How to Master Glitter Makeup for the Holidays, According to the Pros
From shimmer-swatched eyelids to glittery nails, here’s how to glow like you mean it (but with a little more restraint.)
Glitter has always felt like the beauty industry’s equivalent to pineapple on pizza—a little controversial and often divisive. Long dismissed as juvenile and relegated to festival season, the high-shine texture later faced an eco backlash that made microplastics public enemy number one. But with the rise of biodegradable shimmer, clean formulas and more refined versions, glitter’s redemption arc has finally arrived, and it’s looking shinier than ever.
With the holidays here, take this as your cue to shine—tastefully, not theatrically. Think Studio 54 energy but filtered through candlelit dinner parties. “When it comes to the holiday season, it really is an opportunity to try sparkle,” says Dominic Skinner, director of makeup artistry at MAC and a judge on Glow Up, a reality-TV competition series for makeup artists. This year, he’s seeing “a real return to those hedonistic, carefree days of disco,” where “frosts, sparkle and luminosity” feel fresh, not fussy. Below, Skinner and Essie global ambassador Rita Remark break down how to wear shimmer so that you glint, not glitterbomb.
Bright Eyes
The eyes are the safest (and most obvious) place to embrace sparkle. They’re a built-in canvas for light play, where a little shimmer can go a long way. “There’s one fail-safe way to add sparkle to the eye: Use it in the inner corner, around the tear-duct area,” says Skinner. It offers focus without going full festival. For hooded eyes, he suggests applying “iridescent eyeshadow on the base of the eyelid, along the lash line” to make them look bigger. Modern textures, like MAC’s Dazzleshadow Liquid, creamy sticks and multi-chromes that shift colour as you move, make sparkle effortless. Another way to get major payoff: “One colour over the lid, mascara and you’re done,” Skinner says, adding not to overthink it.
Radiant-Skin Reboot
Forget the over-highlighted glow era of the 2010s. Skinner’s vision of a modern sheen on the skin is radiance. Think softer, fresher and infinitely more sophisticated. “Radiant skin is about health, freshness and a demimatte finish,” he says. His trick? Treat liquid highlighter like a primer. “I use it on bare skin, let it dry down and then put foundation on top.” The result is “a soft-focus lift” that looks more disco-ball chic than dewy or sweaty. His favourite: MAC Skinfinish Lightstruck liquid highlighter because of its iridescent finish. “Light that looks like it’s bouncing off the skin, not sweat,” he says. Think of it as party lighting in a bottle.
Frost Bite
Ready or not, the Y2K frost comeback is real but (thankfully) reimagined. “It’s smoother, fresher and more hydrated,” Skinner says of modern frosted lip formulas. His recipe for grown-up shine: Start with a plumping oil to “make lips conditioned and full,” blot and then “put the frost over the top” for a metallic sheen that flashes, not flakes.
Nail The Shine
A holiday manicure is a tradition as much as it is self-expression. It’s that final flourish that signals you’ve officially entered party mode. Once you’re there, skip the seasonal red-and-green glitter and opt for “jewellery tones” instead, suggests Remark. Think molten-gold, silver-chrome and gemstone hues that feel polished.
“Glitter adds nail art without extra tools or skill,” she says. Her approach is all about intention: Try “a glitter with a clear base” for a dusted-on finish or “just three glitter dots along the cuticle line” for understated sparkle. For something timeless, go “glitter on the tip, not in an ombré but a French-manicure pattern.” Prefer a softer shine? Layer “opalescent or iridescent top coats, like lamé with a colour shift,” over a deep-chocolate polish. Her favourites: Essie’s Set in Stones, Liquid Sunrise and Ethereal Escape. Proof that even the smallest shimmer can make your manicure feel like modern art.
Let It Glow
Swipe, blend and dust on the season’s most dazzling formulas.
Julia is a Toronto-based, award-winning writer and stylist with a sharp eye for celebrity, pop culture and all things fashion and beauty. With over 15 years of experience covering the style scene, she’s currently the Fashion and Beauty Editor at Hello! Canada. Her work has also appeared in ELLE Canada, FASHION, The Kit, Canadian Living, CBC, Chatelaine and The Globe and Mail, among others. When she’s not chasing the next big trend, she’s running, traveling and keeping up with her endlessly curious toddler, Tilda.
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