Why does the body glitter trend feel so irresistible right now, as if every bare shoulder, collarbone, and sunlit limb is asking for one more flash of joy?
Why does the body glitter trend feel so irresistible right now, as if every bare shoulder, collarbone, and sunlit limb is asking for one more flash of joy?
June 7, 2026
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Glitter body art is officially back, returning with an absolute vengeance and an unparalleled level of glamour for Summer 2026. Body glitter currently headlines its official comeback tour, prominently championed by way of massive global pop stars like Zara Larsson, Tyla, and Sabrina Carpenter. Furthermore, the highly anticipated new season of Euphoria features body glitter so heavily, the sparkling medium essentially deserves its own starring credit on IMDB. We are entering an era of maximum illumination, embracing a cultural shift leaning completely into radiant, unapologetic shine, and the body glitter trend is sitting right at the center of that shift.
Donni Davy, the visionary lead makeup artist on Euphoria and the innovative founder of Half Magic Beauty, proposes a brilliant theory regarding this magnificent renaissance. She explains that we have inhabited the clean-girl makeup trend for quite a while now, and whenever a specific aesthetic remains popular for an extended period, an inevitable tendency pushes the culture entirely in the opposite direction. She confirms it makes perfect sense that glitter and shimmer are returning to the forefront of fashion, and she is absolutely here for this dazzling revival of the body glitter trend.
Furthermore, body glitter shares this massive cultural moment with other spectacular adornments. A beloved millennial prom staple, crystal-coated adhesive body stickers, returns in a truly enormous way. Most recently, we witnessed breathtaking butterfly back tattoos illuminating Larsson’s skin. Lucas Stowe, the brilliant performance-wear designer and the masterful artist behind this specific look, asserts that this intense interest in nostalgia beautifully bridges multiple generations. He explains that Gen Alpha and Gen Z perceive these dazzling elements as entirely fresh and new, drawing a clever comparison to the current fascination with Lisa Frank stickers. Stowe remembers loving these items deeply during his own youth, recalling how exciting and novel they felt. He finds it incredibly amusing and delightful to witness Gen Z-ers experiencing them through completely fresh eyes, while for older generations, these items represent pure, unadulterated nostalgia.
Ready to officially join the glitterati? We went straight to the ultimate industry professionals, including veterans who vividly lived through the original body glitter craze of yore, alongside the modern visionaries setting today's hottest trends, to thoroughly break down exactly how to carry the body glitter trend and gemstone trend beautifully into 2026.
Glitter in its marvelous modern form traces back to the ingenious machinist Henry Ruschmann of Bernardsville, New Jersey. In 1934, Ruschmann created an early, brilliant form of glitter intended for industrial coatings by meticulously cutting up mylar film and perfectly mixing it with metallic powder. Glitter as a wearable fashion accessory, however, reached its absolute zenith on the radiant pop stars of the ’90s and early ’00s, who completely dominated the TRL countdown every single afternoon. Charlie Riddle, the esteemed makeup artist and Stila global beauty director, encourages us to think back to the golden days of Britney and Christina. He notes they focused entirely on appearing intensely glowy and almost futuristic. People eagerly applied glitter to their arms, chests, legs, and absolutely anywhere capable of catching the light, creating the early blueprint for today’s body glitter trend.
Rhinestone adhesives, perfectly exemplified by Mariah Carey’s legendary butterfly adornment circa 2001, also played a starring role during this era, adding an extra, brilliant accent to that luminous base layer of shimmer. Makeup artist Ngozi Edeme vividly recalls this aesthetic, noting that all the fiercest video vixens sported the very same body art we see trending today, ranging from beautifully bedazzled lower-back art to sparkling belly button rings, all of which now feel newly relevant inside the body glitter trend.
For me, personally, every single outfit, including my standard school uniform, always paired beautifully with a highly generous layer of body glitter. The iconic Bath & Body Works Art Stuff range and Jessica Simpson’s famously edible body powders from Dessert Beauty served as my magical gateway into far more elevated, luxurious formulas like Benefit’s Kitten Sparkling Body Shimmer and Urban Decay’s Cocoa Body Powder, which actually tasted exactly like real chocolate. Wende Zomnir, who successfully founded Urban Decay and later sold the powerhouse brand to L’Oréal Paris in 2012, explains that body glitter blew up back then because it served as a natural extension of that specific cultural moment. With girl-led rock bands dominating the charts and brands like Urban Decay actively shaking up the makeup landscape, society granted full permission to shine.
The Urban Decay Body Powder functioned as my absolute ultimate beauty signature. My best friend, Victoria, lovingly referred to the product as “Marianne’s sparkly-chest stuff,” largely because pop icons like J.Lo and Britney taught me that every low-cut shirt required this magical dust for ultimate completion. In addition to the delightfully light gourmand scent and rich chocolate flavoring, the body powder possessed the perfect bronzy finish that flawlessly complemented my skin tone. I continue mourning the loss of that specific formula, and I constantly search for an exact match. Zomnir adds that she wonders if modern-day alternatives to flavored body powders exist in today's market, suggesting the time has officially arrived to thoroughly modernize the formula and orchestrate a massive relaunch. Be still, my heart.
One would easily find almost every music video from the era featuring every single singer and backup dancer heavily covered in radiant glitter and sparkling gemstones. Thanks to trailblazing stars like Kirsten Dunst and Salma Hayek, Y2K-coded body art successfully made its glamorous way onto the prestigious red carpet. At the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, Hayek brilliantly complemented her stunning strapless dress with a gorgeous handful of butterflies seemingly resting across her chest and back. According to a fascinating interview in Vogue, she likely painted these designs directly onto her skin, since the manufactured stickers remained entirely uninvented during that specific era. At the highly anticipated 1999 premiere of the indie classic Drop Dead Gorgeous, Dunst opted for a breathtaking dragonfly design featuring perfectly placed rhinestones sparkling across her back, making the body glitter trend feel less like a new invention and more like a glittering cultural return.
Makeup artist Molly R. Stern recalls this era fondly, explaining that artists procured all of their supplies directly from the local art store back then. She affirms that if they could stick a material onto a face or body, they absolutely did exactly that. Larger, captivating statement pieces like Dunst’s and Hayek’s usually served as the primary focal point, with the dazzling color scheme beautifully mirroring the vivid colors painted on their eyes or lips.
When it came to body glitter and shimmer, more was always definitively more. Lori Taylor Davis, the esteemed global pro lead artist at Smashbox, paints a vivid picture of the aesthetic. She instructs us to envision collarbones heavily glazed in rich shimmer oils, shoulders generously dusted in pure sparkle, and tiny rhinestones perfectly framing the eyes, all coming together to make luminous skin a massive statement. It was incredibly bold; it commanded attention and remained highly visible. The trend focused entirely on achieving maximum glow and catching the light from every possible angle. While the arms, décolleté, and legs served as highly popular placements, absolutely any skin exposed by the plunging necklines, low-rise jeans, and daring cutouts in a post-Dirrty world received a beautiful dusting of glitter or body shimmer, proving why the body glitter trend continues to return whenever fashion wants skin to feel theatrical again.
By the mid- to late-’00s, the glitter movement shifted toward a softer, finer shimmer, yet bold stars like Kesha held incredibly tight to their beloved glitter accents, beautifully ushering the trend straight into its iconic indie-sleaze era. Makeup artist Mylah Morales details her work with Kesha, explaining that their inspiration always remains deeply rooted in wild rock-and-roll glamour and a passionate ‘more is more’ philosophy. They looked closely at ’70s disco-era icons and glam-rock legends, subsequently modernizing those extravagant aesthetics. The ultimate goal involved making the glitter look as though it radiated organically from her skin, instead of resting solely on the surface. They wanted her to look exactly like a magical celestial creature permanently caught in a brilliant strobe light. Morales utilized glitter and body adornments as a brilliant extension of the facial makeup, using these elements to accent the fashion pieces and create a completely unified, full-body look. She adds that this technique makes the entire silhouette feel deeply intentional and high-fashion, beautifully blurring the exact line distinguishing where the makeup ends and the fashion begins, which is exactly why the body glitter trend now feels so powerful again.
Body glitter formulas have evolved tremendously since the days we spent hitting Club Libby Lu. Davy notes that modern glitter has become significantly more sparkly, while the textures feel much finer and infinitely smoother. The finish looks far more refined, and the available colors appear incredibly sophisticated. Victoria Lu and Gloria Fu, the brilliant cosmetic chemists and founders behind Chemist Confessions, completely echo her expert statement. Lu explains that back in the ’90s and early 2000s, body glitter formulas usually consisted of simple, large plastic glitter particles suspended in highly basic gels or oils, focusing entirely on maximum visual impact. She notes that while the core concept remains fun, the actual vintage formulas and materials proved suboptimal, frequently featuring goopy, intensely greasy textures, which makes the modern body glitter trend feel far more elevated.
Fu chimes in to highlight the modern advancements, explaining that today, consumers easily find far superior base systems like ultra-lightweight gels, dry-touch oils, and even elegant serum-like textures. The market now offers numerous skin care-inspired products providing vastly superior comfort and incredible daily wearability. Furthermore, the industry shows a significantly heightened awareness regarding the glitter material itself, actively improving eye safety, eliminating general skin irritation, and dramatically lessening glitter’s overall environmental impact.
While leaving a dazzling trail of glitter everywhere you go certainly sounds incredibly glamorous, prepping your skin correctly ensures the sparkle stays exactly where you want it. Davy adds that keeping the skin slightly tacky provides the best results. A beautifully dewy or slightly tacky base ensures the glitter adheres perfectly to the skin. Davis highly recommends working in careful layers, always starting with a rich body moisturizer to create a beautifully smooth, thoroughly hydrated base. She warns that if the skin remains completely dry, glitter appears patchy instead of beautifully luminous. She builds the look in stages, starting with a hydrating base, then adding a reliable tack layer like a rich balm, a specialized mixing medium, or a cosmetic adhesive exactly where needed for the body glitter trend.
While traditional craft glitter served as the absolute go-to material at the very beginning of body glitter’s initial peak, selecting a completely body-safe option officially approved for use in cosmetics remains absolutely critical. Linnea Sumner, a highly respected special effects and beauty makeup artist at New York City’s Kimara Ahnert Studio, issues a vital warning regarding materials. She explains that craft glitter often features highly sharp edges entirely unsuitable for human skin. Even if you miss the sharp edges during the initial application, you will definitely feel them intensely during the removal process, particularly when working around the highly sensitive eye area.
Use a high-quality brush to firmly press the glitter directly into place, completely avoiding sweeping or swiping motions. In terms of strategic placement, Davis advises thinking exactly the way a master sculptor would approach a statue. She explains that high points like the collarbones, shoulders, and cheekbones naturally catch the light best, and you can easily follow the natural lines of your own body to create beautiful visual elongation. She suggests stepping back frequently to check your symmetry, while also encouraging artists to embrace a little planned asymmetry to give the final look some distinct, exciting edge within the body glitter trend.
Finally, apply a generous, final veil of high-performance setting spray entirely over the decorated area to lock everything securely into place. Sumner adds that this product must be a specialized spray designed to create a solid, actual barrier directly on top of the skin. She highly favors heavy-duty special effects options like those from Kryolan, Mehron, or Ben Nye, alongside extra-strong mainstream beauty options like One/Size or Skindinavia Bridal.
While loose body glitter absolutely requires a rich layer of hydration, body stickers and other exciting 3D elements like individual rhinestones demand the exact opposite environment. Stowe emphasizes the importance of keeping the sticker area entirely clear of spray tan and body oil, instructing users to thoroughly clean the designated space with pure rubbing alcohol beforehand. Drawing immense creative inspiration from icons like Cher, Tim Curry’s legendary performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the vibrant world of drag, and the wildly colorful Lisa Frank universe, Stowe meticulously sketches detailed digital renderings of each sticker before physically crafting every single piece. He designs the heavy-duty adhesive to keep the sticker firmly in place for many hours, ensuring it withstands even Larsson’s highly energetic stage performances. However, he stresses that strategic placement remains absolutely key to success, especially when body stickers become part of the larger body glitter trend.
Stowe advises that beginners fare best using smaller sticker sizes, selecting a completely flat part of the body, and placing the art strictly in areas completely free from clothing friction. If you happen to place the beautiful sticker on an area where your body naturally curves, Stowe recommends applying a layer of strong eyelash glue for extra security, which also works perfectly when affixing additional loose rhinestones entirely around the main design.
When freehanding or creating a completely custom design using loose rhinestones, Edeme recommends utilizing a sharp white makeup pencil to carefully map out your exact pattern right after the rubbing alcohol fully dries on your skin. She suggests laying out your dazzling rhinestones and cosmetic glue on a clean plate, then using a specialized rhinestone picker tool or fine-point tweezers to precisely grab the tiny gems. Regarding the adhesive, Sumner highly recommends the Duo Brush-On Clear Adhesive, which conveniently comes with a precision brush applicator for incredibly easy placement. She advises applying the glue directly to the skin exactly where you want the gem, instead of applying it to the gem itself, keeping your hands perfectly clean throughout the process.
Most importantly, Edeme encourages everyone to play passionately with the designs and try numerous different patterns to give the final look incredible dimension. She wants people to have immense fun with the process, allowing the intricate design to thoroughly reflect their unique personality. She suggests exploring fierce animal prints, delicate flower designs, or even replicating classic tattoo designs. For Tyla’s massive We Wanna Party Tour, Edeme masterfully created a stunning freehand tiger design directly on the singer's lower back. She completed the masterpiece with a generous layer of shimmering glitter spray and brilliant blue rhinestone accents, intentionally pulling vivid colors directly from the neon outfit and striking wig the star wore for that specific show in Manila. Edeme adds that she always tries to channel her muse’s ultimate inner baddie. She looks deeply at their unique aura and carefully develops a bespoke design she feels fits them beautifully, proving how expressive the body glitter trend can become when it moves beyond shimmer and turns into full-body storytelling.
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