Hot Metal

If you’re into your taupes, beiges and browns, look away now. Fall/Winter’s standout beauty trend is anything but subtle. While often we see bold makeup in the run-up to the holidays, this year it was metallics, taken to the max. At Alberta Ferreti, multi-coloured shades were layered across the lids, while at Brandon Maxwell, celeb makeup artist Tom Pecheux did a smoky version.

Beauty brands have been just as enthusiastic as runway labels. There’ve been a slew of metallic launches. And it’s not just eyeshadows, which we’d expect to see, but virtually every kind of beauty product, from ludicrously glittery lipsticks and chrome-style manicures to wash-in-wash-out hair colours that really do give locks a metallic gleam.

How can you pull them off without looking like the Tin Man? “A metallic smokey eye is a great example of trying to incorporate metallics into your makeup routine,” said Oz Zandiyeh, a makeup artist at Lizbell Agency and instructor at Blanche Macdonald Centre. “You can start with a lighter shade or texture and build it if you want it to be bolder.”

If you want the metallic look in a way that requires minimal skill and is low-key, Oz suggests metallic eyeliner. “It gives a punch of rock-star chic that can be worn with a variety of fashions. A simple lash line application, winged liner or a dramatic cat’s eye is super fun in my opinion and maybe a bit easier to wear than, say, a metallic lip.”

Chrome-look nails have been around since the ’90s, but now, the look is everywhere. What to know before you try it? “Your nails have to be in great shape. Metallic and pearlescent polishes really show the planes of the nail so make sure it’s buffed and any ridges are filled because otherwise the light will bounce off wrongly and emphasise any unevenness," said Rita Remark, Essie’s global lead educator and lead nail artist.

You also, she adds, need to manage your expectations of the finish. “Essie’s formulations have intense amounts of pearl pigment with brushed pearl finish so you get a strong mirrored metallic, but for that ‘I can check my lipstick in my nails’ look, you really need to go to a salon.”

The coolest way to wear chrome nails? “Keep it minimal and wear it like jewelry,” according to Remark. “There are some great runway examples, for example, Alice & Olivia’s Fall/Winter 2017 show where we added spots of gold along the cuticle line and it looked like a stud. If you want to do it at home, you can use a bobby pin or even the back of a pen to dot the colour on.”

She reckons it’s the perfect way to brighten up a dull winter’s day. “Nail polish is just like lipstick—they both have the same caffeine-up-your-morning effect.” —Aileen Lalor