Precious Metals: 7 Metallic Makeup Picks To Add To Your Kit

Foil-like finishes never seem to go out of style what with their radiance-boosting, light-diffusing powers that promise to revive lacklustre complexions.

If you tend to shy away from glitter out of fear of it migrating or decorating your bathroom sink, you’ll be pleased to note the newest wave of formulas glean long-lasting effects minus fall-out, fading or creasing.

Achieve a mess-free metallic eye by applying a little bit of eye primer to your eyelids before going in with your chosen colour it’ll help create a smooth, even base. In lieu of an eye primer, consider a tiny bit of foundation or concealer instead.

Prevent your eye look from verging on a 1980s throwback by confining your colour to eyelids and under-eyes only. Anything higher (up towards your brow bone or temple) may come off looking dated or overdone.

Keep your finishes and textures balanced by opting for a matte eyeshadow layered with a metallic option on top. While it’s fine to mix your finishes, you want to keep to the same texture for maximum blendability  e.g., liquids with liquids, creams with creams and powders with powders.

Now's not the time to bust out your fluffy blending brush, instead look for a flat, densely bristled brush for better precision as you pack on colour. For more opacity, lightly wet your brush with water or mixing medium. If you do end up with a bit of fall out, dust it away with a clean fluffy brush or spoolie.

Metallic eyeshadow makes enough of a statement, but if you desire something punchier, try applying an extra sharp flick of metallic eyeliner along your upper lash line.

Discover our picks of illuminating hues and dazzling textures below.

Nars Summer Solstice Eyeshadow Palette, $83. Though we're closing to the winter solstice than the summer one, this luminous new limited-edition compact by Nars is getting us excited for the warmer months that lie ahead. All nine eyeshadow pans promise strong colour pay-off and luminous dimension, from metallic ruby and rusted pink to shimmering golden copper or rose gold. Its thanks to Nars pigment power suspension technology where pure colour pigments are suspended in an innovative liquid binding system for rich, long-wearing colour in just one swipe. Available from Mecca or online at Meccabeauty.co.nz.

From a super precise cat eye to a bold statement look, the ultra-fine applicator of Chantecaille's Les Pearles Metallic Eye Liner, $71, enables you to create a variety of metallic eye looks. Available in four luminous shades  from gleaming silver to shimmering violet  the highly pigmented, long-lasting formula lends the prettiest sheen to your peepers. Trace along the upper lash line to enhance your eye shape, or extend up towards your brow for a more dramatic effect. Available from Mecca or online at Meccabeauty.co.nz.

For a product inspired by molten metals, the new Revlon So Fierce! Chrome Ink Liquid Liner, $30, is surprisingly lightweight. Anyone who wears liquid liner regularly will delight over the water-ink formula, which wears comfortably and sets quickly meaning it won't smudge or transfer to your upper eyelid. With one stroke of the tapered plush felt tip, this high-intensity metallic liner delivers a multi-dimensional chrome finish but with no glitter fall out. Plus, a dip-ink cap reservoir prevents the tip from drying out. Available in two shades, Gunmetal and Bronzage, from selected department stores and pharmacies.

Be enlightened by Jane Iredale's Solar Flare Eyeshadow Kit, $102, a five-pan eyeshadow palette promising crease-resistant colour. The mineral makeup harnesses the plant power of botanical extracts to care for all skin types. Allow out-of-this world shade names like Cosmic, Sunspot, and Aurora inspire you to take your makeup look to dizzying new heights. Available from selected day spas, online retailers or see Psb.net.nz.

Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow, $56. Shine on with single-pan shades that promise even application and long-lasting wear. Assemble your favourite assortment of shades to create your own palette, or stash individual compacts separately. Use in conjunction with Bobbi Brown's regular Eye Shadows for a multi-dimensional look: sweep the lightest shade of Eye Shadow from the lash line to brow bone, before smudging a slightly darker shade of Metallic Eye Shadow on the lower lid up to the crease. Available from selected department stores or online at Bobbibrowncosmetics.com.

Holographic and hypnotic, the new Napoleon Perdis Metalslicks Liquid Eyeliners, $39, boast a long-lasting and fast-drying formula that lends a striking dose of colour to any eye look. Prepare to dazzle by layering over your pick of glow-giving eyeshadow or wear solo for a touch of twinkle. Use short, small strokes close to the lash line for a more subtle effect, or perfect for your feline flick by marking out where your cat eye will end before working your way backwards to the inner corner of the eye. Available from the Napoleon Perdis counters inside Smith & Caughey's, or online at Smithandcaugheys.co.nz. 

The new My Clarins makeup collection appeals to the playful side of all of us, with its range of five vegan-friendly products harnessing fruit and plant extracts like goji berry, cocoa butter, cranberry and coconut oils in their formulas. Viva loves My Clarins My Shimmer Drops, $39, a pearlescent liquid highlighter that offers a luminous glow to the complexion when applied to cheekbones, the bridge of the nose and cupid's bow. Available from selected department stores and pharmacies, or online at Clarinsnewzealand.co.nz.