Counter Confidential: The Danger of Glitter

Counter Confidential

"The Danger of Glitter" by Undercover Beauty Agent

While washing my hands in the restroom, I noticed a lady furiously rubbing her eyes. She looked completely miserable, so I had to ask if she was okay. When she looked at me, one of her eyes was completely bloodshot. Her makeup was smeared, and she had glitter practically all over her face. Turns out a piece of glitter had gotten into her eye. I had never seen such a reaction to glitter in the eye before, but when she said the glitter was from a craft store, I understood why.

Adding a bit of shimmer to your eyes can really amp up a look, but some glitter isn’t safe for the eyes. It may look the same, but it isn’t. Craft store glitter is cut larger than the kind at the cosmetics counter. It’s also sharper, which can be really dangerous for the cornea. Once inside the eye, a fleck of glitter can scratch and possibly damage your eye or the sensitive skin under the lid.

Cosmetic glitter is usually rounded around the edges and much smaller. This way, if it falls into your eye it isn’t dangerous. Always remember to read the packaging to make sure the glitter is safe to use around the eyes. Some labels will say the glitter not safe for the immediate eye area, so avoid these. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. These sparkly shadows are great alternatives to glitter.

1 Sugarpill Chromalust Loose Eye Shadow

These loose eye shadows are packed with pigment, which is great if you want lots of color. Another bonus: It’s a vegan shadow!

2 Too Faced Glamour Dust

This loose powder will definitely add some feminine glam to any look. The glitter in this pot is finely ground and combined with metallic pigment to create serious shine.

3 Naked Cosmetics Color Collections in Twilight

These six colors are gorgeous wet or dry. Use them wet for a dramatic sparkle. Each color has a silver base that truly makes the pigments seem three dimensional!

Undercover Beauty Agent is just an average makeup artist at your local beauty counter who's reporting true stories exclusively for Beautylish: "I love what I do because I get to make people feel beautiful on a daily basis. I'm a beauty advisor in New York City by day and a secret beauty agent by night, totally ready to share all my insider secrets and gossip."