Glitter on Face: A Safety Checklist for Glitter Makeup

Choosing glitter for your face

The most important choice is the glitter itself. Use only cosmetic-grade glitter made for the face, and never craft glitter, which isn’t made for skin and can have sharp edges. Read the label for where it can go: the FDA notes that many color additives approved for cosmetics in general aren’t approved for the area around the eyes. Fine glitter is gentler than chunky flakes anywhere near the eyes, because the American Academy of Ophthalmology warns that larger particles can scratch the eye much like sand. If you wear contact lenses, keep glitter well away from your eyes or wear glasses for the day.

Glitter gel and how to make glitter stay on your face

Loose glitter falls, and falling glitter ends up in eyes, drinks and everyone’s clothes. A glitter gel, which is glitter suspended in a transparent gel made for skin, or a balm or base pressed under loose glitter, keeps it in place for hours. Tap the excess off your brush or fingertip before it reaches your face, and work from the top of the face down so any fallout lands on skin you haven’t done yet. Patch test a new glitter gel or adhesive on your arm a day or two before, since some people react to the base rather than the glitter.

Makeup glitter on face and eyes

If you want glitter near your eyes, keep it on the brow bone, the temples and the tops of the cheekbones, outside the lash line. The American Academy of Ophthalmology advises applying makeup outside the lash line, away from the eye, and that applies to glitter most of all. Only use glitter on the eyelids if the product says it’s made for them. And never put on or take off eye makeup in a moving car; the FDA warns a sudden bump can push an applicator into the eye.

Does the type of glitter matter?

Glitter comes as loose flakes, pressed shadows, gels, sticks and sprays, and some is made from plant-based materials instead of plastic. Whatever it’s made of, the eye rules are the same: a particle in the eye can irritate or scratch it, so plant-based or biodegradable glitter still belongs outside the lash line. What matters most is that the product is a cosmetic made for the face, that the label says where it can be used, and that the particles are fine rather than chunky near the eyes. Sprays are the hardest to control, so close your eyes and hold your breath while you use one, or skip it near the face.

The full glitter safety checklist

Glitter on face for festivals and long days

At a festival or an all-day event, glitter has to cope with sun, sweat, wind and hugs. A glitter gel holds far better than loose glitter pressed onto bare skin, and a light setting spray over the top, held at arm’s length with your eyes closed, helps it last. Pack a small kit: a pocket mirror, a cotton swab for lifting stray pieces and a mini bottle of saline or artificial tears in case anything gets in an eye. If you’ll be swimming or sweating a lot, keep glitter to the cheekbones and shoulders rather than near the eyes, where sweat runs.

Glitter for weddings, prom and photos

For a bride or a prom look, a little shimmer usually photographs better than chunky glitter. A fine, eye-safe shimmer on the inner corners or the center of the lid, if the product is made for eyes, catches the light without fallout, and a touch of glitter gel on the cheekbones or collarbones adds sparkle in evening photos. Flash can make large flakes look like specks, so test your look with your phone’s flash before the day. As always, cosmetic-grade products only, and none of it inside the lash line.

Taking glitter off your face

Lift loose glitter first, before you wet your face, so you don’t wash it across your skin and toward your eyes. A gentle cleanser and lukewarm water take off the rest; keep your eyes closed and work outward, away from them. Take all your eye makeup off before you sleep, because glitter left on overnight can work its way onto the pillow and into your eyes in the morning.

What to do if glitter gets in your eye

Don’t rub the eye and don’t try to pick the glitter out with your fingers; the American Academy of Ophthalmology warns that both can drag a particle across the cornea and scratch it. Flush the eye with artificial tears, sterile eyewash or saline instead. If you wear contact lenses, take them out and switch to glasses until the glitter is gone. See a doctor if flushing doesn’t work, or if you have pain, blurred vision or redness that doesn’t settle, because a scratched cornea needs a professional to look at it.

Glitter on face for kids and groups

Children rub their eyes, so for young children keep glitter to the cheeks, use a glitter gel rather than loose glitter, and skip it near the eyes entirely. For a party or a group getting ready, set up away from food and drinks, give each person their own applicator, and have saline or eyewash on hand just in case. Wash everyone’s hands after glitter, so it doesn’t end up in eyes later.