Should I wear glitter makeup?

It’s a holiday mainstay that needs to go the way of the forgotten fruitcake, says The Kit’s executive editor — instead, try a more modern glow

I love dressing up for the holidays and always see shimmery makeup filling the beauty aisles. It’s pretty, for sure, but I’m just not sure how to wear it, or moreover, if, as a grown woman, I should be wearing it at all. What’s your take on glitter makeup? — Amy, Toronto

Glitter is having more than a holiday moment right now; it’s having a disco-fuelled bender of a renaissance in the fashion world. It’s filling the feed of every Instagram makeup artist (and yes, we are living in a time when that is a real career choice that allows one the possibility of making more money than, say, a doctor).

Makeup legend and general tastemaker Val Garland is also mad for the shiny stuff these days. She dusted models’ foreheads in glitter for the Fall 2018 Preen show in London, then hopped over to Paris where she created a literal mask of glitter for the models at Giambattista Valli. Now that we’re firmly into the tinsel-and-shine holiday season, it’s safe to say that we’ve attained Peak Glitter.

But what does that mean, you ask, for those of us who aren’t, say, walking a runway or working in Santa’s workshop?

The temptation to reach for a swipe or two of glittery makeup is certainly there. There is a whimsical quality that appeals to the holiday-loving child in all of us. I checked with my neighbour to confirm this. “I like glitter because it’s shiny,” she said. “I like to look like a shiny Christmas princess.” (Abigail is four and something of an expert on both shiny and princess-related issues.)

As children often do, she’s cut right to the heart of the issue. Some women like to look like shiny Christmas princesses, while others do not. I, personally, cringe at the idea of a royally reflective look. So, I think, should you.

Let’s confirm by asking the only logical question in this situation: What would Kate Middleton do?

The woman basically has a patent on all sartorial looks, both festive and royal. She wears red Tartan and tiaras with equal aplomb, does her own makeup and is as unattainably frosty as the white Christmas of Bing Crosby’s dreams.

But you don’t need to be a royal watcher to know that Kate Middleton would not deign to wear sparkly makeup, even if the future of the monarchy depended on it. She is graceful, not glitzy; classic, not kitschy.

In short, one needn’t dress up like an ornament to feel festive.

Instead, opt to shine rather than sparkle. Channel the spirit of the holidays by reaching for makeup that lends warm radiance — without the risk of being mistaken for a mall elf.

“The perfect glow starts with the most beautiful skin, so I would begin with the proper skin care,” Michel Coumbe, the global makeup artist for Laura Mercier, recently told The Kit. Prep your skin with a few drops of facial oil to get that radiance going.

“Then for a glow to last all day, protect your skin with a primer,” says Columbe, who uses Laura Mercier’s Foundation Primer Radiance because it contains universal rose gold pearl, which he says suits any complexion. “Not only does a primer help your makeup last all day, it also helps reflects the light.”

Build a flattering glow with a luminous highlighter on the high points of your face, like your cupid’s bow, the tops of your cheekbones and just below your eyebrows.

This helps add dimension. Avoid glittery eyeshadows which only make a mess and instead use a creamy highlighter like RMS Beauty’s cult-favourite Master Mixer, which can be layered on top of your go-to shadows to add a rosy sheen.

Or, try Columbe’s handy hack: “For mature clients of mine who love the idea of shimmer, but are afraid it would enhance the fine lines, you can take a soft brush and lightly dust a glowing setting powder on top of a matte eyeshadow. It’s so beautiful and gives a light sheen without being overpowering.”

That is a solution that I think pleases everyone from my local festive kindergartener to a discerning modern royal.