Now it’s December (almost end of December – I started this post a couple of weeks ago!) I’m happy to talk about Christmas 😉 and with it inevitably comes glitter ……
I did a shoot recently and it reminded me of how tricky glitter can be to work with – it gets everywhere!! If applying it to your eyes then do them first and foundation last so you can clean skin up a bit easier. Sellotape is actually very handy to have as you can use it to take the glitter off, a clean mascara wand works well too. You can buy glues to stick glitter on with, I find that using a balm is usually enough for how I want the look to be – the glitter sticks to the balm and once the balm has sunk into the skin, the glitter tends to stay put.
Be mindful of what glitter you are using; traditionally it has been made from plastic, which as we (should) know isn’t so great. The size of the glitter makes it a microplastic which when washed off can make it’s way anywhere, and will stay there for years..
I think I started using biodegradable glitter back in 2015/16 however these have still had plastic in – albeit smaller amounts than before. It’s hard with glitter, like many things it is the plastic that gives it its desirable properties. Luckily as the technology improves we are getting there. This year saw the launch of BioGlitter Pure by Ronald Britton, their Pure range is completely plastic free and biodegrades in 4 weeks, it’s also aluminium free. It is made from plant cellulose, derived predominantly from sustainably farmed, eucalyptus trees. They supply a few brands, I’ve got EcoStardust in my kit.
I shot with it a couple of weeks ago and I really liked it – it doesn’t have the same sparkle as other glitters I would say – in the photos for example it was harder to catch the light. However I loved it on the skin – it applied well and removed ok. It didn’t scratch the skin at all, which traditional glitters can do. The new Pure range is not vegan, as it uses shellac for its shine. Vegans can use the BioGlitter Sparkle which is made from the same plant cellulose but still has a small percentage of plastic about 8%.
For this look I applied the Beauty Kitchen’s Glitter Balm which is also completely plastic free (and amazing on its own for a softer look) and then layered on top both the Pure and the Sparkle range. The Pure is the chunkier glitter along the bottom of the eye – I used a small brush to apply it – holding a tissue up can help to catch any fall out.
If you’ve ever fancied playing with glitter then now is definitely the season to be giving it a go 🙂 Just a little dab in the middle of the eyelids can really make eyes pop!
Will you be wearing glitter this festive season?
