Holiday Makeup Tips: How To Rock Glitter and Shimmer

I love this time of year; the sights, sounds and smell of this season bring me back to my childhood every time.  Beautifully lit homes, Christmas plays, caroling, food, family and friends make the holiday season almost the best time of the year! (I love summer! lol.) The holiday season is about tradition, and makeup is no exception. We bring out the festive colors in our looks; glitter and shimmer is found in every hue during this season. Most times, glitter can get very messy and shimmery makeup can come off to overpowering if not done correctly.  If you want to rock a more festive inspired look this holiday and you are not quite sure how to rock glittery or shimmery looks, then here is my guide to rocking festive makeup looks for any holiday experience!

Here's my guide to rocking glittery or shimmery looks for your holiday experiences!

1. Know your glitter / shimmer products.  Is it an eyeshadow? Is it loose or pressed? How much shimmer / glitter is in the shadow?  Is it a loose glitter? How much fall out will there be?  Can I use a glitter liquid eyeliner? Depending on the answers, there is a best practice to use to get the most out of your product.  You want your shadow to be vibrant and have great staying power.  
2. Know the different methods to apply your glittery, shimmery shadows.  All shimmer and glitter shadows look best when applied wet. Period. You don't have to, however - some products are pretty damn good without moistening your brush or the product itself.  But applying wet increases the staying power and intensifies the color dramatically.  At the bare minimum, you can wet the brush or product with water (a light mist).  To increase staying power, use a makeup setting spray or fixing spray.  I prefer makeup setting and fixing sprays when applying glittery / shimmery shadows.  When you are working with straight glitter that's not a shadow you have to use something with adhesive properties.  There is a such thing as glitter adhesive.  Some are clear, liquid consistency; others are more of a white or off-white, thicker, creamier, glue type of consistency. The clear liquid consistency is great for creating a pasty kind of consistency when you mix with the glitter. With the thicker glue kind of consistency, you have to apply a base shadow, apply the glue adhesive then pack on the glitter.
3. When you apply, make sure the shimmer/glitter dries before blinking your eye.  If you place the glitter / shimmer shadow on the lid, keep your eye closed, wave your hand it front of your face to accelerate drying time. If you skip this step, glitter will transfer to other areas of your eye.
4. Use liquid eyeliner with glitter and shimmery shadows. It glides over the shadow better than any other eyeliner. Glitter has texture, therefore you decrease any chances of moving the glitter when you use a liquid eyeliner. 
5. Complete your eye makeup before foundation; clean up shadow and glitter fall out with a makeup wipe, fan brush, clean mascara spoolie or all of the above.  Glitter can get a bit messy; just be sure to clean your hands through out the process, this will also help reduce the appearance of glitter that fell on the face.

Here is a tutorial using glitter from last year's holiday season.  

Happy Holidays!

~Muah!~

Lisa Rose MUA

@themakeupbaby13 on IG and Twitter