling and radiance to the face. Gold is a great idea for the brides as it is flamboyant. As a colour, it serves the purpose of standing out in the crowd.
The variants of gold to consider
If the traditional yellow gold is too garish for you, there are other options. Rose gold and Champagne are the most popular alternatives to golden yellow makeup.
Rose gold has been trending for quite some time and is a colour that has garnered a lot of attention and appreciation. The pinkish gold with a soft glow has a contemporary feel. Rose gold as a shade is feminine, metallic and sophisticated and it goes well on most of the skin tones. The soft glow of rose gold creates a modern, romantic and unexpected touch – for a luminous and super feminine look.
Champagne is a soft tone with undertones of yellow and beige. It’s airy and looks best on fair skin and makes for a perfect highlighter and eyeshadow. Try MyGlamm Powder Magic Eyeshadow Stick in Goldmine, that’s a shimmery shade of soft champagne and can be used as highlighter on the eyes (inner corners, lids and brow bone) apart from being used as an eyeshadow.
Things to keep in mind if you're planning to make gold the highlight of your makeup look
If you are going for gold eye makeup, use a concealer to even out the skin tone as gold colour tends to highlight all the flaws on the skin. To catch the fallouts while applying gold eyeshadow, brush loose powder under the eyes and dust away once done. Alternatively, you can catch the fallouts on a tissue placed just under the eyes.
Faux pas to avoid when working with a dramatic hue like gold
You need to tell yourself when to stop as gold is quite a bold and dramatic colour. While wearing gold, do not get carried away by wearing too much of it on your face all at once. Choose the feature that you want to draw attention to, like eyes, or lips and highlight one. If you are also going for gold highlighter, keep it subtle unless you want to look like a shiny gold reflector.
If you want a blinding highlighter, go easy with gold on the eyes and/or lips. For lips, you can just dab a little highlighter on the centre. Wear a gold smokey eye instead of going all gold.
