Holiday Glitter Makeup: Everything You Need To Know

This post was sponsored by wet n wild as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

If there is one thing that everyone can count on, it’s that winter makeup will always feature an abundance of glitter.

The connection seems to be solidified, almost to the point of cliche: the moment the nights become longer, the makeup becomes sparklier.

Unfortunately, for many women, the sudden abundance of glitter in makeup lines and suggested looks is not particularly welcome. Glitter products have a reputation for being difficult to work with, while many women wonder if they should be wearing glitter at all.

In an effort to shed some light on the situation once and for all, below, we’ve sought to answer the most common questions women have when it comes to holiday glitter makeup and how to wear it! 

Why is glitter makeup so synonymous with the holidays?

The holiday months are, quite literally, dark; the days are short, and the nights are interminably long. In response to this, most holiday decor tends to focus around bright lights and sparkles – for example, the fairy lights we all use to decorate Christmas trees are, in part, a response to the darkness of the season.

It therefore seems to naturally follow that makeup, too, should seek to counteract the darkness. Glitter and shimmer makeup products fantastically catch the light that is available and adds a sense of joy and frivolity that more matte shades can’t match.

Is glitter makeup a little ‘tacky’?

If you personally feel that glitter makeup is a little tacky, and wish to avoid it for this reason, then that’s fair enough. It’s easy to forget that what is and isn’t “tacky” is entirely subjective, so the only person you need to please with this decision is yourself.  However, I urge you to give glitter a fair chance before you make a final decision! Glitter makeup is a lot more wearable then you might think!

While a full face of glitter might make you feel like you’re about to go on stage with Beyonce, one thing we can ALL agree on is body luminizer for gorgeous, glowing skin.

Think of all those beautiful holiday dresses you could be wearing. Many styles are strapless, have thin straps, or that ever-popular cold-shoulder style. Even though it’s cold outside, showing a little skin at a holiday party is very trendy. Of course, most of us are missing our summer glow (if we even had one to begin with) by the time the holidays roll around. Skin can look dull and less than luminous and you might be wondering if you really want to bear your arms and shoulders in a pretty party dress this year.

If you want to add just a hint of shimmer and shine to your look, accentuate your shoulders, cheekbones, or even highlight your face, then wet n wild MegaGlo Body Luminizer is the perfect option!

wet n wild recently launched MegaGlo Body Luminizer in three gorgeous shades: Heart of Rosegold, Gold Rush, and Invested in Bronze.

There are tons of highlighters and luminizers on the market, but this busy mom of 4 doesn’t have the money to splurge, so I was really excited to find that my favorite budget beauty brand, wet n wild, has three gorgeous MegaGlo Body Luminizers available at my favorite store – Walmart.

wet n wild MegaGlo Body Luminizer is made with a blend of Macadamia Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Passion Fruit Seed Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Argan Oil, and Vitamin E to protect your skin during the winter months. Luminizers are one of the hottest beauty products right now and Wet N Wild makes it easy for busy mamas on a budget to get that luminous glow this holiday season. For less than $10 and only 5 minutes of your time, you can add a shimmer to anywhere on your body you need it.

It’s worth noting that the term “glitter makeup” does not necessarily mean large particles of bright, multicolored glitter. Glitter makeup products can be neutral, with just a hint of small glitter particles to create an extra dimension of sparkle and shimmer – an extra dimension that is actually incredibly elegant and beautiful.

Add 1 – 3 pumps of MegaGlo Body Luminizer wherever you want and blend with your fingertips or a makeup sponge. The formula is lightweight, creamy and buildable. It contains micro-fine pearl pigments that create a luminous effect that adds a shimmer to your skin that catches the light wherever you go.

Not only is this perfect for the holiday season, but it also moisturizes skin with argan, macadamia, passionfruit seed, grapefruit seed, and sunflower seed oils too! I applied MegaGlo Body Luminizer to my shoulders and loved the shimmer effect. 

All three shades are all cruelty-free, gluten-free, paraben free and vegan. MegaGlo Body Luminizers are available exclusively at Walmart for under $10. You can conveniently add it to your next Walmart Grocery order too!

Not only is MegaGlo Body Luminizer perfect for all your holiday makeup looks, it makes a great gift idea as well!

Can women over the age of 25 wear glitter makeup?

Every so often, a magazine or blog will publish a list of things that women should not wear – glitter makeup, or glitter nail polish, always tend to be feature on these lists.

Thankfully, the fight back against the “you’re too old for glitter” crowd has been growing for a number of years, largely due to a huge plethora of women reading the “rules” and immediately thinking: “why not, though?”.

Glitter is fun. It looks nice. There are multiple reasons to try wearing it. If you’re happy with how glitter makeup looks, then the age on your birth certificate is literally irrelevant – and should someone judge you for your choice, that likely says more about them than it does you!

So go ahead, mama, rock that holiday glitter makeup whenever you want!

Why is glitter makeup always prone to moving?

Glitter makeup tends to have a reputation for not staying put. For example, glitter eyeshadow can result in glitter-covered cheeks. If you have experienced this kind of glitter failure, it can be bad enough to put you off glitter makeup for life – but this needn’t be the case.

Excessive fall is not an inevitability with glitter makeup; in the vast majority of cases, the issue is caused by poor product quality rather than the underlying concept. With poorly-made glitter products, the glitter tends to be added almost as an afterthought, rather than incorporated into the overall mixture. This means that the glitter is loose, and inevitably, soon moves from where it was intended to be placed. With better quality products such as the options available from the wet n wild range, you should find that fall is significantly reduced, as the glitter is an integral part of the mixture rather than a secondary add-on.

Is it okay to wear glitter makeup during the day?

Absolutely – in fact, it could be argued that glitter makeup is at its best during the day, as there’s more light around to reflect the particles. While glitter is often seen as a “night” type of makeup, there’s no reason not to use it during the day if you feel comfortable doing so.

There is, however, one point to be careful of: your office dress code. Some office dress codes do not allow glitter makeup or bright colors, so it’s always worth checking this if you’re planning on wearing glitter to work.

Is it okay to use glitter on eyes and lips?  

When applying makeup, it is generally considered to be good practice to only apply heavy or bold makeup to the eyes or the lips. This, so the theory goes, avoids the overall look being “overdone”. Given this is the case for standard makeup, it seems natural to assume that the rule also applies to glitter makeup.

Realistically, this doesn’t have to be the case – just as you don’t have to obey this “rule” with standard makeup. If you want to go all-out and wear glitter on your eyes and lips, then there’s no reason not to do so. Glitter is wonderfully lighthearted, and if you want to do both, then why not? All makeup should be fun, not governed by rules, so do whatever makes you happy.

If you are going to wear glitter anywhere and everywhere, however, you’re definitely going to want to make note of the points in the next question…

What are the best ways of removing glitter makeup?

Glitter makeup is a little trickier to remove than matte makeup, as the glitter particles have a tendency to move and spread across your features. Here’s how you can avoid this:

• Use a cleansing balm rather than a lotion or oil. The thicker consistency of balms lends itself well to removing glitter makeup, as the particles are more likely to lodge in the balm itself, which makes them easier to wash away.
• Apply the cleansing balm all over your face and massage directly over the makeup. Do not wet your face before doing this; water will loosen the glitter and make spreading more likely.
• Use a dry cloth to remove the balm in even vertical strokes, moving from one side of your face to the other. This cloth should then be set aside to be washed.
• Apply a second layer of cleansing balm, massage into place, and then repeat the removal process – vertical strokes, from one side of your face to the other – with a fresh, dry cloth.
• Apply a third layer of cleansing balm, but this time remove the balm with a wet cloth. You could use the same cloth as you used for the second cleanse, but the chances of the glitter spreading are still high if you do so – wherever possible, use a fresh cloth for this step.
• Rinse all balm residue away.
• Apply moisturizer as soon as possible – the triple cleanse is necessary to remove the glitter, but it can be harsh on your skin, which the moisturizer will help with.

If you use MegaGlo Body Luminizer, you don’t have to worry about getting it off. It leaves your skin moisturized and you don’t need anything special besides a shower or a warm, wet face cloth to remove it. 

In conclusion

Glitter makeup is a great way to add a little festive sparkle to the darkest months of the year, so if you have always shied away from these products before, this year might be the perfect time to give them a try. If you keep the above tips for using glitter makeup in mind, you should feel confident enough to hold your head up high and shine like a diamond right through to spring. Enjoy!