Beauty

Gilty pleasures

Sparkle and shine this holiday season with the best in beauty for eyes, cheeks and lips.

by : Katherine Flemming- Dec 3rd, 2009

When used correctly, metallic makeup shades like pewter, bronze, silver and gold “catch and reflect light in the most beautiful way,” says Toronto-based makeup artist Sheri Stroh. But practise restraint, she cautions. “You don’t want to look like you dipped your face in Vaseline or liquid metal. Don’t do shimmer on all areas of your face. Pick two key features max.”

Eyes

While Stroh says there are no strict rules about choosing shades for your eye colour, she likes copper and bronze for green and blue eyes; and pewter, silver and gold shades for brown eyes.

Try sheer washes of colour all over the lid with a bit of mascara. For a more dramatic look, pair it with liquid liner, pencil or shadow and draw a thick line on the upper lid and gradually extend to the outer corners.

Create a smoky eye by smudging a metallic shadow around the eye and lining the inner rim with black or brown pencil.

Apply shimmery whites, soft golds and nude shadow to the inner corners of the eye to “catch light and make eyes pop.”

Cheeks

Use a medium-sized fluffy brush to blend shimmery pink or peach blush or highlighting powder on top of the cheekbones. A neutral-toned shimmery cream can be applied over your favourite blush shade to highlight your bone structure. Using a fluffy, fan brush, whisk the brush lightly through cream and dust over cheekbones, temples and onto the brow bone (in a C shape). Blend coloured cream blushes onto the apples of the cheeks with fingers for a soft glow.

Lips

Stroh says everyone expects a nude lip with metallic eyes, so she likes the unexpectedness of pairing metallic eyes with a red, burgundy or berry lip. She suggests dabbing on the lipstick with fingers for a stain effect.

If you prefer shimmer on the lips, look for shimmery golds, nudes and shades of red and berry in gloss and lipstick formats. Try a glossy lip with a slightly shimmery eye or a rosy glowing cheek — but not all three.

Twinkles to avoid on the next page …

Get more holiday beauty and fashion tips here!

Twinkles to think twice about:

Don’t: White, frosty shimmer on the brow bone. “It’s dated, tacky and never looks natural,” says Stroh. The same rule applies with lips — beware of the frost, especially silver lipstick.

Don’t: Use loose glitter from a pot. “[It’s] the devil. If you must use, use sparingly: eyeliner, or a bit of loose on the lid. Accept that you will still be finding glitter flecks on your face after New Years,” cautions Stroh.

Don’t: Buy bronzing body lotions that promise a candlelit-like glow, but instead wind up making you look like a walking Oscar statuette. Stroh says you should add a tiny amount to your foundation or tinted moisturizer only.

Don’t: High-octane, super-glossed lips. “It’s unattractive and too high maintenance,” says Stroh. Look for a sheer lipgloss or lip stain.

Get more holiday beauty and fashion tips here!