How To Wear Glitter Without It Ruining Your Life

In the realm of tricky beauty things, learning how to pull off glitter eye makeup is surprisingly up there for trickiest. A few months ago, my boyfriend sat me down saying that we "needed to talk." After giving me what I believe to be a very understandable heart attack, he finally told me what was bothering him: "The glitter, it needs to stop. It's getting all over the place."

It was a moment I am sure many beauty-obsessed individuals can identify with: the sting of finding out that my newfound obsession with covering my eyes in silver glitter was not all happiness and sparkles after all. It truly was getting everywhere, and I either had to figure out a way to make the glitter stay on my eyes — and only my eyes — or give up my sparkly look all together. So away to Google I went, and after extensive research and a crazy large amount of product testing, I finally devised a three-step method to be able to wear your glitter without everyone else around you being forced to wear it too. So if you're the type that has (probably responsibly) avoided adding some glitter into your life for the exact reason that it's a pain in the ass to deal with, now might be the time to reconsider.

1. Get it to stick.

Lots of companies make "glitter glue" for your eyes or wherever else you choose to sparkle. Just apply a thin layer of the adhesive before your glitter, and it not only helps it go on smoother, but the glitter particles won't move around as much. Urban Decay's Bondage Weightless Makeup Adhesive and Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue are both solid choices. If you're looking for a bargain, go with the classic Glitter Glue by Ben Nye or the cult-hit LA Splash Proof Sealer/Base.

2. Get it to stay.

The most crucial part to having a pain-free glitter experience is to ensure none of the glitter transfers onto anything it touches or anything that touches it. To accomplish this, you need a makeup sealer. Makeup sealers are kind of sweet in general because you can use them anywhere on your face and it creates a waterproof shield over your makeup. I've fallen in a pool (long story) with makeup sealer over my eye makeup and came out looking like nothing happened. Amazing stuff. Make Up For Ever Aqua Seal is, in my mind, the best, but e.l.f. Studio Makeup Lock & Seal also gets the job done for only $3.

3. Get it off of your face (and away from everything else).

Makeup remover is obviously crucial (Bioderma Sensibio H2O is my personal "holy grail" product), but the key to removing glitter neatly and easily is something you probably already own: Scotch tape. I'm serious. Take a strip, place it on the back of your hand first so it's not too sticky, and tap it around the area you have glitter. I guarantee that after a few swipes, the glitter will be completely off of your skin and stuck to the tape. Not on your floor, not of your partner's face, all neatly stuck to a little strip of tape that you can throw in the trash and forget about. Simple as that.

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