Glitter eyeliner is everywhere right now – and it’s putting the glam back into makeup

Eyeliner combines sophistication with a dose of bad-girl edge. But when it comes to fun, nothing beats a twinkly glitter eyeliner; right now, it’s proving to be the biggest trend for eye makeup mavens. Like black eyeliner’s more playful cousin, glitter eyeliner can instantly take a face from bare to megawatt and transforms a regular cut crease into one that makes you want to dance towards the brightest lights.

That said, while a slick of glitter eyeliner is summer’s major look to covet, there’s a fine line between adding a hint of sparkle and looking all-out disco diva. 

French makeup artist Violette, who makes wearing blue glitter eyeliner look as effortless as throwing on a white t-shirt and jeans, says the secret to keeping the look modern, is to choose finely-milled iridescent flecks rather than anything too chunky. “That way you get a shimmer that really reflects the light – it’s metallic, very pigmented, and like a little coating to turn the colour on,” she says, adding that “the rest of your face should be pared back and dewy.” 

Violette is also a fan of a classic winged liner using a fine wet brush dipped into a shimmery eyeshadow (her personal favourite is the new Guerlain Ombres G Eyeshadow Quad in Mystic Peacock) and drawing close to the lash line. To soften the edges and make the look less graphic, she recommends applying a touch of dry shimmer eyeshadow above the eyeliner “using your fingers as the oils in the skin melt the pigments.”

Glitter eyeliner is already flooding Instagram, a glorious melting pot of Studio 54 meets Euphoria. South African makeup artist Lou perfectly executes icy blue metallic eyeliner with a subtle wash of shimmering gold eyeshadow taken up and into the brow line. 

Then there’s digital creator Soph and artist Alondra, whose wet-look holographic eyeliner is ethereal, otherworldly makeup at its best. Proof that a liquid glitter eyeliner is your go-to for ease and minute precision. The only prerequisite is that you look for a thin-tipped brush for wings that don’t look wobbly.