The 6 Ways I Wear Metallic Eyeshadow

I'm a subdued black eyeliner kind of girl. It's classic, stylish, and easy to do. But once in a while, I crave a little drama. That's why I'm simply gaga over this year's dramatic metallic eyeshadow looks. They're like miniature works of art, from twinkling navy shadows inspired by Van Gogh's "Starry Night" to gold and silver leafing worthy of any museum statue.

Now, while these looks are simply too gorgeous to resist, you do run the risk of looking like an over-zealous 'tween who's gotten into mom's makeup. To prevent that, here are a few expert-mined rules of thumb that will keep your lids looking sexy, not silly:

• Keep your glitter and shimmer pared down and, in most cases, within the same color family.
• Since you're focusing attention on your eyes, keep the rest of your face sheer and simple, with a soft lip color and minimal blush or bronzer.
• To keep glittery shades or pigments in place, apply an eyeshadow primer or cream shadow first as a base. Then let it dry for several minutes.

If you're raring to unleash your inner drama queen, peruse my top six picks for the best use of metallic makeup on the runways, and learn the pro tips on how to work them into your daily routine.

Gilded glow

The chances of you snatching up gold leaf at your local art store and gluing it to your eyelids are probably slim (although I do love this real-world trial). So, to get a more wearable look, blend gold shadow on the inner corners of your eyes and up to your crease, or apply gold liner to your bottom lash rim.

Tip: Gold can work for all skin tones, but it tends to best complement warmer, darker skin.

Platinum finish

Silver-white shadow was all over the runway, from Chanel to Parabal Gurung. To get this unique look featured at 3.1 Phillip Lim, use a brush or wand applicator to draw a thick line of cream shadow above your natural crease, from your inner eye corners to just under the outside of your brow.

Tip: Don't blend the line too much; you want it to be obvious.

Glitter fest

It's easy to look like glitter exploded all over your face with this one, but simply keeping the glitter off your cheeks and brow bones can make this look more wearable for those fun nights out. To get it, trace your eyes all the way around with black liner and smudge outward . Then apply something like MAC Metal X Cream Shadow in Venetian Tarnish, up to your crease and just under your bottom lashline. Press gold eye glitter into the shadow and apply lots of mascara.

Starry nights

To get this flattering, night-sky-inspired smoky eye, trace your entire eye with a navy blue liner, then use a damp brush to apply a shimmery black-blue shadow from your inner eye corners all the way up to the edge of your brow bone. Blend well. Using a dry brush, lightly blend shimmery teal shadow over the darker shadow. Finish with black mascara.

Tip: When picking shadows, look for silver shimmer instead of gold.

Double cat-eye

Double the cat-eye; double the fun! To get the look, apply a light gray or silver eyeshadow all over your eyelid as a base. Line your top lashline with a gray long-wear eyeliner, flicking it up and out at the end for an extended cat-eye. Then, use the liner to contour your natural eye crease with two more small lines, one at the inner corner and one at the outer. Leave a gap between them for a more graphic effect.

Tip: Soften the lines with an angled liner brush.

Pink passion

P&G Global Creative Design Director and celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath pulls off a vintage, "sepia-toned" look at John Galliano. To get a similar look at home, apply a metallic pink shadow across your top lashline, blending the color as you approach your brow. (If desired, apply a bit more on you lower lashline and smudge.) Finish with lots of mascara.

Most of all, enjoy this new funky trend!