Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal

Christmas parties, impromptu after-work drinks and all manner of entertainment options this party season call for some new makeup. Kirstie McDermott shows you how to rock this season's hot trend – metallics

The High Life - Dior's Night Diamond compact

The High Life - Shimmer Powder fron Esteé Lauder

The High Life - No. 7 Highlighting Star Compact

In The Shadows - Smashbox's Eye Shadow in Obsidian

In The Shadows - MAC's Arctic Grey

In The Shadows - Burnet Sugar from Bobbi Brown

In The Shadows - Brush Maestro Top Coat from Giorgio Armani

In The Shadows - No. 7's Glitte Eyeliner

In The Shadows - Art Deco's Diamond Lashes

Finishing Touches - Dior Vernis in Black Sequins

Finishing Touches - Agent Provocateur's Diamond Dust

Finishing Touches - Ruby & Millie cosmetic bag

Christmas is the one time of year it's socially acceptable for women long past the age of 15 to throw on a little (or a lot) of glitter, shimmer and shine. This year, beauty brands have pulled out all the stops, and metallic makeup is very definitely the order of the day. Is the look for everyone, though? Paul Herrington, Bobbi Brown's head of artistry, reckons so. "Metallics really can work on all ages as the texture isn't frosted, so the effect is much more of a soft sheen," he says.

A word of warning though: choose, at most, two facial features you want to accentuate and stick to them. "A metallic eye and lip looks best with a powder blush that has no shimmer," Herrington says.

What else works? "A shimmer on the cheek and a glossy lip should be teamed with a matte eye."

With those basic rules firmly
fixed in our minds, here's a
run-down of the best shimmering highlighter powders, sparkling shadows and lash-accentuating glittery goodies on counter this Christmas.

The High Life

Avoid channelling C3PO just after he's had that oil bath at Luke Skywalker's uncle's farm. No one looks good with a bang of robot about them, so go easy with metallic highlighters. Apply after your usual foundation and powder steps, using a light touch and a large, soft contour brush to gently dust high on the cheekbones, down the bridge of the nose and onto the temples.

DIAMOND MINE

Dior's Night Diamond compact, €71.50, is embellished with 30 solitaire-cut crystals and contains a flattering jewel-like powder.

LAUDER LOVE

Dust on a smidgen of Shimmer Powder, €40, from Estée Lauder, for a sparkling glow that's great for night.

STAR POWER

This embellished Highlighting Star compact is oh-so-pretty, and as it's from No7, it's a great price too: €18 bags you this beauty.

In the Shadows

While there's no doubt metallic shadow can make eyes pop and sparkle, there's a way to wear it that's oh-so-right, and a way that is, equally, oh-so-wrong. That would be the whole shadow-from-lids-to-brows business, and should be avoided at all costs. Instead, apply shadow to the eyelid only, and blend, blend, blend up to the crease of the eye for a dramatic result that doesn't look like it was applied with Homer Simpson's makeup gun.

NIGHT SHIFT

Ideal for evening drama is Smashbox's Eye Shadow in Obsidian, €18. A midnight black, it'll work up a great smokey eye with
sophisticated shimmer.

DAY TRIPPER

The one to pick for day-to-evening engagements is MAC's Arctic Grey eye shadow, €15. A metallic pewter, it'll flatter most eye colours, and it's not too va-va-voom for the office.

COPPER MINING

Burnt Sugar, €22, from Bobbi Brown, is a gorgeous warm metallic that's super-smooth and long wearing.

SILVER SURFER

Brush Maestro Top Coat, €26.50, from Giorgio Armani, across the tips of the lashes for a shimmering effect that'll catch the light.

LINE OUT

Srictly speaking, No7's Glitter Eyeliner, €12.75, is meant for the lash line, but it's a great multi-tasker – brush through lashes for a sparkling finish.

GOLDENEYE

Art Deco's Diamond Lashes, €18.45, is a pen that's designed to sweep over lashes for metallic high-impact.

Finishing Touches

A sexy scent, glittering nails and a luxe metallic makeup pouch will see you through the party season with aplomb.

NAIL IT

Black is the hottest digit-adorning shade of the season, and Dior has given it a glam edit for Christmas. Vernis in Black Sequins, €20.50, will look best on short, squoval nails.

FINE FRAGRANCE

Purveyors of all things saucy, Agent Provocateur's fragrances are boudoir-tastic too. Diamond Dust, €79, is laced with real diamond particles.

BAG IT

Magpies will love this one: gilded, metallic and oh-so-shiny, it's a Ruby & Millie cosmetic bag, €13.50, and it's ideal for storing all your party-season essentials.

December 14, 2008