9 Subtle Ways to Wear Holiday Glitter

Until now, the world has been unfairly divided into people who dream of glittering like the Northern Lights and people who are so obsessed with matte that they've basically turned into the human equivalent of a black hole, absorbing all the light around them. But what about the in-betweeners? The women who love glitter, but...just a dab, please? The girls who prefer shimmer to shine? Let's stop this reductive dichotomy and open up the dialogue for those who fall somewhere in the (gently glowing) middle.

1. Keep your sequins androgynous. No cocktail dress? No problem! A sequined t-shirt or a sparkly pair of trousers make the whole thing a lot less "I'm ready for my closeup" and a lot more "Oh, this sparkles?"

2. Stick to one piece of sparkly jewelry. Even the dourest of outfits can benefit from a little frosting ("How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," anyone?). You know the drill: A pair of sparkly earrings, a wristful of glittery bracelets, or a ring that just won't stop shining. Pick one.

3. Two words: top coats. They're the perfect way to glitter without really committing. Top the half-moons of your nails with a coat of sheer sparkly nail polish. Boring black mascara? Chanel has your back with their new sparkling top coat for lashes. And if Chanel's doing it, you know it's okay.

4. Line just the waterline with a sparkly eye pencil. No need to go full-blown Liberace on your eyes. Keep the shimmer to your waterline — it'll look like it's just a twinkle in your eye.

5. Or, apply a dab of glitter to the inner corners of each eye. Just a dot, as though you're weeping two perfect, sequined tears.

6. Apply a shimmering body oil sparingly. Run a dab of body shimmer down the center of your legs, the lengths of your arms, your shoulders, and your collarbone. It goes without saying that this is not a slather-over-every-inch product. Nars Body Glow is a great option.

7. Use sparkly eyeshadow in white instead of metallics. Instead of making you look like a fallen Christmas tree ornament, white imparts an icier, subtler shine.

8. Sparkly lip color isn't where it's at for you today. Instead, apply your favorite lipstick and top off with a dab of clear, sparkling gloss in the middle of your bottom lip to get a Marilyn Monroe pout. If you really want all eyes on your lips, dab some of that white eyeshadow along your cupid's bow.

9. Look for products that say "glow" instead of "glitter." Other keywords: luminous, shine, radiant, illumination. Words to avoid: disco, shooting star, Milky Way.