You glow, girl New Year's Eve is just around the corner ... and for many that means one thing: party time. To help partygoers shine, cosmetic companies have dug deep into their glitter bags.
But there are a few tricks of the trade when it comes to applying glitter, according to make-up artist Fiona Chung, of Bobbi Brown, at Joyce in Central. She says the biggest mistake people make is over-use. 'Less is best. People put too much on to start with, and some glitter products are hard to remove. Make sure you exfoliate and moisturise the night before, and go for powder-based products; they make less mess than gel-based ones.' Chung suggests applying glitter to the top of your cheeks and the top of your arms.
With that advice in mind, I hit the shops in search of some sparkle. MAC has gone glitter-crazy with its Holidazzle line of products, including crystal-encrusted skin jewellery that's bound to liven things up if you're planning on braving the chill and exposing some flesh. Created by hip London designer J. Maskrey exclusively for MAC, the starburst jewellery goes on like an applique - just peel 'n' apply. If you want to create your own designs, stock up on MAC's glitter treats x 6 tray ($290), which contains four mini vials of richly shaded pigment, plus two microfine glitters. Colours include hot pink, golden olive and blue brown. For a bit of lip service, try MAC's lipglass treats x 6 ($250), a tray containing six mini lipglasses in colours including Snowgirl, Explicit and Sun Set.
Estee Lauder has added sparkle to its range with three pure colour glosses ($145) in red, gold and silver. And for the face or body, it's released a limited edition creme, Patina ($220). Marc Jacobs has got in on the shimmer act with its Shimmer Body Powder ($500/100g) that leaves a subtle shine that won't blind other party guests. The Body Shop has also released a sparkle collection. Take your pick from 15 new eye shimmers ($85), lip glosses ($85) or sparkle powder ($88).
Red Earth has come up with a novel idea: bag your own glitter. For $147, glitter fans can select four items from its sparkle collection to make up a gift set (complete with zip bag). The collection includes vivid shine lip gloss, star gazer nail polish, laser eyeshadow and moondust glitter powder for the face or body. You can select four of the same items, or mix 'n' match ... so much choice.
Shiseido has dipped into its colour mine and extracted two new colours, Silver Gleam and Gold Glimmer, which it has released as lip gloss ($160 each), eye shadow ($240) and nail lacquer ($90). Perfect for those seeking a more sophisticated shimmer.
