We may be going out a lot less than we used to, but that’s all the more reason to put a little glamour back into your life. For your next virtual Happy Hour or Zoom family dinner, why not spritz on a little hair glitter? It adds a bit of fun and style to your hair, and you can even glitter up your kids with paediatrician-approved glitter hairspray. In this article, we have some tips for putting a little more glitter into your life.
In this article:
- How to Use Glitter Hairspray, Gel & Loose Glitter
- How to Wear Hair Glitter IRL
- How to Remove Glitter from Hair
How to Use Glitter Hairspray, Gel & Loose Glitter
Once you’ve decided to get your glitter on, and you have your hair glitter product ready to go, here are a few tips for applying the perfect splash of bling. You only need a few simple tools, and there’s hardly any wrong way to apply hair glitter. However, if you’re an absolute beginner, we’ve got some on-trend styling tips for you to check out.
- Pick Your Perfect Glitter Hair Color
Make sure you pick a glitter hair product that is fun and modern but not something that will make you look like a Vegas showgirl (unless that’s the look you’re going for!).
Choose blue, green, or violet tones for fair and light skin tones. Other good options for fair skin include a light silver or gold tone or, my favorite, a subtle pink iridescent hair glitter.
Warmer skin tones should choose from reds, oranges, yellows, while darker skin tones work really well with gold and bronze splashes of hair glitter. - Have the Right Tools
Before you start, make sure you have all the tools you’ll need for a perfect hair glitter experience. Use a synthetic rather than a natural bristle hair brush – experience has taught us it’s hard to remove hair glitter, which can ruin the brush.
You can use the synthetic brush – or just your fingers to apply a thin layer of glitter adhesive (available from several excellent cosmetic brands) on your hair, skin, or lashes. You’ll also need Q-tips to help you control exactly where you want your hair glitter to go. - Warning: It Gets Messy
For some people, leaving a trail of hair glitter all around your bed, bath, and beyond is a nightmare, but it’s so much fun and totally worth it. Still, for some, it’s a potential disaster that keeps them from trying hair glitter at all. It’s true that going for the glitter is one of the messiest makeup applications you’re likely to encounter, so be prepared.
Spread paper towels or tissues down where you’ll be doing your hair in case of spills or other accidents. Also, have some eye makeup remover on hand for removal and reapplication. The glitter will stick to the eye makeup remover, unlike water, which will just move the glitter around to more potentially unwanted places.
Lastly, a tip from the backstage fashion pros is to have some adhesive tape ready to pick up stray bits of glitter from your face, your hands, the furniture, and the floor. - Glitter Isn’t Just for Hair!
One of our favorite YouTube beauty vloggers was pleasantly surprised to find that her hair glitter gel was also a fantastic highlighter for the face. She looked great, and so can you. If you’re feeling very adventurous, try gently dabbing a bit in the inner eye area or layer it over your mascara. Use it sparingly to create subtle, modern highlights.
How to Wear Hair Glitter IRL
You’ve got the glitter, you’ve got the tools, and you’re ready to go. There’s so much you can do, but here are a few of the trendiest glitter hair ideas to try!
For Absolute Beginners
If you are entirely new to the glitter hair game, try out the look by adding just a few splashes of glitter to different sections of your hair for a nice touch of highlight. Try a bit around the roots and around your face. Stylists say this option is also great if you want to use more than one color.
Glitter Roots
This style doesn’t require a lot of skill, which we home glitter girls really like, and you’ll look like you’ve just been out in a glittery rainstorm.
- Part your hair in the middle, spray a bit of hairspray over your roots.
- You can keep your hair loose, or style space buns, pigtails or any interesting braided style that will make your glitter roots stand out.
- Then apply your glitter to the hair roots. You can go for a bit of bling or try out a chunkier style for a little extra pizazz.
- Don’t stress if the glitter spills down past the roots; it will look fine.
- Finish off the look with another spritz of hairspray to hold your bling in place.
Glitter-Dipped Ponytail
This is definitely Advanced Glitter 101, but it’s a very stylish holiday look if you’re up for it.
- First, flat iron your hair and apply a bit of hairspray to ensure everything is nice and smooth.
- Next, in a small bowl, mix your loose hair glitter with a bit of light styling gel or dry shampoo (blasting the mixture with your blow dryer can make it easier to work with).
- With your fingers or a clean synthetic brush, apply the glitter mixture to the end of your ponytail.
- If you are using a glitter hairspray or gel, simply apply it to the ponytail tips.
- How much you use is up to you – you can paint a bit on the very tips for a subtle look or start halfway down for a super sparkly holiday look.
Glitterhead – The Full Lady Gaga
We know this is really intense, but if you want all the drama you can handle from your hair glitter, this is the way to go.
- Tie your hair into a ponytail or a chic chignon and fix it with hairspray. You can also keep it loose, styling waves or straightening it for a sleek look.
- Then pick one hair glitter color (maybe a shiny gold or hot pink mixed with a bit of hair gel) and paint it on covering your head.
- If you’re not ready for the full Lady Gaga, apply the hair glitter at the roots, or add a small strip of color to each side.
- And be warned: if you decide to create this look at home, make sure you cover everything around you with paper towels or plastic. You’ll be picking bits of glitter out of the carpet for months.
How to Remove Glitter from Hair
Removing glitter from hair can seem to be the messiest and most impossible task to complete, however, if you follow these methods, you are going to have clean hair and scalp, free from those sparkly particles.
Using Hairspray to Remove Hair Glitter
Hairspray works not only for fixing your hair glitter but also for getting rid of it.
- Get some paper towels and spray them with hairspray to make them wet.
- Next, use the soaked paper towels to blot the glitter from the hair. Use as many towels as necessary to completely remove the glitter from your hair.
- Now, you can wash your hair in the shower.
Using Oil to Remove Hair Glitter
Another fantastic and easy way to get rid of hair glitter is using any kind of natural oil, like olive oil, coconut oil, or any other one you have at hand. Baby oil works too.
- Make sure to wear an old T-shirt you don’t mind staining with the oil.
- Apply the oil to your hair and scalp and massage it through to make your hair really wet. Don’t use a hair brush, as it’ll pick up glitter from your hair and transfer it every time you try to brush your hair.
- Wait for 10-15 minutes for the oil to loosen the glitter, and then wash your hair with shampoo thoroughly to remove both oil and glitter from your hair.
Photos via @monarchhairco, Instagram
