There may be affiliate links in this post. If you purchase through these links we may make a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclaimer, terms and privacy for more information.
It’s mid-December and we are quickly approaching peak makeup glitter season with Christmas and New Years right around the corner.
Makeup glitter is a beautiful way to add some sparkle to your look during the holiday season (or any time of the year, including fun special events like dances, prom, and festivals!).
There are many types of glitter cosmetics on the market. This guide will help you navigate which glitter is best for your particular eye makeup look!
There may be affiliate links in this post. Please see terms and privacy for more information.
Pin this for later:
Makeup Glitter Palettes
A glitter palette looks like a normal eyeshadow palette, but instead of including matte and shimmer shades, all the pans are filled with glitter!
This is an extremely convenient way to have many colors of glitter and easily store them in your makeup collection.
Unfortunately, there aren’t that many reputable cosmetics companies that produce glitter palettes. You can find a collection of them online, however they are often made from small companies who don’t provide much information about the product. Some of these products could be high quality, but it could actually be craft glitter instead of cosmetics glitter (see the glitter warnings section for more). Be careful and do research before you buy!
Loose Glitter Makeup
This is the type of glitter that comes to mind first, just loose glitter particles kept in a small jar!
Loose glitters are typically sold individually in a wide range of colors.
They are best applied with a flat brush and a glitter glue or glitter primer. There is more info about these products below.
The biggest problem with loose glitter is that it can be extremely messy. Glitter can be hard to clean up, because it is so small and tends to get everywhere – especially if you accidentally knock over a jar of it!
Additionally, glitter can be difficult to fully remove from your skin. Most of the glitter comes off relatively easily, however you’ll likely find a few stray sparkles on your face over the next few days.
But in the end, loose glitter has the most classic “glittery” look, and the way it catches the light is absolutely gorgeous!
There are many companies that sell loose makeup glitter, including high end, drugstore, and small indie brands.
A new and popular high end loose glitter is Anastasia Beverly Hills Loose Cosmetic Glitter, available in many shades for $15 a jar.
The most popular glitter I’ve ever heard of is the NYX Face & Body Glitter. I’ve used this and love it. The glitter is available in many shades and is super nice – at a fraction of the cost of ABH!
NOTE: Don’t be surprised at how small these jars of glitter are! You need a tiny amount of product for each use, and unless you wear glitter extremely often, you probably only need to buy one jar, ever.
Makeup Glitter Liquid Eyeshadow
Over the past few years, liquid glitter eyeshadows have become increasingly popular.
This product is a liquid or cream that comes in a tube, very similar to a lip gloss tube.
You use the wand or a brush to apply it to your eyelid, let it dry, and bam! You’ll have a pretty sparkly effect without the mess of applying loose glitter.
Liquid glitter is super fun to play with, and is much more travel-friendly than loose glitter (you don’t have to worry about glitter getting all over your makeup bags!) and is easier to apply.
However, some liquid glitters are more shimmery or metallic looking than they are glittery. If you want the look of real glitter, I suggest sticking with the loose version, but if you want some sparkle with more convenience, you would love these.
The most popular liquid glitters that awoke the craze are the Stila Glitter and Glow liquid eyeshadows.
These little beauties retail for $24 each in a variety of colors and glittery or metallic finishes. “Kitten Karma” (below) is one of their most popular shades.
A drugstore dupe for these shadows are Elf Cosmetics Molten Liquid Eyeshadows. These tend to be more on the metallic side, but are a great starting point if you just want to try a liquid eyeshadow.
Makeup Glitter Eyeliner
A glittery wing is a holiday party classic, and glitter eyeliner is here to deliver!
Similar to a normal black liquid eyeliner, glitter eyeliners come in a little pot of sparkles with a brush applicator. They might need a couple of layers to be opaque glitter.
Glitter eyeliner sort of reminds me of glitter nail polish, now that I think of it. Glitter liners tend to act as a “top coat” over another eyeliner or eyeshadow, though they could still be worn on their own. That said, please don’t put nail polish on your eye.
The cult favorite glitter eyeliner is the Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner at $20 each. Shade “Midnight Cowboy” is the classic glitter eyeliner that all our fav beauty gurus swear by!
For some glitter liner that’s more accessible and easier on the wallet, check out NYX Cosmetic’s Liquid Crystal Liner. It comes in many shades, and I really like mine! You have to go over it a few times for full glitter impact, but they are nice glitter liners to have around.
Makeup Glitter Glue
When using loose glitter, you have to have some way for the glitter particles to adhere to your eye.
Many people use their eyelash glue as glitter glue! This is a great hack if you are in a pinch and don’t have any glue specifically for glitters.
Eyelash glue is eye safe and can be easily used to adhere glitter. My favorite eyelash glue is the green Duo glue with a brush tip. It’s cheap and works great!
If you want a product specifically for glitter, I recommend the NYX Glitter Primer. It isn’t quite as sticky and thick as you would expect from a normal glue, but it is super tacky and provides an awesome base for loose glitter.
WARNING: Don’t use craft glitter as makeup glitter!
There is a difference between cosmetics glitter and craft glitters!
Makeup glitter is more fine and is made from eye safe materials. It would still irritate your eye if you got makeup glitter in it, but it would not damage your eye or be a hazard to your health.
Craft glitter is made of larger particles, often with rough edges that could leave micro cuts in your eye, exposing you to pain, infection, and vision damage.
Even though they look similar and craft glitter costs less than makeup glitter, please do NOT use craft glitter anywhere near your eyes.
If you must use craft glitter, use it on your body (for a cool costume or festival look!) but avoid the area around your eyes entirely.
I LOVE glitter.
Glitter makeup looks super impressive on the eyes, but is super easy to learn and apply. Everyone will think you’re a makeup genius, when in reality you spent less than 5 minutes making your eyes stand out and shine!
Pair a silver or a gold glitter eye with a bold red lip for a classic glam holiday makeup look!
Use colored glitter, match it to your prom dress, and dance the night away wearing a colorful glitter eye!
If you’ve been intimidated by glitter makeup in the past, I hope this knowledge gives you the confidence to try it out in the near future.
What’s your favorite form of glitter? Let me know in the comments below!
Leave A Comment