It’s All About the Glitter!

Today Jessica of Little Thoughts and Lovely Things gives the 411 on ways to wear glitter.

My name is Jessica, and I’m your guest beauty blogger this afternoon. 🙂

MBB guest mascot Kitty and I (yes, I do have a kitty named Kitty) are easy to please. As long as Kitty gets her naps and can shed all over the house, and I have my makeup — particularly glitter — we’re great!

NOTE: Make sure you’re careful with glitter around your eyes, and only use glitter products approved for use with makeup (no craft store glitter!).

Glitter adds that extra “pop” to any look. Apply a lot to, say, the entire lid, and people will definitely look your way. Or, play it safe for school or work with a lighter application for a subtle shimmer.

The first time I tried using a loose glitter shadow, I skipped the base and applied it directly to my eyelid. By the end of the day… well, you know how that went. I got it everywhere but my eyes! — on my hands, my clothes, my desk and all over my cheeks.

No problem. You can definitely apply glitter in a way that won’t leave your coworkers wondering why you looked dressed to hit the disco, or why there are bits of glitter in their sandwich.

Loose glitter

What it is
The most concentrated form of glitter you can get. Unless you don’t mind getting glitter all over the place, you’re either going to want to mix it with a base or something else.

Bases
You could use something creamy like a MAC Paint Pot ($16) as a base for loose glitter, but you’ll probably end up with more fallout than if you actually mixed it with something like Mixing Medium.

Ask about Mixing Medium at your nearby MAC Pro Store (the water-based kind, about $15), or you can make a base yourself by mixing 2/3rds water with 1/3rd glycerine (bought from a drugstore).

The glycerine just makes everything sticky, so in this case the glitter adheres to your skin.

Consider also trying MAC Fix+ ($17), which combines glycerine with a couple of other ingredients like cucumber extract.

Just drizzle a few drops onto your brush, dip your brush into your loose glitter, and then pat it on your eye.

If you’d prefer a more liquid consistency, you can actually mix your MAC Fix+ and glitter together in a container or in a palette and can even make your own glittery shadow or liner.

A makeup sealant like Benefit’s SheLaq ($30) also helps make glitter stick to skin, but it’ll cost you a lot more than either MAC Fix+ or its drugstore equivalent.

Application

There are many different ways to apply glitter. One way is to apply it to the entire lid. In this pic I’m wearing NYX Glitter Powder in Silver (about $2).

Or, in the center of your lid above the iris, for a little understated sparkle (MAC Glitter in Reflects Antique Gold over MAC Amber Lights shadow, about $20, but much cheaper if you get it with a holiday pigment set).

Glitter also works added to your lipgloss. Here’s some NYX Glitter in Clear over NYX Round Lipgloss in Doll Pink…

Or perhaps above your blush as a highlighter for your cheekbone, though I don’t apply glitter on my face on a regular basis. Above shows some NARS Orgasm Blush and NYX Glitter in Clear over Revlon Crème Shadow in White…

Glitter liner

What it is
Glitter liners come as liquids, usually with a tiny eyeliner brush.

Application
Unlike loose glitter, you won’t need a base to apply glitter liner, and that’s because it comes ready to go for the eyes.

It can be applied alone or brushed atop black eyeliner, which can make the glitter stand out a little better.

I like it applied over the full lid, but because it’s a liquid, it can wash away powder shadows or come settle into the folds of the eyes when you blink.

Try keeping your eyes closed for a bit after applying glitter liner to give it some time to dry, or apply it over a dry pigmented base like MAC Fluidline.

Here it is used as liner (Too Faced Stalkerazzi gold glitter liner over a black liner, MAC Honey Lust shadow)…

And here’s a glittery cat eye done by lining the entire eye (MAC Peacocky glitter liner over MAC Blacktrack Fluidline)…

Glitter also looks great over the *entire* lid (Too Faced Super Freak liner over MAC Blacktrack Fluidline).

Keep your eyes out for creamy glitters like the NYX palette in Paradise in the first picture. They never seem to dry and tend to stay greasy for hours, rubbing off when you blink, and glitter (not shimmer) directly in eyeshadows tends to be of the chunky variety that usually ends up all over my face…. so those are a couple varieties of glitter to watch out for.

Tada! Thanks for reading! Kitty would thank you, too, if she weren’t sleeping. 🙂

In her defense, she just moved a few inches.

This post was written by the lovely Jessica of Little Thoughts and Lovely Things, where she shares her thoughts on beauty, society and everyday life. A fashion marketing student, she just moved to the big city to pursue her degree.