Call me a girly girl, but I love me some glitter. I don't care if you're three or thirty, you have to admit that there's something appealing about a little bit of sparkle. Okay, so maybe Lady Gaga at the Superbowl takes things to an extreme, but not all glittery looks need to be that intense. A little glimmer on your eyelids can be flirty, feminine, and glamorous without needing to go over the top.
The biggest issue I have with glitter isn't that I'm afraid of looking ridiculous. It's that glitter. gets. EVERYWHERE. It's truly incredible. It'll spread to every surface, end up in the most improbable of places, and then becomes impossible to get off. It's so pretty, and yet SO FRUSTRATING.
When it comes to makeup especially, glittery shadows and pigments can be some of the worst culprits when it comes to fallout. You know how it goes. You're out at a party, enjoying yourself. Living it up. Then you go to use the bathroom, catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, and lo and behold your entire face looks like a disco ball! It's in your eyebrows. It's on your cheeks. Heck it's even on your shirt. It looks like a glitter bomb exploded and you were in its unfortunate wake.
So what's a girl to do? Just give up on glitter forever? Accept your fate as a sparkly hot mess? Heck no! Just grab yourself a tube of Too Faced Glitter Glue ($20), and get your sparkle situation in check.
As a beauty blogger it's slightly embarrassing to admit that I had literally no knowledge of the fact that glitter primers existed. I was watching Marlena's video on how to use the new Makeup Geek Sparklers, and realized that there was a gaping hole in my makeup collection. I've probably tried at least 10 different eyeshadow primers in my day, but none of them have been specifically formulated to use with glitter. Why care to make the distinction? They're actually incredibly different. A traditional primer helps to brighten the appearance of shadows and prolong their wear. They usually create a nice, smooth base on the eye, allowing you to layer and blend colors seamlessly. Glitter primers, on the other hand, create a tacky base for product to adhere to. Whatever pigment or glitter you'd like to wear is patted on top and stays locked into place. In short, kiss your glitter fallout goodbye.
Now, even if you aren't interested in wearing a loose glitter or pigment, I wouldn't be too quick to brush this kind of primer off. It's equally effective under regular old eyeshadows. Layering anything with a shimmery or metallic finish over a glitter primer will not only help to control fallout, but also increase the intensity of its pigmentation and shine.
When it came to actually deciding what glitter primer to buy, the choice was not that difficult. While it's a bit pricier than a drugstore option, the Too Faced Glitter Glue has absolutely rave reviews online and is hailed as a Holy Grail of many a blogger and YouTuber. Having now tried it myself, I'm inclined to agree. This stuff is pretty legit. But if my words alone aren't convincing enough, the proof is in the swatches.
Enter a cult favorite eyeshadow: Anastasia's Pink Champagne. This pinky-beige shimmer is one of Anastasia's "Titanium Finish" shadows. It's not exactly frosty or metallic in nature, but rather more like a pressed, finely milled glitter. It's incredibly beautiful, especially to add brightness to the center of the lid. On the left you'll see this shadow swatched on bare skin. There's a bit of shimmer, but not a whole lot of pigmentation. It's actually rather disappointing to look at, especially compared to how brilliant the color appears in the pan. In the middle I've swatched this same shade over Too Faced's Shadow Insurance Primer. You can definitely see a difference, with the color being more pronounced and the shimmer being intensified.
And then there was the Glitter Glue.
How amazing is that swatch?! The picture honestly doesn't even do it justice. The color and the brilliance is incredible, especially compared to a primerless swatch. After seeing how incredible the transformation was with this shadow, it basically made me want to pull out all my palettes and see what I've been missing.
The color payoff isn't the only selling point for this primer. Its also is incredibly long wearing. Whatever you place on top of it isn't going to budge or fade until you're ready to wash it off. While this is true of most decent eyeshadow primers, I find that the Glitter Glue is especially effective.
If you decide that you also need some Glitter Glue in your life, here are a few things to keep in mind. Unlike traditional primers that are applied all over the eye area, Glitter Glue is a lot more targeted. It should only go wherever you want glitter or a glittery shadow to appear. For me this is usually my lid area, but if you're going for something edgier, by all means. You do you.
Also, Glitter Glue can (and in most cases, should) be placed on top of your other shadows. Don't panic, the transluscent formula is undetectable by itself and won't disturb the products underneath it. But since Glitter Glue has an incredibly tacky texture, you want to make sure that all of your blending and layering is finished before you introduce it to the scene. A tiny dab is all you need, and you can tap it on with your fingers. Then I like to go in with a flat, stiff brush to pack on whatever sparkly product I'd like to finish things off with.
Now, I know that $20 is a bit pricey. But I'm sure that one tube of this stuff will last you an eon. You need less product per application than a normal primer, and will probably also use it less frequently. If the price tag still makes you cringe, never fear. I'm investigating some possible dupe options, and will be sure to let you know if they pan out.
With that being said, I invite all of you to embark on a Glitter Glue expedition of your own! Head to your local Sephora or Ulta, and do some side by side swatch comparisons with whatever glittery shadow suits your fancy. I promise you won't be disappointed! If you snap a photo, make sure to tag me so I can check it out:
@littleblushingbirdie on Instagram or @blushingbirdie on Twitter.
Have you tried a glitter primer before? What did you think?
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