The Style Files : Shimmer, Shine & Sparkle!
We're right in the heart of party, soirées and catch-up season and surely I can't be the only one who has a wardrobe bursting with clothes, and yet seemingly nothing to wear. December is here, with its avalanche of invitations and suddenly my year-round wardrobe staple of black tapered pants, white shirt, vertiginous heels and clever (in my mind anyway) tactic of dressing on the casual side of smart-casual seems horribly wrong and woefully inadequate. I find December dressing difficult, especially as a card carrying member of the better to be under rather than over-dressed club.
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The easiest way I get in the party spirit (apart from a few cocktails) is with a bit of glitter makeup. I tend not to wear eye makeup for everyday – I blame it on the fact that I have allergies and often tend to rub my eyes, but it could just be that I’m lazy! So for me a glittery shadow is the ultimate going out out product. Of course a woman cannot sparkle by shadow alone, so out too comes the, mascara and eyeliner - and a good primer to stop it all sliding straight off.
That said however the older I get, the scarier glitter eye makeup becomes. I often wonder if it's even possible to wear it without looking like you're on your way to a full on rave. And despite my reservations, nearly every serious player in the cosmetics industry seems to roll out a plethora of shimmery products as soon as the holiday season is upon us.
I think the key is to ease yourself into it. Wearing glitter as an adult doesn't have to look like you’ve let a child do your makeup! For a sexy, modern take, use a less-is-more approach by building up sparkle slowly to ensure you don't go overboard.
Choose your glitter gradient wisely. I normally use glittery products in moderation and I almost always mix them with other textures to keep a delicate balance avoid the “disco ball” eye look. Eye shadows with ultra-fine glitter are a good way to incorporate sparkle into your makeup look. Products with a more subtle shimmer offer up glitz without looking gaudy.
Neutrals are your BFFs. There is such a thing as sophisticated glitter, but it's all about creating balance. Neutral shades act as the perfect counterpart to shimmer, complementing it without being overpowering.
When wearing glittery shadows you must also remember what you are using on the rest of your face. You may want to opt out of the shimmer blush or the glittery lip gloss you normally use.
The size of the glitter particles and the quality is also very important. For instance, if you use something too heavy or "chunky glitters" there is a very real chance that all the larger bits of glitter will end up all over your face before the night is over. No wants the #makeupfail!
By Minoli Ratnayake
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