Opting for Gold

Legendary make artist Pat McGrath wowed everyone at the Spring/Summer 2016 Prada show when she launched a sexy, tough glamour look for eyes and lips using her intense #Gold001 pigment - not surprisingly, it sold out within days. The gold luxe statement was all over the Summer 2016 runways - it appeared in all forms from a sprinkle of fairy dust on the face to nude nails with glitter tips and big, bold bolts of gold foil colour across the lids. And for those of you who want to be ahead of the pack, turn your lips and tips into the next best accessory with winter 2017's super sophisticated rose gold colour.

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Slivers of Silver

It's not surprising that silver has grown into the futuristic hue which is exciting designers and makeup artists alike. It was seen mostly on nails from all out chrome to half-moon silver circles and thin foiled lines for a chic finish to a nude or brightly coloured nail. One of the most sophisticated looks we've seen is the mixed matte and chrome silver French mani.  But this mesmerising metallic also appeared as a wash of shimmering shadow on the lids and a sparkly cats eyes statement sweeping well past the edge of the brows. A playful twist is to pair very on-trend grey hair with silver glitter roots.

Glitter Grows Up

Most of us would probably want to steer clear of this trend when we remember the garish experiments of our teens. But glitter was everywhere on the runways this summer - and it's definitely now very grown up. Aside from gold and silver pairings, it was used to ramp up some of the key trends of the season. Smoky blue eyes became incredibly stylish with added sparkle, lips went super glam and brows got magnified with thin glitter lines on the brow bone. But it didn't stop there. Chunky pastel sequins and small delicate rhinestones got added to the face, eyes and hairline for a sophisticated twist to the mermaid look.

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Molten Metallics

Just when you think you've mastered matte lipsticks, fashion decides to throw in a serious curved ball - high-shine, molten metallics. Spurred on by launches such as Pat McGrath's Gold 001 and Kylie Jenner's Metal Matte Lip Kits, metallic lips are as much of a statement making look as smoky eyes (and a big bonus - they are a lot easier to do).  Metallics are actually highlighters for the lips - born out of the strobing trend. You can now move seamlessly from day to night. Use them over your matte lipstick - just add to the centre of your lips, both top and bottom, for a perfect bold, vibrant and seriously glam pout.

Metallic lipsticks are a little thin on the ground in SA but Allure have found a perfect solution to this by using a gold eyeliner and a silicon based gloss - see "The Weird Trick to Get Perfect Metallic Lips (Hint: It's Not Lipstick)."  You can also use this trick over any matte or semi matte lipstick shade. Using a small dense eyeshadow brush, gently blend a layer of high shine gold or silver eyeshadow onto the centre of your pout. Finish off by smudging with a balm.

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And if you want a sneak preview of one of the Winter 2017 glitter trends, go check out Kat Von D (@thekatvond) who has started one of the coolest liner and brow trends on Instagram.