We used to be a glittering people. Before a big night out or just a dinner with friends, your eyelids will sparkle, your cheekbones will catch the light from every angle, and your lip gloss will act as a mirror. In the 70s and 80s, glitter wasn’t a must in makeup, it was important. soul train The dancers ran through the night, leaving a glittering trail behind. Donna Summer’s pure disco brilliance and Cher’s theatrical brilliance set the standard.
By the early ’80s, as the formula evolved, so did Sparkle’s role. Chunky glitter has given way to metallic, cool-toned eyes, matte lips, and dazzling body stickers, usually in the shape of a butterfly or star, placed near the collarbone. The Y2K era was certainly special, but it had a kind of raucous charm that was meant to inspire joy and creativity, and it was intentional.
Then, almost overnight, that glow disappeared and the era of the clean girl ushered in. High-impact makeup was traded for dewy skin, soapy eyebrows, and a kind of restraint that suggested minimal effort. But the glitter never really went away, it just slipped out of the spotlight, waiting for the right moment to jump back into the spotlight and save us from the suffocation of minimalist charm.
After all, 2026 is that moment. Makeup is swinging back toward the bold side of the pendulum. return of euphoria, Along with other cultural entertainment moments. hannah montana 20th anniversary special, zara larsson’s midnight sun The tour, and basically all of Tyra’s appearances, mark the collective’s return to drama, and brilliance. And makeup artists who came of age during shimmer’s heyday are watching as a new generation rediscovers it. This time it’s a more sophisticated formula.
“Five years ago, shimmers looked heavy with textured glitters. Very Studio 54-ish,” he says. katie jane hughesNew York City makeup artist and founder of KJH.Brand. “I think we’re in an era of more chic and elegant sparkle.”
Hughes isn’t the only one who thinks so. including artists donnie daviefounder of Half Magic. Sophia Sinnott, a makeup artist whose creativity attracts the attention of today’s most vibrant celebrities. And Pat McGrath, founder of Pat McGrath Lab and fashion week mainstay, points to a version of shimmer that feels less all over and more strategic, and ultimately more wearable and more intentional.
But why now? After years of doing lean, clean-girl makeup, why revisit shimmer? Davey, one of the makeup artists who never fails to shine, points out one reason for the boredom. “If you do something for a while, people get tired of it,” she says. But for her, this shift also reflects something deeper: a kind of collective resistance. “With everything going on in the world right now, especially in the United States, and feeling like we’re going backwards in terms of human rights, I feel like it’s a good time to show my most superhuman self,” she says.
It means embracing more color and shine, being unapologetic and even rebellious through makeup. “I don’t feel like this is the time to be modest or perfect the ‘clean girl’ look that just makes you more beautiful on the face. It’s the time to inject more emotion and mood into your makeup.” For Davey, such self-expression, especially when it shines through, can be deeply therapeutic, even cathartic. ” Because glitter is never “just a decoration,” says McGrath. “It’s emotional, fascinating and transformative all at once.”
From the elements of bygone eras that inspire today’s looks to the new formulas shaping trends, top makeup artists break down the current state of shimmer and explain how this resurgence is bringing joy to our makeup routines.
Source: Allure – www.allure.com
