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18 Glitter makeup ideas for adults who want to sparkle: Hair gems, glitter eyeshadows, sparkly lipsticks & more

Glitter makeup is trending for festival season - calling all magpies out there 

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Leanne Bayley
Director of Lifestyle & Commerce
Updated: June 22, 2022
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Glitter makeup isn't just for kids, adults can have fun, too! If your summer festival or girlie holiday calls for a bit of sparkle, you might want to re-think your makeup routine. 

RELATED: What to wear to a festival

John Lewis reported that 'Make-up Maximalism' is a big trend for 2022. Customers are falling back in love with their beauty bags and are in the mood to experiment with colour and textures. 

What's more, according to Pinterest, bling is back…Gen Z is driving a trend toward accessories that go way beyond the basic earring, cuff or layered necklace, they’re getting creative and accessorising the whole body, from tooth gems to crystal eye embellishments and even gem hair stampers. In fact, the nifty gem hair stamper has gone wild on TikTok with women stamping gems on to their hair. It may look like it's aimed at kids, but it's more for the big kids. 

What's more, tooth gems have seen a +85% increase in searches year on year, and crystal eye makeup has seen a whopping +110% increase. So as it's festival season, let's ditch the taupe shadow and say hello to some sparkle. 

Glitter hair essentials 

Gem hair stamper as seen on TikTok

gem hair stamper

Gem hair stamper, £13.83, Amazon

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MORE: Best eyeshadow palettes to use and love

Claire's Glitter Spray 

claires glitter spray

Claire's Glitter Spray, £3, Claire's

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Searches for glitter spray saw a massive rise in demand after TikTok users got their glitz on. The low-cost spray has since been featured in an incredible 121,000,000 videos on the platform.

The best glitter makeup buys for your summer festival

MAC Shadeshifter Duochrome Eyeshadow

MAC and glitter go hand-in-hand and the Duochrome shade-shifting eyeshadows delivers kaleidoscopic, magical colour with glamorous multi-pearlescent pigments.

mac glitter

MAC Cosmetics Duochrome Eyeshadow in Right Before Your Eyes, £10.50, MAC Cosmetics 

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Pat McGrath EYEDOLS Eye Shadow

Explore a customisable cosmos of colour with these collectable single shadows. Choose from an iconic assortment of sublimely saturated shades, including archival bestsellers and Limited Edition hues, in sublimely smooth finishes ranging from sparkling metallics and pearlescent shimmers to velvety mattes and shade-shifting multichromes.

pat mc grath glitter

EYEDOLS Eye Shadow, £12, Pat McGrath Labs

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Confetti glitter nail polish 

If you're not ready for glitter to infiltrate your makeup routine, how about a little sparkle to your festi-mani? This OPI confetti nail polish is perfect, whatever your plans might be. 

opi confetti

Cheer to Mani Years - OPI Infinite Shine Nail Polish, £15.50, OPI at LookFantastic

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Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath in Gold

Charlotte Tilbury launched a limited edition Collagen Lip Bath in Gold and it's a magical sheer gloss for dazzling gold lips!

charlotte tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath in Gold, £25, Charlotte Tilbury 

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Carolina Herrera Superstars Glitz Lipstick and gold cap 

Offering a completely customisable experience, Carolina Herrera's new beauty concept allows you to create bespoke make-up from start to finish. Start off by selecting your lipstick refill - we love Glitz 670 - then pair with one of the elegant cap designs for a luxe aesthetic. Want to know what we're going for? Gold sparkle, but of course. 

ch superstar

Carolina Herrrera Superstars Glitz Lipstick Refill, £25, Carolina Herrera gold cap, £17, Harrods

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RELATED: Best red lipsticks for 2022

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner

If you last wore a glitter eyeliner in your teens, get ready to turn back time. Urban Decay's Heavy Metal eyeliners are iconic and this year we're opting for a beautiful bright green. Well, it is the colour of the season. 

heavy metal

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Amp, £17, Urban Decay 

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Tom Ford Lip Spark

Smooth, metallic and infused with sequins, Tom Ford’s Lip Spark is an ultra-gliding, shimmer-fuelled lipstick that imparts explosive colour with the look of loose glitter on the lips.

tom ford lip spark

Tom Ford Lip Spark Lipstick in Risk, £44, Selfridges

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ZARA Metal Foil Loose Pigment

You can use ZARA's Metal Foil Loose Pigment as a stand-alone product for stunning sparkle or combine them with your favourite eye shadow, blush or lipstick for a dazzling shine.

zara shadow

Metal Foil Loose Pigment, £9.99, ZARA

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Victoria Beckham Lid Lustre

At the start of December 2021, Victoria Beckham Beauty introduced two new Lid Lustre eye-shades - in Chiffon and Mirror. Chiffon is a translucent champagne shadow formulated with Clear Quartz, whilst Mirror is the perfect chrome eye, infused with Moonstone. Think luxe, glitz and shimmer.

vb eyeshadows new

Victoria Beckham Beauty Lid Lustre in Mirrror, £30, Victoria Beckham Beauty

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Nail gems 

If you want to add even more glitz to your nails, how about some nail gems? Use a moistened manicure stick to pick up the rhinestones and place into polish or topcoat on the nail. Repeat until desired design is complete and then cover the entire nail with a topcoat.

amazon nail gems

Nail art rhinestones, £3.99, Amazon 

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Huda Beauty Matte & Metal Melted Eyeshadow

If you're a little bit wary of full of glitter, you need to try Huda Beauty's dual-ended liquid shadows which combine a rich, velvety matte formula on one side, and an over-the-top sparkly on the other. Best of both worlds! What's more, the shadows stay in place for up to 12 hours!

huda shadows

Huda Beauty Matte & Metal Melted Eyeshadow, was £22, now £13.20, Feel Unique 

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Ciate Glitter Flip Lipsticks 

Gliding on effortlessly as a metallic liquid lipstick, simply press your lips together and witness an instant transformation into an extreme glitter finish with a multi-dimensional effect. 

ciate glitter flip

Ciate Glitter Flip Lipstick in Trouble, £17, Feel Unique

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Trinny London Eyetallics 

Shimmering eye shades developed for minimal effort and maximum payoff. Trinny launched the Eyetallics collection because she was inspired by the Roman goddesses of Italy, and she wanted to bring glamour and sparkle to all. 

trinny eyetallics

Eyetallics, £18, Trinny London

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Glossier Lidstar 

Ok, so Glossier doesn't really do glitter, but Lidstar is ideal for anyone who's a little apprehensive and prefers a subtle glow to their eye makeup. Lidstar creates a sheer veil of color that locks onto lids without creasing. 

glossier lidster

Lidstar in Branch, £17, Glossier

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Dolce & Gabbana Royal Shadow

Top tips from the Dolce & Gabbana beauty experts: Apply Royal Shadow in shade Baroque Bronze 1 on your eyelids and draw a thick winged eyeliner with the Glam Liner in shade Black Intense 1 to intensify the look. Apply the Khol pencil in shade True Black 1 along the waterline for an intense result. 

dg eyeshadow

Dolce & Gabbana Royal Shadow, £25.80, Feel Unique

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Il Makiage Lip Service Hi Shine Lip Colour 

Lip Service is one hell of a lip gloss collection. Made up of 10 beautifully high-shine (but never sticky) glosses, whatever colour you opt for your lips will be given the 5-star treatment they deserve. They've been expertly crafted with silky, nourishing oils to ensure a feather-light, balmy texture, that helps to soothe, soften and condition lips for the perfect pout. 

il makiage bow down

Lip Service Hi-shine Lip Glaze in Bow Down, £22, Il Makiage

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Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick – Stunning Gems Mirror Case

Ok, if glitz isn't for you, you could always invest in a case for your favourite lipstick. Guerlain launched a gem mirrror case in various colours. Inspired by gemstones, this will be the gift that keeps on giving. 

guerlain

Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick – Stunning Gems Mirror Case in Quartz, £32, John Lewis

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