Preparation
If you associate metallic makeup with the edgy anti-bride, we’re here to change your mind. Metallics are no longer the alloys of old-they’ve been supplanted by shades with a soft, light-catching sheen and a radiant effect. From creamy eyeshadows that look more natural than powdered mattes to sparkly nail polish shades that enhance your engagement ring, metal-inspired beauty looks can be pretty and subtle. Even better, metallic makeup is often effortless and unfading. What could be more becoming of a bride? Here, three subtle ways to try the glimmering beauty trend on the big day.
HOW TO TASTEFULLY WEAR GLITTER MAKEUP ON YOUR WEDDING DAY
“We hear the word ‘metallic’ and immediately think extreme, but that’s so not the essence of these cream shadows,” says Los Angeles-based makeup artist and cofounder of Striiike Beauty Studio Jenn Streicher. Their inherent sheen-and absence of glitter or frost-lends a dewy finish that’s more natural-looking than most powdered shadows.
Beautifully uncomplicated, the cream formulas set fast, refusing to crease or fade. Wear one over the entire lid for an expensive chrome effect, or dabbed suggestively on the inner corners for an eye-opening glint. The secret to finding the perfect pearlescent eyeshadow shade? Work with your skin tone, says New York-based celebrity makeup artist Andrew Sotomayor. Silver, shimmering champagne, and icy lilac all flatter fair skin; warmer rose gold and pewter suit medium tones; and bronze, copper, and burnished plum dazzle on deeper complexions.
Feeling bold shimmery lips? Strive for balance. Offset by understated eyes, metallic lips add whimsy to your look. Just choose a daring, spicy, saturated color, or a mellow “golden, peachy, bronze tone that’s neutral but still has dimension,” says New York-based celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose. If you choose a metallic lipstick with a non-shiny, matte finish, be on the lookout for flakes, says Brooklyn-based makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes. She recommends first moistening your lips with balm and buffing away dead skin, or gently dissolving it with an enzyme treatment.
From antique copper to futuristic quicksilver, “metallics are the most elegant, skin-flattering nail polishes around,” says Miss Pop, a New York City nail artist. “They truly are the new neutrals.” When choosing a metallic nail shade for your wedding day, start by narrowing it down to those shades that complement the metal in your wedding band. Yellow golds will want something with a gilded undertone. For white gold and platinum rings, silver is a natural. If you’re gravitating to a more colorful choice, be it a neutral rose or a lovely lilac, let your skin and the polish’s undertone be your guides. Then marvel at how that lacquer catches the light as you display your ring or raise a celebratory glass.
