Glitters from the 90s are back in trend and it’s now time for you to shine and go all out with your makeup. Get ready to spice things up a little bit as this week is going to be all about experimentation. Yes, sparkles can get a bit messy if you don’t know how to apply it properly, which is why we at The Week caught up with Kathmandu based freelance makeup artist, Anjali Gurung. Here she tells you how you can embrace glitter in the perfect way.
Prepping your skin
First things first, prepping the skin before applying any kind of makeup is extremely essential. The skin needs to be clean and moisturized beforehand. Gurung suggests using detoxifying and refreshing skin toners before makeup application. This helps in protecting your skin from any kind of damage that the glitter or makeup may cause.
Types of glitters
It is important to know about the kinds of glitter and its use before buying them. The first kind of glitter is loose glitter. This does not have any pigmented shadow mixed to it. The formulae of this product can be used alone or it can also be layered on an eye shadow to enhance its vibrancy. This kind of glitter may look similar to the glitter used for craft back in school. But one must be careful because it is not the same thing. Not every loose glitter is safe for the skin. Using craft glitter can be extremely dangerous for your face and eyes.
The second kind of glitter is loose pigmented glitter shadow. This product is similar to the loose glitter but it has pigmented shadow mixed with the glitter specks. According to Gurung, this kind of shadow can give a more natural looking hue.
Creating Smokey eyes
The third kind of glitter is cream glitter. As the name suggests, this product has cream with glitter mixed with it. The application of this product sounds simple but you may have disproportionate chunks of glitter on your face if not applied properly.
Tools for glitter application
Your own fingers can be a great tool for application of glitter but if you want to get a more precise look, you must use some specific brushes. Double sided eyeliner brushes are usually great for cream glitter. It makes the application smooth and easy.
Pointed silicon applicators are for loose powder and glitter. The shape of the brush is designed to catch loose powder. This applicator helps in holding the product and helps you apply it smoothly on your skin without making a mess.
A good quality concealer brush also works well to pick up loose glitter. It helps in application of glitter on a larger surface such as eyelids easy, especially while doing a smokey glitter eye.
Glitter eyes
Adding little sparkle to the eyelids can be a bit tricky. The first step for a beginner is to find the right shade of glitter. If your glitter is very dense, you can apply any color to the eyelids but if it is sheer, try matching it with the undertone of your skin. For a skin tone that is more golden, it is better to apply golden glitter. If your complexion is on the rosy side, you can go with more neutral or rosy color.
You can also use glitter as an add-on. In place of a glitter eyeliner, use a normal black eyeliner and add gold glitter on top using an eyeliner brush.
Glitter cheeks
If you are all in for a dramatic look then glitter cheeks is what you need. Like it is essential for you to find the right highlighter for your skin tone, you must also find the right shade of glitter for your skin. Using the shade that matches your blush color may also be the correct way to move forward.
Glitter lips
According to Gurung, the key to long lasting glitter lips is the preparation that goes into it beforehand. It is important to scrub your lips and moisturize it before you put on lipstick. This will help you get the flawless effect and a long lasting finish as well. To get the perfect kind of glitter lips, you can layer a glitter product on top of your favorite lipstick.
Balance is the key
Putting on too much glitter and at inappropriate places can make you look like a disco ball. So balance is the key to acing this look. Neutral shades compliment glitters perfectly. So try using neutral shades instead of different varieties of color as neutral shades can add the perfect depth to a glitter makeup look.
Remember not to go ahead with glitter eyes, glitter cheeks, and glitter lips at the same time. One of the options is enough to give you a dramatic look.
Removing glitter makeup
You may be tempted to run a cleansing wipe all over your face after wearing glitter all day. But resist that urge as it can cause skin irritation. Also you may have to tweak your daily makeup removal routine a bit. Washing the face normally can spread the glitter all over the face and hairline.
Use cold cream cleanser as that is the best way to remove glitter makeup. It’s also important to be gentle on your eyes and don’t fret if you cannot get each and every glitter particle at on go.
