Gilded eye makeup is as much a red carpet mainstay as Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Lawrence. And with good reason: It’s both an elegant statement and sly nod to that ultimate filmmaking prize, an Oscar statuette. Not to mention, it’s a look that’s flattering on everyone, whether screen star or civilian.
Here, Lisa Storey, the makeup artist to such A-listers as Miranda Kerr and Kate Bosworth, shares three distinct ways to achieve a golden eye—both on and off the red carpet.
The Green and
GOLD EYE
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Frame eyes (top and bottom lids) with this green pencil, letting it smudge near the outer corners. “It just gives it a different edge,” says Storey.
Swipe upper and lower lashes with Tom Ford’s teal-colored mascara. “It sounds crazy, but it looks really cool—the green gives the look more of an earthiness,” says Storey.
La Prairie’s creamy blush creates a softness that nicely offsets the drama of the eyes. Press onto the apples of the cheeks with a finger, then blend upward to the ears.
Dab the stick in the inner corner of the eye, in the middle of the eyelid, and along the bottom lash line, then use a finger to blend it all together. No need to be too precise with this look, Storey notes: “I like gold when it all falls apart a bit.”
Brighten and accentuate eyes with this powder quad. Storey suggests using the bottom left bright gold washed over the yellowish shade of the caviar stick, and the top right copper brown just on the edges of the eye. Blend everything together with an eyeshadow brush for depth.
Brush this blush over the cheek as usual, then up along (and above) the brow to create a sensual flush. “So you look like you’re embarrassed or turned on,” says Storey.
Begin with the deep gilded shade on the top right, starting at the inner corner of the eye and blending out. Sweep the shadow all around the eye, going into the eye socket and above, blending out as you go. Using the darker bottom right shade, curve it slightly into the eyelid and socket, just to frame the eye, before going around the lash line. Finally, use the upper left shade to dot the corner of the eye and the middle of the eyelid and bottom lash line, then blend in to highlight.
Start with La Prairie’s Cellular Treatment Bronzing Powder on the cheeks—Storey likes its red tones, which lend a blush-like effect. Finish it off with Tom Ford’s bronzer, starting on the cheeks and extending up to the forehead, nose, and chin.