Counter Confidential: The Danger of Glitter
Counter Confidential
"The Danger of Glitter" by Undercover Beauty Agent
While washing my hands in the restroom, I noticed a lady furiously rubbing her eyes. She looked completely miserable, so I had to ask if she was okay. When she looked at me, one of her eyes was completely bloodshot. Her makeup was smeared, and she had glitter practically all over her face. Turns out a piece of glitter had gotten into her eye. I had never seen such a reaction to glitter in the eye before, but when she said the glitter was from a craft store, I understood why.
Adding a bit of shimmer to your eyes can really amp up a look, but some glitter isn’t safe for the eyes. It may look the same, but it isn’t. Craft store glitter is cut larger than the kind at the cosmetics counter. It’s also sharper, which can be really dangerous for the cornea. Once inside the eye, a fleck of glitter can scratch and possibly damage your eye or the sensitive skin under the lid.
Cosmetic glitter is usually rounded around the edges and much smaller. This way, if it falls into your eye it isn’t dangerous. Always remember to read the packaging to make sure the glitter is safe to use around the eyes. Some labels will say the glitter not safe for the immediate eye area, so avoid these. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. These sparkly shadows are great alternatives to glitter.
1 Sugarpill Chromalust Loose Eye Shadow
These loose eye shadows are packed with pigment, which is great if you want lots of color. Another bonus: It’s a vegan shadow!
2 Too Faced Glamour Dust
This loose powder will definitely add some feminine glam to any look. The glitter in this pot is finely ground and combined with metallic pigment to create serious shine.
3 Naked Cosmetics Color Collections in Twilight
These six colors are gorgeous wet or dry. Use them wet for a dramatic sparkle. Each color has a silver base that truly makes the pigments seem three dimensional!
Undercover Beauty Agent is just an average makeup artist at your local beauty counter who's reporting true stories exclusively for Beautylish: "I love what I do because I get to make people feel beautiful on a daily basis. I'm a beauty advisor in New York City by day and a secret beauty agent by night, totally ready to share all my insider secrets and gossip."
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Mindy R.
Medusa's Makeup has great glitter in every shade you could imagine. The thought of putting craft glitter on my eyes makes my eyes water!
Lisa V.
Great story my friend from a while back had the same thing happen to her but the glitter was from her shirt
Sara L.
don't forget LIT cosmetics!!! Glitter of every size, shape, color, and texture you could want!! :)
Jonathan C.
I love that picture. It really inspires me to run the the craft store and go nuts!
Anna C.
Wow I didnt know cosmetic glitters are rounded....interesting. Poor girl didnt think of safety first...of course you should NEVER...EVER USE craft glitter from the craft store as eye makeup! Although it is the cheaper "alternative", its a wrong choice....
Kennedy A.
This picture makes my stomach turn. The glitter on her eyes looks like burnt disgusting skin. But this article is very informative, thanks for the warning!
Courtney T.
That picture makes me cringe a bit!
OCC also sells cosmetic glitter as well.
Snarky Princes s.
Never, ever, ever use craft-store or non-cosmetic grade glitter on your eyes, or on your face where it can get IN to your eyes! You run the risk of doing some serious damage!
Check out some indie companies- like Sugarpill- for some great sparkling shadows that use cosmetic grade glitter. You DO still want to be careful though- just because it's smaller particles doesn't mean it won't irritate your eyes! It may take a while to apply glittery looks, but by going slow and carefully you avoid that oh-so-sexy bloodshot eye look :)
Also- use some sort of glitter-glue or "sticky base" before application. This will help reduce fallout, and save your peepers! Two great products I use is Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy or Hi-Fi Cosmetics Shadow-Fix.
For other great glittery shadows you can try Moi Minerals Cosmetics, My Beauty Addiction, My Pretty Zombie, Meow Cosmetics, Hi-Fi Cosmetics, Linnaeus Cosmetics (really nice neutrals!), Fyrinnae, etc.
Have fun and sparkle on... Safely!
Antonio Z.
Luv glitter, i have a couple of NYX glitter and is great <3
April F.
also check out LA Splash's Diamond Dust. they are kind of like the Sugarpill Chroma Lusts but they have more neutral colors. i highly recommend unsolved, dragon dust and passionate plum. you can find them at ulta : )
Patricia H.
I got a couple colors from the at a trade show -loved them, but haven't found them since- know where I might find them??
April F.
I know for sure you can find them at ulta if there is one near you. You can also order them from ulta's website or you can order directly from them at http://www.lasplashcosmetics.com hope that helps : )
Patricia H.
yes, thanks!
Sumaira C.
I was going to suggest LA Splash's Diamond Dust too. They have helped me create some very beautiful looks, and these stay on as well (with glitter glue, of course). It's important to use the right technique for the right products. Informative article!
April F.
I've actually had really good luck using the splashproof sealer/base that LA Splash has........it's tacky so the diamomd dust will stick to it and it makes my eye makeup pretty much budgeproof....it's actually my favorite primer to use with all my loose pigments or glitters : )