With the cheerful winter season, glitter is on nearly every piece of clothing, accessory and make up one can purchase. Fun sparkles immediately draw the eye for a double take; however, the goal is for that extra glance to be in admiration not disgust. The main rule for maturely sporting this glitzy style is moderation.
Veronica Burk, manager at Mr. Charles (228 E. College Ave.) in downtown State College, has expert advice on how to pull off the glitter. “The age of sequins for [only] New Years and special events are over,” Burk said. Girls can now wear sequins anytime of the year at any point in the day if they are styled correctly. Veronica’s most important advice was that sequins are powerful and need to be played down.
For example, Veronica explained that the black sequined blazer displayed on one of Mr. Charle’s window mannequins could be easily styled to look sophisticated and trendy. Getting past the apparent similarity to clothing Michael Jackson wore, this blazer can work on anyone and can be worn to morning brunches or evening parties. For earlier in the day, throw it over a simple white tee and colorful jeans making the jacket more casual. At night, pair the glittery blazer with a lacey top and dark skinnies to play up the sexiness of the sparkly piece.
Veronica also pointed out that sparkly shirts are stunning if worn tastefully. Downplay the intensity of the shirt by matching with a denim jacket and cowboy boots. This way, the glitter is amping-up the outfit without it looking like a fairy costume. Veronica’s last piece of advice was to avoid sequined shoes—we can leave those to Dorothy.
Glitter doesn’t stop at clothing though; it is seeping into beauty departments everywhere. At the downtown State College CVS (116 W. College Ave.) the Milani beauty display featured all sorts of glitter infused makeup. There are even a variety of glittery nail polishes that cost about $4.99 each.
Abbey Halula, a sophomore PreMed at Penn State says, “I usually paint one nail a crazy color and the rest are neutral.” For her, the glittery polish serves as an accent color to the rest of her nails. Abbey follows the same glitter rule that Veronica preaches: moderation.
Milani also offers sparkly eye makeup to add some glam to your look. For $7.79, Milani Crytsal Eyez Clear Gel Base Sparkling Eye Shadow is a sure standout for a nighttime party or New Years Eve. The gel base makes it easy to apply and helps reduce the risk of applying too much.
If a full eyelid is pushing your glitter capacity, Milani makes a Glitzy Retractable Eye Liner Pencil for $4.97. The pencil allows for sleek, subtle lines to display just a hint of glitter. The small amount of sparkle makes the eyes pop and can be worn at all times of day. With tasteful application, anyone can rock a glittery look without looking like Tinkerbelle.
Photo by Brittany Trappe
