Twinkle and glow with the new sparkly shades of silver, bronze and gold. We take a look at how to bring bling into your make-up.

Heavy metal is back in fashion this summer. But it has little to do with music and head-banging. Women everywhere will be twinkling and glowing with the new sparkly shades of metallics.

"We only had to look at Nicolas Guesquiere's metallic leggings at Balenciaga or the sculpted metal at Dolce & Gabbana to know that make-up for this season was going to be about texture and sheen," says NARS make-up artist Jayne Richardson.

"With the 60s influence running through most of the shows, we were drawn back to the contouring on the eye, pale skin and neutral lips. Metallic shadows were used to bring it forward into the future, with beautiful contrasts of gold and silver being used at Chanel, or slightly bolder and more textured sheen seen at Prada. It was a playground for all things futuristic."

DAY

Shimmering metallic eyes in grey, lilac and taupe are the easiest to pull off. They work for the minimal face during the day and can be layered upon for a stunning effect in the evening.

"Focus on the eyes using shine or texture to get the look. Be inspired!" advises Jayne.

Make-up artist Mary Greenwell, who has worked with Kate Moss and Penelope Cruz, adds: "Keep any metallics in pure clean shades - with shimmery white silvers and pure warm golds - anything too steely grey or yellow looks cheap, not chic."

You can even mix the new metals. Silver eyeshadow on the eyelid would contrast beautifully with gold liner underneath the eye, Mary suggests.

Metallics don't have to be concentrated on the eyes. You'll get an all-over gleam on complexions with Paul & Joe Face Colour Powder in Magnolia (crisp white), £14 at www.paul-joe-beaute.com.

NIGHT

For the evening, you can be a bit more daring and brave with molten metals and flashier hues.

Go all out with sterling silver peepers. GOSH Glitter Dust, £6.49 at Superdrug, B Big Shot, £14.95 (01202 493 789/www.bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.com), and Hard Candy Eye Bling, £10 or 16 Euros, are loose powders that can be sprinkled around lightly.

Use a small amount in the inner corner of the eye to instantly brighten tired eyes, or get skin glowing with a sweep across cheekbones for an eye-catching look.

For a more intense take, swipe Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Dime, £9 or 14 Euros, or the Heavy Metal Liner in Pyrotechnics, £11 or 17 Euros.

Contrast the cool eyes with a warm orangey red lip colour. Sisley Phyto-Lip Star in Precious Coral, £22 or 31.50 Euros (020 7591 6380), Aveda Papaye Lip Glaze, £11.50 or 18.50 Euros, and TIGI Bedhead Pucker Up Lip Duo in Spice (toffee and caramel), £10 at www.lookfantastic.com, all look great on beach goddesses.

Alien Prodigy Ritual, £41 available from June, consists of a perfume oil and a pot of glittering gold wax. This buttery-smooth wax can highlight the curve of a shoulder or decolletage with a seductive sweep.

MINI METALS

Embracing the metal scene doesn't have to involve buying a whole new make-up bag - not if you pick the right things to invest in.

Hero products like Chanel's limited edition Lumiere D'Artifices, £29, MAC Iridescent Powder in Silver Dusk, £15.50, and Jane Iredale 24-Karat Gold Dust, £11 (020 8450 7111), are so versatile that they can be brushed on eyes, cheeks, lips or skin with little danger of overdoing the bling.

All About Face Shimmer Powder in Shade 1 (glistening gold) from Tesco, £1.97, and Barry M Fine Glitter Dust in silver, £4.50 at Superdrug and www.barrym.co.uk, are so cheap that you have no excuse not to indulge in some metallic frivolity. NARS Sparkling Pressed Powders, £22 or 30 Euros, comes in three shimmery hues to suit different complexions - light, medium and dark.

Or give talons a metallic sheen with Leighton Denny nail colour in Angel Dust (light silver), £10 from www.leightondenny.com and www.lookfantastic.com