Get it, Get GLIT ✨: 16 Tips For Flawless 💅 + Fresh DIY Glitter.

Get it, Get GLIT ✨: 16 Tips For Flawless 💅 + Fresh DIY Glitter.

We’ve all been there. You’ve scoured 🔍 the internet to find the latest and greatest in festival fashion and makeup. #WakeUpMakeup #FestivalGlitter. You’ve summoned your inner creative genius 🤓 and have a mental picture of your flawless look.

You’ve got THE outfit 👚 and copious amounts of glitter ✨ all laid out and ready to roll, and YAAAY it's finally time to bring it all to life! Things are going well, you’ve got the aesthetic almost nailed, until with one stray swipe of the glit it’s all over… Your dream of being a shimmery Babe-raham 🎩 Lincoln is fading fast before your half-glittery eyes.  Back to the drawing board.  

I made a mistake on my eyeliner

Image: THAT winged eye-liner moment. 

Much like perfectly winged eyeliner, styling a flawless and fresh glitter look can seem bloody IMPOSSIBLE. Like the ever-so-wise Divinyls preach “It is a fine line between sh*t and glit.” 

And honey, just between us, we have seen some EPIC #GlitterFails 🙅‍♀️ in our time. From PVA-glued sparkles that peel off like sunburn, to specks so scattered they look more like a bad break out than glorious glitter, to the Avatar-blue stained cheeks from a craft-astrophe… We’ve seen it all. 

But fear not, your master ‘Glitorisers’ are here to help. 

We in the gorgeous Glit Gang have put our sparkly heads together and come up with some tips for how to keep that glittery festival face looking flawless and fresh. Or boobs 🍒, or beard 🧔🏽, or butt 🍑 – whatever gives you the good feels!  

1. Use cosmetic glitter. Every 👏 Single 👏 Time 👏

Craft glitter is for scrapbooking, poster boards, crafternoons 🎨 and making your best mate’s birthday card. It is NOT for your face or body. I repeat. IT IS NOT FOR YOUR FACE OR BODY.

Most importantly, this is because craft glitter is designed for craft, and is often coated in nasty glass🍸 and metals ⚓. Wearing it on your skin can cause serious health problems, especially if it eventually gets in your eyes or is ingested. Also, and aside from these very real dangers - craft glit just looks cheap and tacky 🗑️.

On the flip side, colours and shapes of cosmetic glitter have been specifically designed for creating show-stopping looks. More than that and most important, cosmetic glitter has been tested for safe use on skin, and is non solvent - meaning it won’t leave coloured pigment stains behind like some craft glitters will (yes, accidentally-blue Avatar girl, we’re talking to you!) 

2. Channel your inner greenie (in all shades) with bioglitter™.

Image: Photo by @tarasimonphoto of glitter butts in every colour of the rainbow. ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 🖤  

Up your brownie points with Mother Nature 🌱🌎 by using biodegradable glitter, AKA bioglitter™ or compostable🐛 glitter. It’s so much softer on your skin and waaay better for the environment - especially when you take that much-needed shower at the end of a four-day bush doof. 

Remember, fish 🐠  are friends, micro-plastics are not!

3. Be unique, for face’s sake.

All faces are shaped differently, and everyone has a unique face and beauty. Just because something looks good on cosmo model doesn’t mean it will suit your cheeks and jawline. Choosing the right style for you can be the deciding factor for a glit lewk being flawless 💅🏿 ... Or a flop. 

We commonly hear that people don’t know where to apply their glitter, but there are heaps more options than those under-eye cheekbone curves. Think about drawing it up around the ends of your eyebrows, sending it swooping into your hair, or designing something fabulous along your forehead. Let's get creative! 

4. Contours are not just for makeup.

Kid using ice cream for makeup

But whatever glit style you go for, take note of your face’s contours: where your cheekbones are, how your eyes are set, your brow line and your hairline. Consider how much space you have and what sort of look you want to achieve. Highlight your prominent features, and follow those lines!

5. Secure 🔐 the glit babes.

Sticky glue on hands

Depending on how wild your dance 🕺🏽💃 moves are, there are a couple of options for getting that glit to stick. Use Paw Paw or Vaseline as a base coat for blended, body and loosely-applied looks. Aloe vera gel or hair gel will also work. Word to the wise – be careful not to overdo the Vaso, unless of course you’re going for that ‘came straight from the gym’ look. 

For something bolder with fine lines, use a cosmetic fixative like Fix Plus from Mac and Urban Decay All Nighter.

What will NOT work:

Liquid foundation. You risk over-applying to get the glit to stick, meaning your colouring will be off, and the makeup will crack and blend with the glitter leaving you looking a little peel-y and a tad disease-esq. Another big no-no: I hate that I even have to say this, but the rule against craft glitter also goes for any kind of craft glue 😰😰. Look after your skin, people! PVA = BAD! 

6. But for the love of all that is holy 😇, only gel in your hair!

Vaseline is made from a blend of waxes and oils, and once in your hair, it will not come out. I learned that the hard way*.


Image: The famous beard glitter #Blitter.

If you’re going for a sparkly ‘do, work some hair gel through your locks as a base coat to give the glitter something to stick to. For a really dense look like our famous blitters, hold the tub of glitter underneath your hair and flick the glitter upwards with your fingers or a thick brush, letting the excess fall back into the tub. Lock your look in with a spritz of hairspray. 

Showering and washing hair

*Lesson from my mistakes – when regular shampoo didn’t budge the Vaso, anti-grease dishwashing liquid was an absolute lifesaver. 

7. Choose a variety of shapes + shades to construct your look.

Two girls looking amazing in Glitter
Image: Jess Dika and Court looking amazing in layered bioglit.

We don’t wear glitter to blend in, so what’s with all the being so subtle and basic bitch 💁? Using different colours in a blend will help each of the other colours in the mix to stand out. Bioglit colours come in a range for a reason. Remember you have pastel, metallic, holographic (coming soon), and iridescent shades. Likewise, the particle sizes range from tiny microscopic powders to chunky striking pieces. 

Glitter looks better when it’s complemented, so choose a variety of shapes and shades to construct your look. The possibilities are endless!

8. Go BIG then work your way down in size.

Larger particles of glitter need more contact with adhesive to stick to your skin, so it’s important to start with the chunkier pieces. And if you’re using diamantes 💎, apply these first – before anything else!  

Fill in your look with smaller particle glitters, and finish with a fine glitter or gem powder for a more solidly applied look. Do one last coat with the glitter you want to stand out the most – the smaller the particles, the more it will stick. If you are using a pre-made mix like our AWESOME Glit Glit Bloom range, you can grab the different chunks using your brush or fingers.

9. This ain’t a Year 10 formal 🧑‍🎓. 

SO yes we love co-ords as much as 90's revival enthusiast, 🍑 🦊 🍊 🏀 🧡 and there’s no better place for your stylin' skills than a festival. HOWEVER. For the same reason you don’t want to wear a dress the same colour as your man’s tie, you don’t want to match your glitter colours to your outfit too much. Matchy-matchy 👯 ain’t cute, because glitter is a highlight. Contrast, people! 

Just ask yourself – would Alicia Silverstone have worn gold glitter to school that day?

Clueless - as if

10.💎Diamonds💎 are a girl’s best friend…

…and diamantes 💍  are a Glitoriser’s. Face jewels are a great way to give your look that extra bit of oomph, but they need some extra encouragement to stay on your face through all that doofing 🦄.

Spirit gum is the super glue of the makeup world, and we cannot recommend it highly enough. If you’re stuck, however – eyelash glue (liquid latex) will do in a pinch.

11. Glitter is not naturally a lipstick💄

Seriously. If you are at a festival or going out, stick with glitter gloss💄 and don’t put glitter on your lips 💋 - unless you want it in your drank and to be picking it out of your teeth all evening. It's one very sure way to ruin your Insta story. But I guess glitter teeth could be a look?

However, if you’re an allstar drag queen or an Insta-famous MUA, then we say bloody go for gold… Glittery lips are totally over the top and we fricken 💕 love💕 them.

And if, like so many of us, you’re still envious of your drag queen and Insta-famous friends - here are some quick tips for glittery lips.

  1. Prep your lips perfectly. Glitter will dry them out, so make sure you moisturise them first - and after as well. If you’re feeling super profesh, go for conditioning lip scrubs, masks, or a hydrating overnight lip pack. 
  2. Base coat with a cosmetic fixative that makes the glit STAY and LAST. 
  3. Use the finest glitter you can find and pat into your fixative or lipgloss. Seal the deal with a setting spray

Blaze looking amazing in glitter lips and eyebrows

Image: Our girl Blaze AKA Victoria better looking stunning in her red glitter lips💋. 

12. Werk 🦑 that body. 

Image: It's me Laura, wearing a body of head-to-toe body glit.

If you’re going for an all-over body look (or as we Glitorisers call it, the ‘f*ck me up’ special), the easiest way to avoid a lot of wasted sparkle is to mix your glitter into a body paste. Don’t go too hard on the gel or vaso, or you’ll just be greased up – but you can always finish the look with some dry glitter if you’ve wound up more shiny than sparkly. Glitter body, here we come!!!

13. Get your hands 👐 dirty.

Finger-painting is fun ☝️, and finger-glittering is funnerer. Using your fingers in a dabbing motion will give you more control over where the glitter falls, though be careful not to smear it. We often press our fingers to the side of the container to get a good coverage of glitter and then dab lightly to where we have applied the adhesive. Glitter isn’t an exact science – use your fingers and get into it!

Bob Ross paints

To do line work or to finish edges use a brush. We recommend a flat makeup or paint brush for chunky glitter and a smaller brush for fine lines - but test them out on your arm first. It will give you an idea of coverage and where the glitter falls.

14. There’s really nothing that duct tape + a credit card 💳 can’t fix.

If you do smear your sparkles though, never fear! Using the edge of a credit card 💳 . But not in its typical spending way.

Take my money

It is a great way to sharpen up your lines. It’ll also help you scrape off whatever stubborn pieces are left at the end of the festival. 

You can also use a clean mascara wand, microfibre cloth or dry towel to clean up spillages. Never water - it will only spread the glittery magic 💫 (but hey, is that really such a bad thing?) 

Another trick that has been passed down through generations and generations of drag queens is to use tape to remove excess glitter (though be careful not to let it stick fully to your skin!) Pat your tape of choice lightly on the excess glitter, peel up gently, and voilà - you’re ready to rave cave 👻.

15. Glitter tipsy 🥴. Never drunk 🍾. 

Beautiful glitter done well

Self-explanatory. We hope.  

And last, but absolutely definitely not least… 

16. On day two of Falls Festival, avoid the drunk dude two tents ⛺ down who reckons he’s a ‘pro’ at glitter.

Carl, or Davo, or Kev, or whatever this champion’s name is, is not a ‘pro’ at glitter. Take it from us; we’ve met him a thousand times. 

 

And that’s it! 

Our hottest sixteen tips; your home how-to for getting that DIY glit looking flawless and fresh. We can’t wait to see the stunning looks you’ve created next time we’re all on a festival DF, but as always, don’t forget to tag Glitoris or swing by the Glitoris tent and say hi! 

And just because we love yas, here’s one more pearl of wisdom: 

#Bonus: Glitter is a lifestyle. 

As we always say, it’s impossible to not feel like the best version of yourself when you’re all glittered up. So gather your pals (because getting glit is more fun in a group), put on your best party playlist, and embrace the fact that you will leave a trail of sparkly breadcrumbs everywhere you go.

Now go forth and Glitorise, spread the good word, and always remember: MORE IS MORE!

Man killing it in the shower covered in glitter

Written by Laura Caitlin - passionate human rights advocate, lawyer for First Nations issues and glam glitter artist.