All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Note: This article was published in the Spring 2004 edition of FACE magazine.

All that glitters is not gold, or silver, or holographic…

Have you ever wondered what all that shiny stuff was all about? Why are we so addicted? What attracts us? Where does it come from? How is it made? Being a self-confessed glitter addict, I made it my job to find out.

The first step was to get my hands on to all types of glitter. I desperately tried to get some gorgeous male models to wear it for me, that way I could really judge the effect properly whilst running my hands over it for suitability, stability, shine etc… Not to mention the great pics we could have had in the mag! Ah well.

What Is A Poly Glitter?

As facepainters, we are morally obligated to use only safe, cosmetic polyglitters. This means, using plastic glitters that are flat and are therefore unlikely to cut or damage the eyeball if they are accidentally brushed or rubbed into it. The fine-grade glitters that we use are more like dust when they get in the eye.

How Is It Made?

Not all glitters are made the same. However, the majority of poly glitters are manufactured by layering polymer film. In particular, the crystalina style shows this well as the colour changes as the light refracts through the layers, giving this glitter a chameleon quality. (pic A). The glitter is graded according to size. Glitter used to be made from, amongst other things, ground oyster shell, tinsel and metal.

Why Do We Use It?

There are some painters who prefer to let their design stay pure, and certainly in the form of a dramatic tiger for example, smothering in glitter means also smothering the design. Selective placing of glitter for highlights can really turn a face around. How many kids have sat in our chairs and the first thing they have asked for is glitter?

What Attracts Us?

Being decorated and bejeweled is associated with luxury, affluence, beauty, and royalty. No wonder the kids love it. And adults aren’t excluded either. It’s all to do with standing out from the crowd, expressing ourselves.

What Types Are There?

Glitter isn’t just applied after the paint, we use glitter in our paints as well. Any of the sparkle paints, or those with a metallic sheen, also give us that glittery feeling. The only difference is the size of the ‘glitter’ particles. In the paints, these are of course powders that are added to the base colour. Glitter comes in large sizes too – stick-on gems are enormous pieces of glitter. There is UV glitter, which yes, you guessed it, glows under black light. Holographic, reflecting rainbows as it catches the light. Crystalina, reflecting softer rainbows or tones. Standard glitter (glitter could never be called standard, but for the purposes of our comparison, let’s just pretend) which comes in every shade and colour under the sun.

Brand Differences

In my search for differences between brands, I met someone who is possibly more addicted to glitter than I am. Diana Flier got so addicted she started importing it by the kilo (that’s lots of pounds to you old-fashioned folk) and sharing it around. I am forever seeking out my dealer and ordering a few grams for my fix! To illustrate the diversity in size, in pic B you can see Snazaroo brand glitter, a reasonably large glitter, cut in a hexagonal shape. Pic C shows us Kryolan’s Glimmer Perl – a very fine particle. And there are a myriad of glitters in between. Pic D, E, & F show Flier Holographic Silver, Graftobian Orange, and Flier UV respectively.

It seems that glitter has come a long way from the oyster beds… And you thought is was just a bit of shiny stuff to toss around!!!