7 Reasons Glitter Should Be Acceptable At Any Age

From my first Lip Smackers lip gloss to my current favorite eyeshadow palette, a dose of shimmer has always been a constant in my beauty routine. I love glitter so much (and have since the age of six) that I couldn't imagine applying makeup without it. I truly believe wearing glitter should be acceptable at any age.

The other day I had a conversation with my mother that really solidified my stance on the matter. We were shopping for makeup and looking through eyeshadow quads and blushes. I picked up a super sparkly and shimmery eyeshadow pairing that automatically caught my eye, and sighed. My mom looked over my shoulder and said, "There's so much sparkle, I can't wear glitter like that."

My mother is 54 years old and an absolute babe. She's usually so on top of trends that you can imagine how surprised I was when she told me that she couldn't wear glitter. My first reaction was, "What are you talking about mom, of course you can!" Then it dawned on me: Glitter is commonly categorized as something for young people, seemingly being deemed "juvenile" by sparkle trolls. It shouldn't be, though. Glitter is pretty, eye-catching, and basically all that's good in the world. Why should it be reserved for such a small age group?

Answer: It shouldn't! So here are seven reasons why glitter should be acceptable at any age. Whether you're a teenager, in your 20s, 30s, or 60s, it's perfectly respectable to want a little glitter in your life.

1. Glitter Is Brightening

Something I learned from my favorite YouTube beauty vlogger Tanya Burr is that you can never go wrong with a little glitter in the corner of your eyes. The shimmer brightens them, widens them, and makes them look bigger than they have ever been before. No matter your age, a little eye-brightening trick with some loose shimmer powder is sure to add pure joy to any beauty routine.

2. It's Basically In Everything

Some type of glitter — be it shimmer, shine, or specks of sequins — is likely to make it into most beauty products. I can confidently say that most of the cosmetics I own have glitter in them, from lipsticks to eyeshadows to blushes (unless they're specifically matte or glitter-less).

There's something so alluring and comforting about a little sparkle in a tinted moisturizer, or a shimmery powder that's meant to catch the light to highlight your features. I refuse to complain about this abundance of shine, and I probably never will.

3. Matte Just Isn't The Same

Of course, we can always ban glitter and shimmer from our makeup bags and simply stick to matte products. Matte products, however, just don't have the same razzle dazzle effect. Sure, they might be better for things like contouring and shading, but a little shimmer never hurt anyone. I realize natural cheekbones aren't carved in faces from shimmer bricks, but can you blame me for wanting to glow Embrace the shimmer, y'all.

4. It Can Be Subtle, Or Not

There was a time in my life when I didn't know a limit to glitter. It's important to realize that glitter doesn't necessarily mean full-on-specks-of-disco-balls-everywhere-on-my-face. Instead, it can mean a little eye-catching shine on your cheekbones or a tad bit of shimmer on your eyelids. I know I lived through a middle school stage of throwing glitter on every body part imaginable, but now I realize less is more.

That being said, I'll sometimes get a little more creative (glitter lip tattoos, please). Obviously, I might grow out of the glitter lip tattoos as I grow old, but that doesn't mean I'll ever regret 'em.

5. It's Just, Well, Pretty

Have you ever picked something up in Sephora in complete awe and said, "It's so sparkly," and proceeded to drool all over the products, resulting in an employee having to bring you special wipes to clean up your mess? Drool aside, it's really easy to get sucked into beauty products because of how pretty they are. Whether it's the packaging that's sparkly, or the product itself, I'm sure beauty brands know how successful sparkling, shimmery products can be. They're simply irresistible.

6. Everyone Likes A Little Shine

Did you loose your favorite necklace? Did you get a parking ticket? Are you just having a bad day? I'm sure it's nothing a little glitter couldn't fix. OK, OK. Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. A little shimmer and shine, however, never fails to make me feel a little better, which is part of the reason why I still love my Naked 1 Palette by Urban Decay. This cure-all remedy shouldn't have to be replaced by something else come a certain age. It may seem silly, but a little makeup-induced bliss is always fun and exciting.

7. Age Is But A Number

Bethany Mota totally exemplifies this belief: With over 10 million subscribers on her YouTube Channel and a long tenure of uploading videos since the age of 13, Mota recently told Adweek, "I'll make videos until I'm 60 if you guys want to watch them!" Having a channel filled with lifestyle, beauty, and DIY advice, Mota knows that age doesn't define or require any change in beauty routine. In my opinion, that should include glitter.

Now, where to find enough body glitter to go full-on shimmer princess?

Images: Melodi Erdogan