I've always had a bit of a thing about gold. It does for black skins what bronzer does for white. Just a hint of gold on the face or body, and the wearer's complexion gets an instant warm glow. If you've got dark skin, you can wear gold pretty much anywhere. On the eyes, lips or cheekbones, it adds instant glamour. Dust gold over your décolletage for an incredibly sexy shimmer.

But while other colours can be worn all year, albeit with spring/summer variations, gold only really works during this, the Official Party Season. And I can't help thinking how typical it is that one of the colours that looks better on darker skins can only be worn at one time of year.

That said, you can't just reach for any old gold. As with all colours, pay close attention to your skin tone and pick accordingly. "Pale or light golds don't work on dark skin," advises Ariane Poole, make-up artist for Boots No7. "They tend to have an ashen appearance." Instead, look for warm golds, especially if your skin tone is warm. "Coppery or bronze golds look stunning," says Poole.

You should also use golds with a strong pigment in them. Choose a deep (but not too bright) yellow, so you won't be left looking washed out. The darker you are, the stronger the pigment underneath the gold should be. You can use gold glitter on its own (again, make sure the pigment is strong enough), or mix it with this season's reds or plums to get both depth and sparkle.

The gold eye colours from Karen Millen and Trash at Boots 17 are my favourites - both have good colour and can be used on lips as well. Moonlighting from Virgin Vie is a wonderful golden powder that is great on its own or applied over your existing make-up, to take your look from day to night. And if your nails aren't quite up to scratch, the nail transformer from Liz Collinge can be used on its own or applied over your nail colour to give your fingers that golden touch. But remember, no matter how great gold looks on your skin, come January 2, when the season is officially over, put it away and forget about it.