Maybe it's because I'm yearning for post-university freedom and lots of parties, or maybe it's the child in me who still wears fairy wings and ballet slippers, but i am absolutely obsessed with glitter.
Not on clothes, though, that would be too ostentatious for my liking. But on everything else - notebook covers, highlighters, wallets, necklaces, lipstick cases, books, magazines, drink bottles... you name it, a little glitter goes a long way. And i'm not even one of those people who hates the glitter getting everywhere, the more the merrier I say.
Recently, however, I've been craving a little glitter on my clothes and on my face. A recent editorial in vogue uk december 2009 shows eyes hepped up on glitter, so thick and so sparkly a thousand fairies could get their wings just with the fluttering of one eyelash. The look is supposed to take its cues from Lily Allen and Natasha Khan (from Bat for Lashes) and champion the excess over recess(ion) look that fashion is dying for right now.
These images actually aren't the Vogue UK editorial that i was talking about, but they happen to be from Vogue UK, June and December 2008 respectively. It's clear that in December theatricality and craziness in make up seems a little more tolerated. Getting reading for the silly season means that your make up can be a little silly too. I adore this glitter idea however, toned down maybe a wee bit from Iris' crazy panda eyes, but still strong and very noticeable, with a clean face and nude lips.
Vogue UK in their current December issue warns off the prospective glitterati from wearing the make up with any sartorial accompaniment that is too strong. Feathered capes and bejewelled panties are for the editorial, it seems, on the streets you should wear glittery faces with just simple dresses and outfits.
Personally, i think glitter can work both ways. If you have the kind of beguiling personality that encourages you to slap on the glitter in the first place, then your strong-shouldered dress paired with a ruffled swing coat will go just fine with the glitter. Like all good make up it not only enhanced but compliments an outfit. That's why you can also wear glitter with a plain tee shirt and pair of pants. Suddenly your rive gauche casual cool becomes uptown party girl. Not a fairy in sight!
Glitter in clothes has also provided some fascination for me. I think margherita and Dasha (heavily pregnant and positively glowing) know the formula well. Glitter up top. I have never seen someone wear a glittery skirt or pants and pull it off. For some reason glitter works well as cardigans, jackets, tops and little dresses (Alexa Chung works a glittered cardigan a lot), but never on the bottom. Perhaps it's something about the shiny, look-at-me sensibility of glitter. Most people would rather play up their top half than their bottom half (i know that's me). As such, glitter works to draw the attention away from the bottom and up to that shiny disco ball top.
I was shopping around for my chanel ballet flats yesterday, and spent a good 40 minutes in the shop umming and aahhhing over the black on black or the black on beige pairs. I do like the black on beige objectively off my feet, and i also like them on my feet. But the rational part of my brain that says to me DONT WEAR GLITTER MAKE UP and DONT EAT THAT CROISSANT was saying DONT BUY THEM, BLACK IS MORE WEARABLE. But black is boring. I always buy black. Hmmph. I need to go back with somebody who will help me decide, but not my mum who will sniff her nose up at the price. (it's my money! ha)
Anyway, i wandered into Mecca Cosmetica to look at the Nars Make up counter and to try and replace my foundation. Since i last bought my foundation they've changed the formula, so the make up artists were desperately trying to find one that fit my face, which is very hard as my pigment is weird, a mix of australian and asian means that my skin brown very easily, but also has a pale, yellow-y undertone no matter what. While they tried different formulas with names like Barcelona and Santa Fe (i want to travel!) on my face, i looked at the glitter-y eye shadow. It was sparkling strongly, and i brushed some on my hand. It's still there now, though not a strong.
It was the kind of glitter silver of Dasha's jacket, and just the kind of make up my 9 year old self would kill to have. I want it! i need it! I can already picture all the crizazy party outfits i can make, where i'm just wearing simple black, my chanel shoes, and crazy crazy eyes. Come to me...
X
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dasha zhukova /
glitter /
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margherita missoni
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