Edited 1/31/2020: In researching glitter in cosmetics (please view this longer post about glitter and eye safety), I noticed that this product also contained plastic (PET) glitter, which is not approved for cosmetic use (that includes on the eyes) per FDA (but EU’s CosIng allows the use of plastic glitter in cosmetics without any restrictions) and is an ingredient that some brands include the warning “not for use around the immediate eye area.” I’m not sure why it was marketed as “eye safe” when the range was released in 2015, but there are other brands as recently as in 2019 and 2020 who have also released products marketed for eyes/listed as eyeshadow containing PET glitter (again, read my post about plastic glitter!) as well, which has added to the confusion regarding whether it is or isn’t safe for use on the eyes.

This is also true for Lit Cosmetics’ glitters, which also use PET glitter, as it was a brand I mentioned in the comments in this post and thought was safe for eyes when this post was originally published. I didn’t know at the time that it was PET glitter (polyethylene terephtalate) that needed to be watched for, and since this post gets traffic from time to time, I wanted to add a note based on the knowledge I have presently as there’s definitely confusion (and little clarity) re: safety of PET glitter! It is something I’m looking more closely at, and if I see it and/or the brand puts a warning, you will find a “notice” published on the product pages and under “Ingredients” tabs within the reviews published on the blog.

See below screenshots pulled on January 31st, 2020, but you can also view the original photo further below of the ingredient list:

Makeup Geek Sparklers

The review as it was written previously below with one edit “edited 1/31/2020: per the brand”:

Makeup Geek Sparklers ($12.00 for 0.14 oz.) is supposed to be an ultra-fine loose “glitter” (“uses reflects to create a glitter effect”) that’s safe for usage on the eyes, edited 1/31/2020: per the brand.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been so deeply disappointed in a brand, but I can’t believe these were launched in the existing packaging, at full price, and are being marketed as they are. I watched the brand’s introduction/announcement video, and here are a few key descriptions I pulled:

1:30 – “You can apply them just as you would a pigment, but you could also use … a glitter glue.”

1:50 – “You can even put it on your cheekbones … You don’t need to have to apply it wet, just stick your finger in … just pat it on.”

8:52 – “To apply them, you want to get a glitter glue or you can just use your fingers and literally just dab it on, because they are so super finely milled, they’ll stick on there really well but if you want a really intense shine … use that glitter glue.”

9:14 – “They are messy to work with … We do have sifters we’re working on, they’re not going to be ready for a few months. I’m launching them as is … Just know they’re a little messy to work on, but once you put them on your face, they’re not going to get all over your face as long as you use a stiff brush.”

I highly recommend waiting to purchase these until the brand actually includes the sifters they said these are supposed to have. At present, I don’t see a discount reflected for purchasing incomplete packaged products, and I don’t see any remedy for those to obtain sifters. Without sifters, these are frustrating to use and a waste of money, because there is constant, nonstop loss of product, which means you’re getting a lot less for your money than you think. This isn’t like a pigment, either, as a little doesn’t go a long way–you need a decent amount patted over an adhesive base to get opaque coverage.

Edited @ 9:15AM PST: The following disclaimer was added to the purchase pages for the Sparklers when I looked this morning:

NOTE: Please be aware that the Sparklers are MESSY as they do not currently have a sifter in the jar (we are working on a revision). Please be cautious when opening the jar to minimize the mess. We have temporarily discounted the Sparklers to compensate for the inconvenience [Editor’s Note: the price is now $10, instead of $12.]

I would recommend opening and closing these over a damp towel, which will help lock some of the sparkle in place, as it is fine and is hard to clean-up. This is just the mess that it makes on your tabletop or vanity. There was a ton of product all around the corkscrew of the jar, where the lid screws on, as well as in parts of the lid, so as you open and as you close, you get a ton of product fall out, and if you move the jar around, product loosens from the edges. I opened my jars, cleaned the rims and edges, and closed them. If they ever turned upside down even once, it was the same mess all over again. I just can’t fathom why this product is released when the packaging isn’t functional, and they know it–they’re working on sifters–but have chosen to go ahead and launch anyway, yet there’s no mention of the lack of sifters or that packaging is an issue on the website (point of purchase), only in the video. (Similarly, it was stated in the video that a glitter glue is being worked on, but like the sifters, will not be ready for a couple months.)

There’s no point in reviewing these one by one, because they are not usable on their own. There is no “you could use” a glitter glue; if you want to use these on the face, eyes, or other skin area, you need some sort of adhesive or cream base that will help the Sparklers adhere. That’s all there is to it. They are very much like cosmetic grade glitter in that they are a drier, loose formulation with little binder holding the formula together, so they do not stick to the skin and will move by gently blowing or rubbing it against the skin. Some of the larger particle shades have a larger particle size, and I had trouble just keeping enough product on the swatch for photographing purposes, as the product would just fly away as I moved my arm six inches closer to the camera.

I don’t understand why these aren’t marketed as exactly that: loose glitter that MUST be used with an adhesive if you want to use them on your eye.  Gently patting the glitter against the eye, with a firm, stiff brush, results in the majority of the glitter falling below the lid and little on the lid at all. You cannot pat them on the cheeks and actually have the product stay where you placed it–unless you have a tacky foundation or cream blush that’s still wet that can help it stay (but upon dry down, these get everywhere, as I have found through three tests). They will 100% get all over your face without a glitter adhesive. If you like loose glitter and would use this in an adhesive base (glitter glue, lipgloss, etc.), they have a lot of sparkle and shine, but I still would wait until you’re actually getting 100% of the packaging you’re paying for, which will, hopefully, keep the majority of your product in the jar and available for use. The jars themselves are very flimsy and thin, and they are easily knocked over (no forgiveness at all), which will spill about half the jar (I speak from experience).  If you have wax paper in your house, you can scoop glitter into the wax paper, then use the natural crease and pour it back in the jar (I find wax paper is easier than regular paper).

The shades with the least sparkle and strongest base color were the only ones that had something show up to the party applied without an adhesive base, and these included: Dark Matter and Solstice. Shades like Asteroid, Halo, Martian, Milky Way, Nebula, and Satellite have a mix of larger particles and adhere 0% to the skin.

All swatches below are done in the same fashion: left, dry, and right, patted over Violet Voss Violet’s Secret Weapon Glitter Adhesive.

Makeup Geek Sparklers

Makeup Geek Sparklers

Makeup Geek Sparklers

Makeup Geek Sparklers

Makeup Geek Sparklers

Makeup Geek Asteroid Sparklers

Makeup Geek Asteroid Sparklers

Makeup Geek Asteroid Sparklers

Makeup Geek Asteroid Sparklers

Makeup Geek Aurora Sparklers

Makeup Geek Aurora Sparklers

Makeup Geek Aurora Sparklers

Makeup Geek Aurora Sparklers

Makeup Geek Constellation Sparklers

Makeup Geek Constellation Sparklers

Makeup Geek Constellation Sparklers

Makeup Geek Constellation Sparklers

Makeup Geek Dark Matter Sparklers

Makeup Geek Dark Matter Sparklers

Makeup Geek Dark Matter Sparklers

Makeup Geek Dark Matter Sparklers

Makeup Geek Halo Sparklers

Makeup Geek Halo Sparklers

Makeup Geek Halo Sparklers

Makeup Geek Halo Sparklers

Makeup Geek Light Year Sparklers

Makeup Geek Light Year Sparklers

Makeup Geek Light Year Sparklers

Makeup Geek Light Year Sparklers

Makeup Geek Martian Sparklers

Makeup Geek Martian Sparklers

Makeup Geek Martian Sparklers

Makeup Geek Martian Sparklers

Makeup Geek Milky Way Sparklers

Makeup Geek Milky Way Sparklers

Makeup Geek Milky Way Sparklers

Makeup Geek Milky Way Sparklers

Makeup Geek Nebula Sparklers

Makeup Geek Nebula Sparklers

Makeup Geek Nebula Sparklers

Makeup Geek Nebula Sparklers

Makeup Geek Satellite Sparklers

Makeup Geek Satellite Sparklers

Makeup Geek Satellite Sparklers

Makeup Geek Satellite Sparklers

Makeup Geek Solar Flare Sparklers

Makeup Geek Solar Flare Sparklers

Makeup Geek Solar Flare Sparklers

Makeup Geek Solar Flare Sparklers

Makeup Geek Solstice Sparklers

Makeup Geek Solstice Sparklers

Makeup Geek Solstice Sparklers

Makeup Geek Solstice Sparklers

Makeup Geek Stargazer Sparklers

Makeup Geek Stargazer Sparklers

Makeup Geek Stargazer Sparklers

Makeup Geek Stargazer Sparklers

Makeup Geek Supernova Sparklers

Makeup Geek Supernova Sparklers

Makeup Geek Supernova Sparklers

Makeup Geek Supernova Sparklers

Makeup Geek Zodiac Sparklers

Makeup Geek Zodiac Sparklers

Makeup Geek Zodiac Sparklers

Makeup Geek Zodiac Sparklers