Glitter Eye Makeup Finally Gets Its Due With This Opulent New Trend

There’s a reason entire psychological studies are dedicated to deciphering the power of red nails or a bold lipstick — the way you look has a serious impact on how you feel. These days, it’s easy to feel discouraged (hello, doom-scrolling), but something so simple as a cheerful wash of blush has the potential to, quite literally, turn your mood around. Nothing, though, beats the frivolous fun of this year’s sparkly eye makeup trend. It’s like a surge of serotonin is baked right into the glitter — something about the light-catching effect makes positivity an inevitability.

As so many of the biggest trends do, this one started out on the runway. At the Tory Burch Spring/Summer 2023 show, models had their lids shellacked with chunky silver glitter that twinkled under the runway lights in a fresh take on classic party makeup. That same New York Fashion Week, the Peter Do show featured glitter-covered eyebrows of every shade, carefully applied to show off the brows’ sculpted arches. Call it the high-fashion version of maximalist Euphoria makeup — rather than a rave-ready blend of colors and placements, this new take marries precision with texture and shine for a surprisingly neat, structured feel. Sparkle is everywhere, and its happy go-lucky energy is infectious.

Naturally, celebrities have always gravitated toward attention-grabbing beauty moments, but this current sparkly eye makeup craze is a bit different than past iterations. What sets this year’s trend apart is the total erosion of “rules” surrounding glitter’s so-called wearability. No longer relegated to just birthday nights out and New Year’s Eve, the latest takes on glitter are everyday-friendly — some would even work in more buttoned-up environments like offices, too. Below, explore the top ways to wear the burgeoning trend.

Monochrome Sparkle

One of the best modern glitter makeup trends — and fashion trends, too, really — is an adherence to one all-over color, like Jodie Turner-Smith’s pink-on-pink-on-pink moment. By matching her glittery pink eyeshadow to the jewels in her ears, rose pink gloss, and silk gown, the cohesive color palette manages to both stand out and blend together for a head-to-toe halo effect. While Turner-Smith isn’t wearing outright shimmer anywhere but her eyes, the glint in her lip gloss and body luminizer shine too without overpowering the glitter.

Glitter Eyeliner

If the idea of “office-appropriate glitter” sounds like an oxymoron, Hailey Bieber’s take on the trend might just be the thing to convince you. First, her outfit is decidedly more demure (even with eight inches of abs bared) than the looks typically paired with sparkly eye makeup. The rest of Bieber’s makeup is similarly muted, which helps the stripe of pink glitter eyeliner look a bit more subtle.

Matte Touches

Take it from celebrity makeup artist Sir John — mixing finishes can look even more striking than all-over sparkle. Here, he expertly blended dark, matte shades in the eye crease and extending into the outer corners with a glittering midnight blue eyeshadow. Not only does it kick up the intensity without risking glitter migration, but it adds even more depth and dimension, too.

Ombré Sparkle Eyeshadow

The combination of soft, shimmery gold with gown-matching pink creates an ombré, sunset-colored effect on Kerry Washington. And, as it happens, incorporating an earthier-toned shade like shimmering gold or sienna tempers the sparkle for a more relaxed look.

Soft Sparkle

Simone Ashley’s soft wash of sparkle, applied by celebrity makeup artist Valeria Ferreira, also utilizes a gentle gradient effect but harnesses the power of contrasting colors to really make the silvery spangles pop. At first glance, most of the glitter is focused along her lash line, but the purple and pink tones in her crease and outer corner shimmer too.

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