Backstage at the Valentino Spring/Summer 2020 show, inside the Hotel National Des Invalides, Pat McGrath went for the gold.

“Pierpaolo Piccioli really wanted gold,” “He said, ‘Just play!’” And that’s precisely what the make-up visionary did as she dug into her old couture show kits (glitter! crystals! fringe!) and dreamed up four mesmerising eye looks that flashed brilliantly against the collection’s white ruffled dresses, sheer appliquéd column gowns, and treasure trove of sculpted gold jewellery.

For Adut Akech’s opening shimmering brows and wings, McGrath used her new Blitz Astral Quad Eyeshadow in Nocturnal Nirvana to draw on “theatrical” graphic shapes, then layered stacks of delicate gold gems on top to create a 3D effect.

“These are old Swarovski stones that are discontinued,” she explained. “It’s the last time they’ll ever appear!” . It wasn’t just crystals that McGrath resurrected from decades past, however.

“These are gold lashes I’ve collected since the 1990s,” she explained of the heavy metal faux fringe she fastened on a few model gazes. “They’re collector’s edition and you can’t get them anymore.” Relatively speaking, the most minimal of the designs was worn by Kaia Gerber with “little baby wings” etched on the inner and outer corners of her eyes to create a negative space effect.

Tap into this trend by picking a complementary eyeshadow base, such as Incandescent gold 003 from Pat McGrath Labs Blitz Astral Quad Eyeshadow Palette in Nocturnal Nirvana.

Dab some glitter primer, such as Nyx Professional makeup glitter primer over the eye shadow base and tap some glitter over it with a brush. Mac cosmetics Reflects Gold is a good choice.

If loose glitter and primer isn’t your thing, try gel glitter. Huda beauty Matte & metal melted eye shadow is a duo that has a fine glitter gel on one side that gives a lovely sparkly understated version.