The London 2012 Olympics are getting ready to start, and everyone has their eye on first prize…the gold medal! While I have no special athletic abilities I do have an appreciation for gold – and to celebrate in true Olympic spirit I’ve compiled a selection of golden beauty products.
Gold shades or gold packaging…lets go crazy for GOLD!
FOR YOUR EYES
Even before I held the Dior Golden Jungle Compact in my hands I fell in love. As part of the brands fall collection, this limited edition beauty comes in Golden Khakis or Golden Browns. There is a sense of true luxury when you open the box with the silver case and applicator brushes. There’s a mirror and three eyeshadow shades in an animal print design – matt, pearl and iridescent for the perfect eye.
A little silver door opens to reveal a soft lipgloss. It looks so lovely you will almost want to leave it untouched. RRP $115.00 / Stockists: 02 9695 4800
NP Set Eyeshadow Duos are budget friendly and Saint Barts is my gold pick. There is a stronger gold shade and a lighter pinkish shade which you can use individually or blend together. They have a nice silky texture and I like these for everyday wear as you don’t mind them being thrown around in your handbag or slapping them on in the morning with your eyes half closed.
The only downside is they don’t come with an applicator brush or mirror – but for the pricetag you cannot have it all. RRP $16.00 / Stockists: 1300 MAKEUP
Prestige Cosmetics have a gold liquid eyeliner called Legend. This is something different from your traditional black and gives your eyes a special something. It comes in a little pot with thin brush and glides across your eyelid with ease. Even a beginner should be able to apply without any dramas and the product is smudge resistant.
If you are looking to try a liquid eyeliner I would suggest you check out Prestige Cosmetics. RRP $15.95 / Stockists: 1800 352 454
YSL Touche Eclat (Radiant Touch) is packaged in gold, with a gold box and a gold tube. This works wonders when used under your eyes to disguise dark circles and fine lines. It really gives your whole face a lift as it works to highlight and conceal. Click the bottom of the tube and the soft brush gets coated with product and apply – you can use it on other areas of your face too.
This is one of those products that makeup artists adore and every woman should have in her handbag. RRP $55.00 / Stockists: 1300 651 991
FOR YOUR CHEEKS
Once you get used to the nail polish-esque design of Benefit’s Sun Beam, you will discover the magic of this pot of golden sunshine. Used on your brow bones and cheek bones, it gives a summery glow with a dash of shimmer. Once applied it feels barely there and the result is natural but your skin does look illuminated in all the right places.
Use the little brush to dot and blend with your finger – the packaging is gold and so is the contents! RRP $45.00 / Stockists: 02 8353 5000
The Jane Iredale 24 Karat Gold Dust isn’t just gold in colour, it actually contains real gold flakes which makes it unlike any other product I’ve used! This gives you a golden glow on your cheeks or eyes, and the brand even suggests you mix it with moisturiser for your decollete or with gel to get some sparkle happening in your hair. Tried and tested, both these options do work.
Match it to your jewellery, these come in Gold, Silver, Bronze, Champagne, Rose Gold, Aquamarine and Green! RRP $27.00 / Stockists: 1300 SKINCARE
Another innovative product is the Goddess Bronzing Rocks from MeMeMe Cosmetics. These bronze and gold shimmering “rocks” look just like precious round stones. To use you can get a brush and lightly sweep over the rocks, and add to areas of your face you wish to highlight such as the cheekbones. You can even pick up an individual bronzing rock and use it on your eyelids or add to your lipgloss.
Pulling these out will make you feel like an exotic princess, just gorgeous. RRP $36.95 / Stockists: www.mememecosmetics.com.au
FOR YOUR FACE
Napoleon Perdis is no stranger to gold, and a selection of the products are packaged in this first place metallic hue. The Camera Finish Powder Foundation has been reformulated and comes in a super shiny gold compact. The luxury doesn’t end there, the mirror is extra large and the product itself is a winner. It has a matte finish and covers just about anything, with Vitamins C and E for a bit of wow.
I like a good powder foundation and this does well in covering any redness and smooths an uneven skintone. RRP $65.00 / Stockists: 1800 814 572
FOR YOUR LIPS
If you are brave enough to experiment with your lips, look no further than Innoxa’s lipstick in Sunset. This is part of their Couleurs D’ete Summer Matte collection and does have a gold feel to it. Don’t be fooled by its bold appearance in the tube, there is nothing threatening about this shade and it is in fact quite wearable.
Innoxa’s lipsticks have jojoba oil and a creamy formula to give your lips that extra softness. RRP $14.95 / Stockists: 1300 650 981
FOR YOUR NAILS
OPI have a nail polish shade for every mood or occassion, but instead of one of their straight golds I have chosen Just Spotted the Lizard for this feature. It changes in the light for a fun effect, sometimes it looks gold and sometimes it looks green – and those are our Olympic colours…need any more excuses to buy one?
There’s sparkle and a delicious shine factor, loving this little critter! RRP $19.95 / Stockists: 1800 358 999
For a more true golden gold nail shade there is the Glitz from ORLY. Very shiny, it catches your eye and really glistens. I would say this is a brassy gold – and I mean that in the nicest possible way. You wouldn’t want your blonde hair to turn out this colour, but your nails…YES!
Paint all your nails in this, or just do one or two with the others in an alternative shade. RRP $18.95 / Stockists: 1300 769 355
1000 Hour have a few options for gold nails with a selection of Metallic Nailz glue ons or even gold nail appliques. I’ve been having some fun with their glue on nails (these also come with press on nail tabs if you prefer) and their black design with gold tips is an on trend choice. They last up to 2 weeks, they stayed with me for about 5 days but I am very rough with my hands.
Ideal for special occasions where you don’t want the long term commitment or damage of acrylics. RRP $12.95 / Stockists: Available at Priceline
For a flakey gold glitter effect there is the Million Dollar Baby from BYS. You can apply it on its own (definitely use a top coat), or over a darker colour like black. It does seem to take a while to dry so you have to be careful not to touch anything but in the end it does look cute!
BYS is a budget beauty brand but they do have quite a few winners. RRP $4.95 / Stockists: 03 9551 4666
FOR YOUR BODY
Molton Brown have packaged a selection of their best products in gold, silver and bronze which have been released especially for the Olympics. For gold there is the Naran Ji Fine Liquid Handwash which is 300mls of grapefruit seed and sweet orange indulgence.
The scent is unisex and the texture is quite thin and smooth, there’s not much lathering – just a gentle clean with hands that feel soft afterwards. RRP $39.00 / Stockists: 02 9150 0590
All products have been personally tested by Beauty and Lace and only our genuine gold winners have been included.
Beauty and Lace is an online magazine for women. We hope you enjoyed this article!
The Dior compact looks absolutely beautiful, as do most of the products. Shame most are out of my price range but we can admire from a distance and dream.