13 Trendy Metallic Lip Shades For Sparkle Lovers

Pull out your sunglasses and throw on your best Studio 54 finery, because metallic makeup is back in for fall 2014, specifically metallic lipstick. However, this season's metallics aren't your average neutrals with subtle shimmer added for good measure. 2014's metallic lipsticks and glosses are unabashedly glitzy. Some contain golden flecks to enrich deep crimson hues while others incorporate silver and bronze to illuminate pink tones, but none of them are for the faint of heart.

In pursuit of autumn's most memorable metallics, I tried 13 wildly different sparkly lip colors to determine which, if any, actually work in the real world. Much to my astonishment, I fell hopelessly in love with metallics, to the point where many of my matte, nude, and barely-there shades have been temporarily forsaken in favor of more bold and brilliant sparkling shades. Peach metallics or a dot of glittering gloss across your everyday lipstick are perfect for daytime wear, while richer hues of burgundy and cerise may be best left for your weekend exploits. So this fall, feel free to indulge your inner 13-year-old and play around with metallic lip shades. You may find they add sparkle to your life you didn't even know you were missing.

From left to right: Jane Iredale Pure Gloss In Beach Plum, Jane Iredale Pure Gloss In Candied Rose, Jane Iredale Lip Fixation In Cherish, Lipstick Queen Lipstick In Let Them Eat Cake, Lipstick Queen Lipstick In Red Metal, Lipstick Queen Lipstick In Wine Metal, Lipstick Queen Lipstick In Nude Metal, Sephora Lip Gloss In #49 Metal Copper, Kat Von D Studded Kiss In Gothica, Kat Von D Studded Kiss In Thin Lizzy, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar In Manhunter, Lorac Lip Lustre Gloss In Ruby Lustre, and Lorac Lip Lustre Gloss In 3D Lustre

1. JANE IREDALE PURE GLOSS IN BEACH PLUM

Jane Iredale PureGloss Lip Gloss In Beach Plum, $26, Amazon

This sweetly scented, metallic-flecked gloss achieves a peachy bronze shade on lips, ideal for those who don't love the idea of wearing a flamboyantly glittery gloss.

2. JANE IREDALE PURE GLOSS IN CANDIED ROSE

Jane Iredale PureGloss Lip Gloss In Candied Rose, $26, Amazon

Jane Iredale's Gloss in Candied Rose deposits a deep pink shade onto lips with the type of subtle, glossy sheen that works just as well at the office as it does after hours.

3. JANE IREDALE LIP FIXATION IN CHERISH

Jane Iredale Lip Fixation Lip In Cherish, $32, Amazon

I applied Jane Iredale's Lip Fixation in Cherish before dinner, and was delighted to find that the sweet, metallic pink stain lasted through the meal and kept right on going until I tucked myself into bed.

4. LIPSTICK QUEEN LIPSTICK IN LET THEM EAT CAKE

Lipstick Queen Lipstick In Let Them Eat Cake, $33, Amazon

My unadulterated passion for this ultra-pale, uber-metallic shade stems from a particular Hard Candy lipstick I purchased at ten years old, during the heyday of frosted, baby pink lips during the early aughts. Let Them Eat Cake, however, is all grown up thanks to its trendy orchid tint.

5. LIPSTICK QUEEN LIPSTICK IN RED METAL

Lipstick Queen The Metals Lipstick In Red Metal, $20, Amazon

Combine the perfect, true red lipstick with a subtle dose of metal and you get this rich, heavily pigmented shade.

6. LIPSTICK QUEEN LIPSTICK IN WINE METAL

Lipstick Queen The Metals Lipstick In Wine Metal, $17, Amazon

A plummy, berry tone gives Lipstick Queen's Wine Metal shade a chic, wintery glow without giving the impression of having bedazzled one's lips.

7. LIPSTICK QUEEN LIPSTICK IN NUDE METAL

Lipstick Queen The Metals Lipstick In Nude Metal, $19, Amazon

This peachy lipstick is the equivalent of your favorite blush-colored nude shade, only better. The edgy dose of rose gold sparkle gives this Lipstick Queen shade major allure.

8. SEPHORA LIP GLOSS IN #49 METAL COPPER

Sephora Lip Gloss In Metal Copper, $12, Sephora

Scented with vanilla and packaged in a traditional clear tube, this clear Sephora Lip Gloss with pink, coppery shimmer accents is a no-fuss way to dip a toe into metallics without diving headfirst. Plus, the incredible sheen catches the light beautifully.

9. KAT VON D STUDDED KISS IN GOTHICA

Kat Von D Intense Studded Kiss Lipstick In Gothica, $21, Sephora

Kat von D's intense Studded Kiss Lipstick is literally packaged in a black studded tube, so I was prepared for an unapologetically vivid shade. However, I was still shocked by the heavily glittered, bronze Gothica shade. After wearing the lipstick around for an hour, I finally found myself falling for its rich, autumn-appropriate hue.

10. KAT VON D STUDDED KISS IN THIN LIZZY

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick In Thin Lizzy, $21, Sephora

Thin Lizzy contains the same amount of sparkle as Gothica, but the shade is a deep, flattering shade of brick which is bound to bring out the edgy sophisticate in its wearer.

11. OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS LIP TAR IN MANHUNTER

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar In Manhunter, $20, Amazon

Disregarding the utterly delightful fact that Obsessive Compulsive's Lip Tar is completely vegan and cruelty-free (a detail on which I was hung up for quite some time), the Metallic Lip Tar in Manhunter is an addictive, dazzling shade of true red. The formula comes with a handy paint brush and tube for precise application and lasting color.

12. LORAC LIP LUSTRE GLOSS IN RUBY LUSTRE

Lorac Lip Lustre Gloss In Ruby, $15, Amazon

Lorac's gorgeous, shimmery Lip Lustre Gloss in Ruby Lustre has the unique property of providing buildable color. One layer lends a subtle glow on its own or atop a red lipstick, while two coats provide a deeper crimson glow and high shine.

13. LORAC LIP LUSTRE GLOSS IN 3D LUSTRE

Lorac Lip Lustre Gloss In 3D Lustre, $15, Nordstrom

Call Lorac's Lip Lustre Gloss in 3D Lustre the disco ball of glosses: It sparkles, it shimmers, and it catches any hint of light for a captivating glow.

Images: Tyler Atwood