The Best Body Glitter Spray

Buying Guide

All that glitters is not gold. In fact, you can find glitter used for a variety of purposes, including crafts and nail polish. With a little glitter, you can add a little glamour to anything, including your hair, face, arms and legs.

But the same glitter that works in arts and crafts isn’t ideal for your hair, face or body. Even if you can get typical glitter to adhere to your skin and hair, you can find you’re dealing with challenges. Glitter can irritate the skin and be tough to remove from the hair when you’re ready to wash it out. By tracking down glitter designed for cosmetic purposes, you can get the benefits without those issues.

It’s also important to consider eco-friendliness. Conventional glitter has been found to change the makeup of water as it makes its way into waterways. For that reason, manufacturers now create biodegradable glitter that has less of an environmental impact.

Glitter gels and lotions can be great, but they tend to be heavy on the skin and even leave residue. A glitter spray lets you apply a little glam where you want it without having to worry about that residue. But this same benefit means that some sprays need a little help sticking. You might need to add a little lotion or petroleum jelly to make it stick.

That issue is especially prevalent if you’re using your glitter spray for your hair. Gel or hairspray can serve as a primer, helping the glitter adhere. You can even find a brand of hair product you like and make it work with your hair glitter.

But even then, it may take a while to find a body glitter that lasts over the hours you’ll be wearing it. Since this can be unpredictable, consider trying out a new body glitter well before the day or night you plan to wear it. You can then measure its staying power and opt for another brand if you’re disappointed.

• Cosmetic glitter is designed to be safe for use on skin. Look for one that’s noncomedogenic, which means it doesn’t clog pores. You’ll want body glitter with lighter-weight oils that don’t soak into pores and cause blemishes.
• With any product making direct contact with your skin, do a patch test before expanding to a broader area. This will reduce the risk of a widespread dermatological reaction.
• Body glitter spray can come in small bottles, but you’ll likely find that a little goes a long way. Most sprays have a high glitter concentration and a liquid designed to get it from the bottle to its target.
• There are a variety of color and style options with body glitter. Some are holographic, while others are straight glitter. You can find pinks, pearl whites and iridescent options that put the emphasis on the sparkle. Some even come in gold or silver.
• The face can be a particularly great place to add a little glitter. Make sure you choose a glitter spray that’s made for use in that area and use it to enhance the contours of your face.
• Some glitter spray bottles are prone to leaking, so make sure you keep the bottle upright if that’s a problem. If you’re looking for a glitter spray that you can keep in a purse or overnight bag to take on the go with you, look for one that doesn’t leak.
• Body glitter spray can make a great gift. Some even come in decorative bottles that look like vintage perfume atomizers, as well as packaging that helps you box it up and wrap it.
• To make your bottle of glitter spray last, consider applying it strategically. A little glitter on your shoulder or arms can go a long way. Hair glitter can be applied only to the top layer of your hair to make it last.