Glittery, gold, or yellow-tinted lip gloss sounded a bit frightening to me at first—more Foxxy Cleopatra from Austin Power’s Goldmember than a glamorous evening look. That is, until I went backstage at Derek Lam’s Spring 2012 and talked to makeup artist Tom Pecheux. For the show, Pecheux created an east coast version of the California girl, which meant gorgeous bronzed cheeks, bronze and yellow shadow on the eyes, and a gold-flecked, yellow lip gloss that translated to a warm, sunny look. “We put the yellow gloss on top of bare lips,” he told us backstage. “It actually warms up a woman’s natural lip color, which is usually cool in tone.” I tested the idea myself and was surprised to find that it really does look subtle and sunny, compliments holiday metallics perfectly, and doesn’t require a face full of bronzer.
To create the look, Pecheux used a new product from Estée Lauder—the Pure Color Gloss in Citron Kiss—which isn’t out until January. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait until then to try this out. Several brands have gold glosses as part of their holiday collections. Chanel’s new Glossimer in Sparkle D’Or has finely milled gold glitter suspended in a very sheer yellow gloss. Nars’s new limited edition Lip Gloss in Albatross can best be described as a white-gold gloss with champagne-colored glitter, and while it looks frosty in the tube, it goes on sheer—and gives lips a hint of pretty iridescence. CoverGirl ShineBlast Lipgloss in Flare is a yellow gloss with glimmering gold specks that gives lips mega-watt shine. Because these glosses don’t go overboard with color or shimmer, they’re all incredibly versatile. Pair them with soft gold or bronze shadow and loads of mascara for a monochromatic look that has just enough shine for a office holiday party but won’t look ridiculous when you’re actually at the office. Swipe some on over bare lips when doing a smoky eye for an alternative to your run-of-the-mill nude, or even layer it over your favorite red lipstick, a tip I nabbed from Pecheux. “Just like it warms up the color of your lips, it will do the same for your lipstick,” he explained.
