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It’s All About the Glitter!

June 2nd, 2009 by Karen 15 Comments

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

All about the glitter

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

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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.

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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

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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).

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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).

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

It’s All About the Glitter! / Originally published June 2nd, 2009

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. jojoba says

    June 2nd, 2009 at 2:46 pm

    oh i love it!!!! the glitter liner works you did are most beautiful!!!

    i am glad that Karen decided to do this segment on her site.

    i will be following all the guest bloggers.

    you have done the most excellent job. love the glitters on you. suits so well!

    jojoba´s last blog post..Review/Skincare Brand: Simple Regeneration Age Resisting Facial Wash

    Reply
  2. Citrine says

    June 2nd, 2009 at 2:51 pm

    Oooo, I always wanted to try out some glittery liners…And the nyx lipstick looks so pretty!

    P.S. A girl in my high school french class has a cat, named “mouse”…

    I had a tuxedo kitty and I call him penguin…

    Citrine´s last blog post..Sally Hansen Evil Bumpy Papaya

    Reply
  3. Kate says

    June 2nd, 2009 at 3:08 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing these. I have tended to shy away from glitter, but these are all gorgeous! My favorites are the looks w/Antiques Gold and the gold glitter liner.

    Reply
  4. Babybubblz says

    June 2nd, 2009 at 4:50 pm

    Oh wow!! You make glitter look so easy to apply and use. I love your looks =) The glitter on your cheeks makes me want to try Super Orgasm 😀

    Reply
  5. Connie says

    June 2nd, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    gerat post! you pull off glitter really well. and *hugs* for the kitty

    Connie´s last blog post..Skin Deco for TiC: Smudge-Proof Makeup with Make Up Store

    Reply
  6. Vonvon says

    June 2nd, 2009 at 6:34 pm

    Would love to try out more glitters definitely after reading your post! I like glitter eyeliners a lot, and now I think I should widen my repertoire to include glitter shadows and blushes too! Great post!

    Vonvon´s last blog post..Vonvon’s SUMMER GIVEAWAY – Update

    Reply
  7. mishel says

    June 2nd, 2009 at 7:24 pm

    hey jessica and karen,

    thanks for this awesome post. i love anything with glitter and sparkles. i will def wear one of these glitter looks tomorrow! =)

    Reply
  8. Meream says

    June 3rd, 2009 at 5:15 am

    I’m liking the one on the cheeks. Looks very cute.

    Reply
  9. Jessica says

    June 3rd, 2009 at 7:16 am

    Thank you Karen for posting and thank you everyone for reading and commenting. I really appreciate it. : )

    Jessica´s last blog post..But It reminds me of him…

    Reply
  10. Brittany says

    June 3rd, 2009 at 8:38 am

    Thank you, that was really helpful! I’ve never made the venture into glitter before, so I was completely clueless as to how to utilize it properly. Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Anastasia says

    June 3rd, 2009 at 12:26 pm

    Love it on you – not sure how brave I am though. I do have a Karen Millen black glitter pencil that I break out for evenings, and a Pupa white fairy glitter powder that gets everywhere but I love for night.

    I like the idea of a thin burst of eyeliner glitter – I’ll have to try a gold version like yours some weekend.

    Thanks for the glitter tips!
    Anastasia.

    Reply
  12. Vivian says

    June 3rd, 2009 at 2:25 pm

    What a coincidence. I have this NYX glitter I bought on a whim and haven’t used, and I will use this as a guide. i’ve also got lots of MAC samplings from online, and some are sparkly, so this is a great idea!! Thanks 😉

    Reply
  13. Nicole15 says

    June 3rd, 2009 at 5:31 pm

    Have loved glitter since my days of getting glitterized from head to toe for a night out clubbing. But when those days were long gone, i assumed my ability to pull off glitter was too. I am so glad you showed us how to make it wearable in so many ways & for so many ages. Time for me to bring the glitter back! Yay 🙂

    Reply
  14. Nettie209 says

    June 3rd, 2009 at 7:58 pm

    I’m really diggin those glitter liners ….. must try soon….. usually I’m kinda old skool when it comes to liners…. truly a earthtones type a girl like COCOA , MOCHA OR basic dark browns….. but YEA I’m gonna have to try some glitter liners….. thanks glam girls….

    Reply
  15. Sammie says

    June 4th, 2009 at 5:45 am

    love it! =)

    Reply

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

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