Pedal To The Metal: How To Nail Metallic Makeup

Holographic, super sonic – how metallic makeup makes the girls (and guys) go loco.

Low Intensity

Senior Artist for M.A.C Australia, Nicole Thompson praises the metallic lip that can be used on all areas the face: eyes, cheeks and lips. “It makes metallics as user-friendly as possible,” she says.

Gritty Pretty Loves: M.A.C Cosmetics Retro Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Metallic Rose ($42)

Mid Intensity

For lips that jump off the page (here’s one we prepared earlier #smugface), start with a metallic cream base, dab and set with metallic eyeshadow, then add gloss on top for one “metallic sandwich” that will not budge.

Gritty Pretty Loves: Maybelline Colour Sensational Matte Metallics Lipstick in Copper Spark ($12), CHANEL Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Camelia ($41)

High Intensity

Contrary to popular belief, a bold eye and lip can play nice together. Use colours from the same shade family and build every feature up slowly. “At the end of the day, it’s makeup so if you don’t like it, just wash it off!”, declares Thompson.

Gritty Pretty Loves: Smashbox Always On Metallic Matte Liquid Lipstick in Maneater ($38), Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in Tulip Twin ($38)

This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2018 issue of Gritty Pretty Magazine.