Why You Should Think Twice About Re-Creating the Full Face of Glitter Challenge

By Emily Orofino

Updated on 12/10/2016 at 9:00 AM

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Glitter is an essential part of any holiday beauty look (we just love how it catches the light!), but the cleanup is what makes us wary of rocking serious sparkle all year. However, makeup artist Katie Butt is clearly fearless, as she used the intrusive product to create a full-face look.

In the above video, Katie contours and highlights, fills in her brows, and even applies a pigmented red lip exclusively using glitter, resulting in an ethereal, luminous masterpiece. You'll find that it's impossible to stop staring as she works (so shiny . . .), but our obsession is partially motivated by concern.

When using glitter-based products, it is essential that you ensure that the product is eye-safe. Most beauty formulas containing sparkle use mica, a mineral that has been approved by the FDA for use in makeup. However, true glitter — which is made of plastic — is illegal to mix into beauty products. To complicate things further, there is cosmetic-grade glitter, which you might find at a beauty supply store, and craft glitter, which is often used for art projects. The former is more finely milled and often has rounded edges, while the latter has sharp corners. (Not too long ago, a woman lost her eye from getting craft glitter in it.)

It seems that Katie wore Glittertubes, a cosmetic-grade glitter brand, for part of her look. The other company she relied on, Glitter Injections, does not provide any information about the type of sparkle used in its products. We hope that anyone choosing to re-create this look proceeds with caution and does their research before getting glam.

If you're wary about glitter but still want to incorporate sparkle into your holiday beauty routine, we strongly suggest looking to artistry-focused brands like MAC Cosmetics and Make Up For Ever, both of which distribute an extensive variety of sparkles. You can also opt for a metallic formula like Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow ($32), which offers an incredible foil-esque finish without any risk.