Whooooaaaa! The snow has most definitely arrived! It has been falling almost non stop since Thursday morning and is set to get heavier on Sunday with temperatures dropping to -7oC. But really I don't mind because sometimes there's nothing nicer than cosying up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and feeling smug that you're not out in the freezing cold! Plus it feels very Chrismassy so it gets everyone in the mood for festive cheer :)
I had mentioned in a previous post that since we are fast approaching the festive period, I generally start gravitating towards more glitzy makeup when thinking about what to wear to special events. Yes I am the type of makeup geek that plans what I am going to wear days in advance. I love the whole ritual of getting ready for a night out, I love to blare out happy tunes and I find it relaxing and almost theraputic. It's that transformation of when you start to sculpt your features that makes me love makeup so much. Makeup has magical powers that make you feel really good about the way you look.
At the moment, I find myself being drawn to anything with gold tones in my makeup collection. There's something really luxurious about these products infused with gold flecks. It gives an instant glamour injection to your face and is a perfect choice for the party season so I just wanted to share with you my favourite gold toned products...
These glosses range from full on gold shimmer to pale, iridescent gold but my overall favourite has to be the Chanel gloss because it's so rich, luscious and the gold reflects are out of this world! I got this gloss about 2 years ago so the packaging is a bit shabby now but it looks incredible when worn with a bronze or grey toned smokey eye!
I love gold toned nail varnishes and these two from YSL and Vie are really subtle and pretty. They can be worn as a sheer tint on your nails with one coat or layered up to create a more intense effect. I also like to layer them over other colours to create different effects. I have to say that the YSL nail polishes are the nicest that I own because they last for ages and alot of the time, you only need one coat to get the desired effect.
Benefit pencils are always a winner with me...whether it's the Gilded, High Brow or Mr Frosty versions. They are super pigmented, creamy and soft and long lasting. I like to line my waterline with Benefit Gilded to add a nice contrast to my blue eyes. Another great gold liner is the amazing Illamasqua Precision Ink in Alchemy which still blows my mind. It's lasting power is really impressive and it's the most eye-catching and intense gold liner I have seen yet. This liquid shimmer/glitter liner is like an intense punch of gold lushness that could be used to effectively re-create (with added shimmer) Scarlett Johansson's makeup look below...
Gold eyeshadows always look beautiful with dense black eyeliner becaue it creates a lovely contrast. These are some of my favourite gold eyeshadows, particularly because they all have fantastic pigmentation, they're smooth with no gritty particles and they're easy to blend. The Models Own eyeshadows in Gold is a great dupe of the gold shade in the Shu Uemura palette! So if you're after a true gold, then this one is for you. I included Woodwinked because I love the gold shimmer that flickers as it catches the light. I love eyeshadows that change colour depending on the angle you view them from. Retrospeck is an interesting gold toned eyeshadow because it's very pale and has silver reflects in it too so it's great against pale skin or as a base. Honeylust is a lovely warm blonde gold that is perfect as a blending shade when used with Woodwinked.
Mac Paint Pot in Indianwood is a really interesting product in the same realm as Woodwinked because it has a gold aspect to it when it catches the light. This gives it dimension which means you can wear it alone and still get a really nice effect that doesn't look like a flat colour. Top Shop Cream Eyeshadow in Goldmine (as opposed to 'Gold' labelled in the pic below) is quite similar to Retrospeck in that it's a cooler shade of gold so it looks really nice with either grey toned eyeshadows or cool browns like Mac Satin Taupe e/s. Mac Cream Colour Base in Pearl is a very soft, pale gold shade with icy shimmer, which makes a nice base for eyeshadow but also as a highlighter for browbones and cheekbones. It's a product you have to use with a light hand because it may crease if you layer it on too thick. Paul & Joe Eye Gloss in no.1 is a great highlighter for the inner corners of the eyes. It really opens the eyes up and makes them look brighter. You can also mix it with darker lipglosses to pale them out.
And onto possibly my favourite of all beauty products...highlighters! Oh how I love thee! Any highlighter with golden tones will always appeal to me. I like my skin to look slightly tanned and as I wear peachy blushes, the gold tones fuse beautifully with these two elements. These are my favourite highlighters to add a touch of golden glow to my look...
Illamasqua Powdered Metal in Ether is soooo finely milled and delicate on the skin and it looks amazing mixed in with your moisturiser and applied to decolletage and legs! The Dior Shimmer Powder is my all time favourite highlighter due to it's golden peachy tones...the perfect combination for any highlighter junkie! The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Beige is great for when you want to really sculpt your cheekbones. By using a contour powder then placing this highlighter on the very tops of your cheeks, it will really add an intense sheen that is great for night time looks when you want to make more of an impact. Top Shop Highlighter in Sunbeam is alot like Illamasqua's Powdered Metal in Ether but in a baked form and with a slightly more noticeable sheen to it. So if you are short on pennies, then this is a great cheaper alternative. Mac Mineralise Skin Finish in By Candlelight is a beautiful light peachy shade with lovely gold reflects. It really does create that hazy glow you get on your skin when it's candlelit...hence the name! It's similar to the Dior powder but I would say that the Dior one has much finer shimmer in it which makes it more ideal for daytime wear. I always think you can get away with alot more at night time because the light is artificial and more forgiving.
What are your favourite gold toned products? Are there any other colours you have been obsessing about on the run up to the festive season?
