Get Glittering with These 10 Gorgeous Glitter Eyeshadows
When you think about it, glitter eyeshadow has never really gone out of style. It's an eye makeup trend that's made its way through the decades by reinventing itself every few years, kind of like tapered jeans and glossy lips. Every era finds a way to glow harder than the one before it.
Today, the best glitter eye colors are all about the formula. Pigments are dense, but not chunky. They stick to your skin, but don't get sticky. And fallout? Forget about it.
If you're getting bored with your usual eyeliner and mascara routine, keep reading. We've scoured our makeup bags to bring you the best glitter eyeshadows to sparkle like you just stepped out of a makeup artist's chair.
1. ILLAMASQUA Jewel Vinyl Eyeshadow in Various Shades
ILLAMASQUA creates makeup for "the audacious everywoman," and nothing exemplifies that value quite like this face and body glitter. It's a luxurious balm packed full of deeply pigmented glitter particles, and it stays exactly where you put it for a fun, multidimensional look. Just pat it on with your fingertips, and you're good to go. Part of the brand's 10-year anniversary collection, this eyeshadow is practically made for celebration.
2. HALF CAKED MAKEUP Go DJ
All of HALF CAKED's Crystal Baller Magical Loose Glitter shades are named after 2000s club bangers, and that's really all you need to know to instantly fall in love with this line. Apply it with a glitter glue gel for best results (we love CITY COLOR Cosmetics Sparkle & Shine Adhesive Glitter Primer and TOO FACED Glitter Glue Eye Shadow Primer), making sure to avoid direct contact with your eyes. You can also wear this loose glitter over clear nail polish, mixed into lotion, or to top off lip gloss–the options are endless.
3. KOKIE COSMETICS Duo Metallic Shadows
KOKIE COSMETICS makes glitter eye looks so easy thanks to this multi-tasking beauty product. This duo includes a shimmery, creamy shadow-primer that you can wear alone or punch up with the matching loose glitter pigment. Use the gold glitter shade "Steal the Show" for a full-on glitter lid, sapphire shimmer pigment "Night Star" for a precise glitter cut crease, or any other of the six shades to create any makeup look your heart desires. Pair with some graphic liquid liner, and you're good to go.
4. GIRLACTIK Loose Sparkles
The key to our hearts is a good shade range, and GIRLACTIK nails it. There are so many possibilities with this fine glitter—SkyBlue and Lavender for a mermaid vibe on Halloween, Champagne and Copper for a shimmery smoky eye on date nights, Silver and WhiteGold for brightening up the inner corners of your eyes. Grab them all and get to playing! For even more impact, you can layer these loose glitters over GIRLACTIK Metallic Shadow Sticks.
5. NAKED COSMETICS Cosmetic Glitter Original Collection
This six-pack of loose glitters is perfect for every makeup look and style, with individual pots full of white, baby pink, seafoam green, silver, ruby, and gold glitter. Like most cosmetic-grade glitter makeup, you can wear these on your face using one of the glitter glue gels mentioned above, over a clear nail polish, or mixed in with body oil or lotion. We love to pack it on top of a creamy eyeshadow for a pigmented, long-wearing glitter eye look that will last all day (or night) without creasing.
6. PIXI BY PETRA Liquid Fairy Lights
If your eyes or eye area are extra sensitive, try PIXIs liquid glitter shadow with rose and chamomile flower extracts to hydrate, nourish, and soothe your skin. Simply use your fingertips to smudge the color across your bare eyelids or dot it on over a matte eyeshadow. It's also super easy to wear this one as a glitter eyeliner, using the included applicator brush. Just use a cotton bud to clean up any wonky lines, and you're good to go.
7. FLUIDE Glitter in Blackout
FLUIDE's gender-neutral beauty brand is for everyone. And with pure sparkle like this, who wouldn't want to get their hands on it? Dab the extra-fine, jet-black and silver glitter over your eyelids (or lips) for a goth-glam look that takes smoky eyes to a whole new level. More reasons to love this brand? All the products are cruelty-free, paraben-free, and phthalate-free. Plus, Fluide donates 5% of its profits to organizations that support health and legal rights in the LGBTQ community. Even more reason to glam up your eye look with a healthy dose of glitter!
8. CIATÉ LONDON Marbled Metals Metallic Glitter Eyeshadows
CIATÉ LONDON is best known for its innovation with nail polish and nail art products. This glitter eyeshadow takes a page out of that book with a unique marbled powder formula that applies like a cream shadow and wears like a full-coverage glitter. Pat it on with your fingertip and get major color payoff in just one swipe. No creasing, just velvety smooth shine. Plus, all five jewel-tone shades are paraben-free and vegan.
9. STARLOOKS Century Metallic Cream Eye Shadow
Goodbye, same old smoky eye. Hello, holo. Pack on this long-wearing metallic cream shadow with a flat concealer brush, blend, and you're ready for a night out. What's more, STARLOOKS is a great brand for those who already have tons of makeup or don't wear makeup that often–their PerfectSize® products include about 70% of what you'd get in a full-size container, so you can make sure you really love it before buying the whole shebang.
10. SMASHBOX COSMETICS Photo Edit Eye Shadow Glitter Trio
Can't decide on one glitter eyeshadow? Then these glitter eyeshadow palettes are for you. Featuring three super-pigmented shades, each eyeshadow palette includes a matte eyeshadow and two ready-to-glam glitter eyeshadows. Choose from Total Scene (a silver and gold glitter with a deep, smoky matte black), Pic Me (a trio of warm pinks for the ultimate rosy shimmer), or Panoramic (featuring scene-stealing teal and blue glitter with a neutral matte beige base) to build your ultimate glitter eye look. Not only are they long-wearing and easy to apply (smudge or swipe on using your fingertip or an eyeshadow brush), but they're cruelty-free and made without parabens and sulfates, too.
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Already an Ipster? Let us know which glitter eyeshadow is your favorite by posting a photo on Instagram or Twitter @IPSY. We’d love to see how you rock a glitzy glam look!