Glitter

[danaeris]

I need glitter. Body glitter, hair glitter, for lips and eyes... you name it!

My first instinct is to go to Sephora and spend stupid amounts of money.

My second instinct is to try to make some myself.

Any glitter afficionados have favorite brands, comments on how to make it yourself (stuff that's safe to use), etc.?

Comments

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

body and face glitter I just go to Michael's and buy ultra-fine glitter (it has to be "ultra-fine". just "fine" is not small enough) and apply it directly to my skin (occasionally I also pick up the 'mabeline' brand little tins at the drugstore. that's probably what you saw me with at Beltane at Annwfn). For hair I would just add that kind of glitter to regular hairgel. Or, most likely, apply hairgel and then sprinkle glitter over it while the gel is still wet. Micheal's has a MUCH wider selection of glitter colors than any makeup dept I have ever seen.

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

huh. see, I was at an art store the other day and their glitter had a warning sign on it which said that it was not intended for use on people and could be dangerous. I have trouble believing that there is any difference between the glitter they sell, and the stuff makeup companies sell.

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

the kind I buy does not (afaik) have that warning and I have never had a problem. maybe if you have sensitive skin you might. All of the "body glitter gel" things I have bought have sucked - the glitter is way too thinly interspersed in the gel and it makes my skin feel sticky.

but if you want something skin-approved the little tins of loose glitter (it is "wet n wild" not "mabeline". I was wrong) are sold at Walgreens and Safeway and Albertsons and only cost like $1 or $2. I love the silver - it is practically powder. It is even finer than the "untra-fine" that I buy in the craft stores. It has an unfortunate tendency, however, to open up in my bag and spill on things. So be careful with it and tape it shut if you ever stick in in a bag :)

[basmati.livejournal.com]

http://www.howtouniverse.com/FF/bodglit.html ? Make sure you get stuff that's safe to put on your skin. I saw at Flax the other day some glitter that specifically said it was NOT for skin, but don't know where to find stuff that's safe.

I'd buy any stuff I planned to put on my face, rather than trying to make it, myself. I think body stuff and hair stuff is probably fine though.

[kshandra]

As silly as it sounds, the body glitter that Frederick's sells actually works really well.

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Chuckle, that's timing... I was just planning a "glitter-themed" geocache as my next hide!

[outcastspice.livejournal.com]

re body glitter, pretty much any kind will do. i found that putting moisturizer and then sprinkling it on works well, but it's difficult to get it even, so you may want to mix some into a small amount of moisturizer and then try spreading that on (i havent tried that but have heard it works).

re glitter that goes on eyelids, that's where things get complicated. see, some glitter is square, which means it has corners, which means that if it gets in your eye it can scratch your eye and then you have major problems. so, you could go to sephora and buy Tony & Tina brand, which is safe, although comes in a limited colour range and can be expensive. Also, MAC sells a glitter which i suspect they tell you not to use on your eyes. or you could just not put any on your eyelids.

have a good day!

s

[ravenslost.livejournal.com]

I've probably used every glitter out there to one purpose or other, at one point or other. (Working as Key Makeup for dancers and dance presenations will do that for you.)

My favorite brand? Snazy stuff? "True Colours" by Estey International. (http://www.truecolors.com) Why? Because many of the colours of glitter are not monocromatic. It's very fine, and while having a dominate colour also has other colours in it. So the lavender I have also has a turquoise, gold, and clear/white mixed in it, which really makes it shiney. This does not go for the silver (which was a disapointing single colour. :-)

I have used all kinds of loose glitter and have found that a fan brush is best for applying them thinly over large areas. (Lay out a layer of paper towel or tissue. Dip parts of the brush, tap against the counter, brush down to distribute, then tap or fan over part of skin/hair, floor, and surrounding apartment you want dusted.

Really, despite any sort of plan, the stuff gets everywhere. If you use hair products of any sort put those in before you add the glitter and get the shiney on before it dries. (This works well with things like moisurizers for the skin too.)

I'm with who ever said, "ultra fine" from craft stores though. Other than the brand I mentioned above, I've really seen no difference.

If you want to do lips get a long bristled poofy brush about a wide as your thumb. Gloss heavily, add gliter blend a bit. Or add colour, gloss then glitter. (I've had tremendous effects with a translucent black gloss and silver or red glitter.)


If you want to do something fun like eyelashes? Put on a coat of mascara, then while it's still wet, tap the glitter into the ends of the lashes with a short, stiff bristled brush. This also has the added effect of the fall off hitting the cheek bone, which is lovely as well.

Above all, have fun. (Oh and for inspiration purposes, might I suggest a "Velvet Goldmine" viewing?)

Do be careful

[deedeebythebay.livejournal.com]

I can get more info for you if you want, but my good friend Terry, who is a massage therapist, insists that if you don't use "cosmetic" glitter, it can actually get into your skin AND into your blood and is not good for you.

Not sure how accurate that is but it may have something to do with all the warning signs mentioned by others.