How to wear glitter make-up for the holidays – remember, a little goes a long way
A face full of shimmer, as seen at Valentino’s haute couture show in Beijing, may be taking it a bit too far, instead confine the sparkle to a single feature
Glam rock stars of the 1970s may be too far back in history for younger readers to recall, but the use of glitter goes back much further than that. In prehistoric times, sparkling minerals, such as hematite, were used as cosmetics and palaeolithic cave paintings have shown traces of pyrite and mica. Ancient Egyptians crushed beetle shells to create a glitter effect. In the 19th century, German glitter made from ground glass was popular for crafting. The glitter we know best was created in the 1930s by American machinist Henry Ruschmann. It is made from plastics like mylar, which is problematic, but more on that later.
Despite my cynicism, I’m no glitter hater. On the contrary, I’ve been a dedicated user of sparkly body products, such as Nuxe’s Huile Prodigieuse. Sure, it has rubbed off on dates and elsewhere, but it was worth it for the fabulous effect.
I love the exuberance and pageantry of music festivals, and the raves that came before them. Unicorn make-up is as joyous as it is ridiculous. Make-up artist Pat McGrath sent models down the runway at Valentino’s recent haute couture show in Beijing with their faces covered in glitter and shimmery red lips. But when it comes to office parties and family gatherings, reel in the glitter.
