@iwantalexx
As far as makeup goes, glitter eyeshadow undoubtedly create some of the most fun and irresistible looks. The shimmer and shine glitter picks up on every time it catches the light is universally alluring—its nearly impossible to avoid looking at. Its no wonder glitter makeup is such a staple in the queer community, and we love its more-recent renaissance in light of the Euphoria effect. In short: we love glitter makeup, so we had to learn how to apply glitter eyeshadow.
First things first: there are different types of glitter eyeshadow. Theres pressed glitter (which looks like your traditional eyeshadow compact), liquid glitter (basically just a liquid eyeshadow and typically comes with its own applicator which makes it easy to use), and loose glitter (the messiest type—its glitter in dry form and really delivers on the pigment). Each type of eyeshadow creates a different type of look—from subtle to bold—and has slightly different application methods.
To understand how to best apply all types of glitter eyeshadow, we tapped two celebrity makeup artists and asked them for their step-by-step tips. So, even if youre a experimenting with glitter for the first time and/or are a makeup newbie, the application process only take a few minutes. Keep reading for their tips—youll be shining in no time.
Meet the Expert
Matin is a celebrity makeup artist and non-toxic beauty advocate, with clients among the likes of Angelina Jolie, Rebel Wilson, Awkwafina, and more.
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Click Play to Watch MUA Matins Glitter Eyeshadow Tutorial
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Gather Your Makeup Tools
Whether youre using pressed, liquid, or loose glitter, having the right tools is essential for creating your bejeweled makeup look. As liquid glitter eyeshadow typically comes with its own applicator, all youll need is an eyeshadow brush to spread and blend it out. Alternatively, you could use your fingers. Pressed glitter also requires a makeup brush—Davy recommends Half Magics Pyramid Eyeshadow Brush ($18), which is conveniently shaped to create everything from a cut-crease to a winged look. Now, when working with loose glitter, Matin says youll need to gather cotton swabs, a mixing medium (or a setting spray), tape, and a clean spoolie brush.
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Clean Your Surrounding Areas
As we all know, glitter is a pain to clean up. So before you even start this journey journey, you want to make sure to prepare your area for a mess. Move all of your other makeup out of the way and put down paper towels on your vanity or bathroom counter. This way, all you have to do is throw away the towel, and clean-up is done in a snap.
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Prep and Hydrate the Lids
Before applying any type of makeup, make sure that your face is clean and hydrated. Use a gentle and hydrating cleanser, like Glossiers Milky Jelly Cleanser ($19,) and follow up with a hydrating skincare routine.
One major thing you probably want to avoid is using any hydrating product with oil as oil will make it harder for your glitter to stick to your lid. We suggest using a hydrating toner—we love the Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer ($36)—as itll keep your lids hydrated without the extra slick, greasy feeling.
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Apply an Eyeshadow Primer
Your eyeshadow primer is the step that is going to hold your entire look together. Not only does it help your glitter stick to your lid, but it also helps the color look vibrant all day.
Its fine to use a regular primer, but if you really want to make sure you dont end up with glitter fallout all over your face by the end of the night, its best to invest in a primer formulated to grip glitter, like the NYX Glitter Primer ($6.50). To apply, squeeze out a tiny, pea-sized or smaller amount onto your finger and gently tap it onto your eyelid.
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Prep For Glitter Fallout With an Under-Eye Shield
To catch any glitter fallout and to prevent it from getting all over your face, we also suggest you use an under-eye mask.
Theyre pretty easy to use—simply remove the sticky backing and apply the patch directly underneath your eyes to catch any fallout that can potentially mess up your whole look. Once youre done with your makeup look, you can simply toss them in the trash.
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Apply a Base Shadow
After your eyeshadow primer, apply a base eyeshadow. "My favorite way to create a high-impact glitter look is to use a matte eye paint as a colored primer and then layer glitter straight over it," agrees Davy. Doing so will keep your glitter looking rich and pigmented, absorb any extra oil to prevent creasing, and stop your glitter from smudging or transferring all over your face.
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Apply Loose Glitter With a Mixing Liquid and Cotton Swab
If youre using loose glitter, youll benefit from using a mixing medium, like Mehrons Mixing Liquid, to give glitter a more spreadable consistency that makes for easy application. So, start the application process by dipping your cotton swab into a mixing medium. (Note: You can damp a cotton swab with setting spray if you dont have a mixing medium on hand, but the glitter will have less staying power.)
Then, roll your wet cotton swab in the loose glitter, ensuring that the entire bulb of the cotton swab is covered in glitter. You can use anything from chunky stars to loose glitter powder, like MACs Glitter ($23).
To create your glitter look, you might opt to create more of a glitter eyeliner look by keeping the pigment closer to the lash line, or you can go full throttle and cover your entire lid in glitter. To create an eyeliner look, tap the glitter onto your eye using patting motions with the cotton swab, moving slowly across your lash line.
To cover the entire lid, Matin says to use a rolling motion to sweep shadow in an upward motion from the lash line to the crease of your eyelid. Using a rolling motion helps to evenly distribute the glitter across your lid, which is often a pain point when it comes to applying loose glitter.
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Apply Liquid Glitter With Your Fingers or a Brush
As previously mentioned, most liquid glitter eyeshadows come with an applicator, like e.l.f.s Glitter Eyeshadow ($6) which makes the process a lot easier. To apply, simply apply the eyeshadow to the lid with the applicator, and gently tap it into your lid or use a flat eyeshadow brush to blend it out.
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Apply Pressed Glitter With an Eyeshadow Brush
For a more intense application, Davy says to swipe and pat on the glitter with your finger. For a lighter application, she says to swirl an eyeshadow brush and gently dust all over eyelids.
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Clean Up Any Excess Glitter
You can easily remove any excess or clumped glitter by using the clean end of your cotton swab, just sweep anywhere thats unevenly concentrated. To create sharp edges along the crease or "wing" of the eye, swipe your clean spoolie brush along the desired edge (the soft spirals of your spoolie are extremely effective at picking up glitter from the skin).
Once you have your desired glitter eye look, youll want to remove any fallout from under your eyes and on your cheeks. Matin has an easy, affordable way to do this: Tape. Using either medical tape (preferred) or basic Scotch tape, simply dab areas (sticky side down) of the skin where there has been glitter fallout. If any tape residue is left on the skin, simply go over this area with micellar water or a makeup remover wipe. Once all of the excess glitter has been removed, go about your normal makeup routine, just be careful not to mess up your glittery lids.
More glitter is always a great idea. And if you want to go all out with your glitter look, you can also think about applying glitter to your eyebrows or eyelashes. Were especially love an eyebrow glitter moment (you can use it under, over, or even on your brows), or an all-over glittery body, courtesy of an illuminating body shimmer.