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Remember smearing your face in piles of glitter makeup as a child? Well, guess what: Just like you, glitter eyeshadow is finally all grown up. The latest offerings are non-sticky, comfortable for day-to-night wear, and are available in a fun array of hues to match your attention-grabbing New Year’s Eve dress. They also offer flexibility, allowing you to express yourself regardless of your mood or outside factors like dreary winter afternoons.
Glitter eyeshadows come in different formulations — liquids, powders, loose pigments, creams — and finishes, ranging from subtle shimmers to high-impact chunky glitters, like the Half Magic GLITTERPILL and Revlon PhotoReady Eye Art Glitter. Regardless of the formula type, applying an eye primer will help extend your glitter eyeshadow's longevity. Almost every major beauty brand sells eyeshadow primer — but we're partial to the Hourglass Veil Eye Primer for its lightweight feel and universally flattering tint and the very popular Too Faced Glitter Glue Shadow Insurance for 24/7 budgeproof wear.
Beyond hitting up Sephora, Ulta, and Nordstrom, you can also find these gorgeous glitter eyeshadows online at Amazon. Plus, the 15 glitter eyeshadows we gathered start at just $6 a pop, including the ColourPop Super Shock Shadow and e.l.f. Liquid Metallic Eyeshadows. Here are the most stunning glitter eyeshadows we think are worth adding to your beauty cart ASAP.
Hourglass knows a thing or two about shine. (Have you tried the brand's signature Ambient Lighting Powders?!) They have another hit with this micro-glitter shadow. We think you'll love the gold shade the most, as it contains the perfect balance of light-reflecting pearls.
“I love these stunning glitter eyeshadows because they last for hours without a primer, are crease-resistant, and there’s no annoying fallout,” says our beauty editor, Nicole Saunders. “They work wet and dry, and they’re buildable, too — swipe on a sheer layer for your next work Zoom call or use as a topper over your go-to eyeshadow for a more opaque look.”
She also recommends applying this shadow with your fingers for the best application to your lid, and a wet liner brush for any detail work around your lower lash line.
More: The Best Eyeshadow Brush Sets Ever
The name isn't exaggerating here — this Smith & Cult shadow delivers a serious shot of glitter straight to your lids. This glitter eyeshadow even has little gold lightning bolts for a truly electric look. You'll love to reach for this one while primping for special events.
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Stila’s foolproof formula can even turn haters of liquid eyeshadow into fans. Simply dab it on with the cushioned applicator, tap with your fingers to set it, and voila! This glitter will not flake or budge all night.
You’ll love this for a girls’-night-out moment or for a long-wearing look at your next glitter-appropriate outing.
If you're as obsessed with HBO's Euphoria as we are, then you most definitely need this liquid glitter eyeshadow that doubles as a liquid eyeliner.
Co-created by head makeup artist Donni Davy, these stunning glitter eyeshadows will last up to 12 hours and are both smudge- and transfer-proof, so they’ll definitely keep going strong until the sun rises at your New Year’s Eve party.
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With a $6 price tag and 25 prismatic glitter eyeshadow shades available, you can safely stock up on several of these cheap eyeshadows without lowkey stressing over next month's credit card bill.
The long-lasting cream-to-powder formula has a unique bouncy texture that swipes on with bold color payoff without fallout, fading, or creasing.
There’s no shortage of shine with RÓEN’s Disco Eye eyeshadow. It’s a long-lasting, crease-free glitter eyeshadow that’s especially handy when you want your eyes to sparkle late into the night. This powder eyeshadow is a must-have if you’re into festive, party-ready looks.
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These liquid eyeshadows are packed with pigment and will leave behind an opaque shine over your eyelids. Available in six standout hues — ranging from a demure iridescent rose to a metallic black — you can mix and match to create plenty of high-impact looks.
Give us all of the glittery mermaid vibes! We love this palette for so many reasons, but especially so because it features a wide assortment of glitter shadows that helps you embrace your inner mermaid effortlessly.
From shades of vibrant red, purple, and green reminiscent of Disney’s Princess Ariel to stunning coppers and pinks, you’ll be able to mix and match to create plenty of attention-grabbing looks.
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Don't let the price of these vegan liquid eyeshadows fool you — they boast a buildable formula that's infused with pearlescent shimmer, helping you create a stunning reflective eye look.
There are eight colors to choose from, including Super Nova, a bold purple with a blend of light blue and lavender shimmers, and Comet, a rose gold with cool silver shimmer.
This glittery goodness from Unicorn Snot is available in six eye-catching shades. All of them are absolutely beautiful, but we think you'll especially love this iridescent pearl color.
Unicorn Snot's glitter is made from biodegradable plant starches, and it's the sole eyeshadow on our list that you can apply to your body, making it handy for when you want to sparkle head-to-toe at nightclubs or festivals.
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These shadow sticks are perfect for creating subtle daytime looks. Each of these luminous shades gives you the perfect amount of shimmer for a radiant glow to your lids without overbearing them.
Going for a hot night out and need your lids to shine brightly? Simply layer on more for an intensely glitter-covered look.
These little tubes of ultra shimmer shadows stand out for their ingredients: real crystals! The geniuses at Kaja infused each of these shadows with topaz crystal, diamond powder, and sapphire powder to create a cosmic finish with high reflection.
The result: a glitzy glow that you won't find anywhere else!
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Prefer a loose pigment for your glitter eyeshadow? This is one of the best, and it just happens to be one of the most budget-friendly on our list! Pair this with a quality mixing medium like Inglot Dualine when you want to create a more subtle glittery winged cat-eye moment.
It's no secret we love all things Sephora, but we think you'll really love the brand’s answer to affordably priced glitter eyeshadow. These colorful single shadows are available in a range of glittery finishes, and you’ll want every single one of them in your makeup kit!
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Revlon hits it out of the park with this amazing dual-sided glitter that features a creamy, metallic pigment on one side and a traditional chunky glitter liquid on the other. It can create intense, smoky glitter looks in a flash! Just one swipe of each side on your lids, and your look is done.
Nicole Saunders
Beauty Editor
Nicole Saunders is the beauty editor at Best Products with over eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing lifestyle content. She specializes in breaking down complicated topics, like high-frequency wands and microcurrent devices, into easy-to-understand guides. Saunders takes great pride in heavily researching and testing featured beauty products, — such as hairdryers and foundations — on our site, and spotlights her all-time seasonal favorites in her quarterly column Best New Beauty. And she tests quite literally thousands of launches for our Best New Beauty Awards package. You can follow her on Instagram to stay in the loop on her product testing adventues.
Jennifer Hussein
Beauty Editor
Jennifer is the former beauty editor for BestProducts.com, where she’s testing out everything from the latest lip gloss to the craziest skincare trend sweeping the online beauty-verse. Her work has been featured in Allure, Byrdie, HelloGiggles, and more. When she’s not swatching eyeshadow all over her arms, you can find the NYC-based editor scouring for hours on end for vintage finds, eating pad thai, and hanging out with her cat, Chunks.