Glitter 101: A Lesson From the Glitziest Brand in Beauty

Once the secret behind dramatic makeup theatrics, the serious drag circuit, or the underground rave scene, glitter is spilling out into a new era. Today’s individuals are embracing multi-colored liners and lip colors with gusto. Maybe it’s because we finally have the technology—textures once reserved for Twilight vampire CGI can now be created right on the skin. New, hypnotizing shadows have come on the market that are unlike anything you’d ever find in the craft aisle. It’s glitter, refined.

Calgary-based Lit! Cosmetics is one of the brands leading the blinged out cause. Lit! founder Jodie Perks, a self-professed member of the glitterati, has developed a full range of pigments in the most unique, duochromatic color and size spectrum we’ve seen. We had a sparkle-swatching party in the office and we can assure you it’s nearly impossible to stop playing with these faceted cosmetics, let alone break eye contact from their mesmerizing reflectivity. Pigment aside, Lit’s breakthrough adhesive formula is really what makes this brand, and its products, stick.

Lit!’s mission statement is simple: No glitter, no glory. Eager to learn more, we asked Jodie Perks about her sparkling ambitions and got ourselves a little lesson in glitterology.

B: What attracted you to glitter so much in the first place?

12 years ago, I bartended and wanted makeup that showed up at night. At the time, all I could find was one glitter brand with eyelash adhesive, and I got to be known as the glitter girl behind the bar. But I found it was so messy and I couldn’t work with it properly, so I thought there could be a better application process. I thought to myself, I could do something with this, and that was the birth of Lit!

B: Who loves Lit! most?

Glitter is fun on any age, from 9 to 99. I did a promotion for a clothing store recently and I sold glitter to older women on a Wednesday night— they loved it. I just want to catch the entire market. No other company has focused as much as we have just on glitter.

B: All glitters are not made equal—why are different  sizes so important to take into consideration?

When I first opened my glitter store, I noticed some of the sizes were too big. I wore a size four glitter—I looked like a walking disco ball. People wanted a smaller cut so I branched out, and size two is my most popular right now.

B: What makes a glitter good?

I believe good glitter has to be a little bit fluid—when you move it around, it has to have a nice rhythm to it. All colors have a little bit of a different characteristic to them, so you’ll get a few that are a little bit powdery but good. It’s more about the quality of the color itself and the density. A lot of craft glitters have glass in them and shouldn’t be used on the eyes. Cosmetic grade glitter should be oval cut.

B: Is there a difference between pressed and loose glitter?

If you’ve ever tried pressed glitter, you’ll know that the glitter doesn’t sit on the lid. Glitter is glitter, and after a while it falls off the cheekbones. People sometimes use water to make it stick but at the end of the day, it will flake off. I prefer using an eye primer when you can and applying with an adhesive.

B: Tell us about this adhesive!

The backbone to our company is the base—that’s the secret. That’s what keeps the product on, and it gives you the freedom of application! If you want to fan the glitter out lightly or put 10 colors on your eyes, go for it. The base turns the glitter into a controlled product so you can do whatever you want with it.

B: Any current favorites out of all your glitter babies?

I’m kind of funny—I mostly wear the classic ones. I always wear Marilin Monroe, Gunsmoke, and Seeing Stars! I don’t go too crazy with colors unless its a special occasion and I feel a little nutty. Unless it’s Christmas—in which case I’ll totally wear red and green on my eyes.

B: Where do you want the brand to go from here?

I’m not going into eye shadows, lipsticks, and blushes—why reinvent the wheel? If anything, I’m looking into sexy glitter lotions, even some with SPF for the beach. If you’re on the shore, why not glitter up a bit?

B: All in all, do you think glitter still gets a bad rap?

Definitely, and that’s why I call our size two glitter ‘sexy sophistication’—it’s wearable. Things are changing in makeup from five years ago. A lot of makeup artists didn’t even have glitter in their kits, and now it’s expected and in. Let me rephrase—glitter never went out. Glitter is here to stay, baby. It’s all about getting people to try it—because once it’s on, it’s sold.