Glitter: The shiny stuff of dreams, drama and eco dilemmas

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Whether adding bling to Taylor Swift's cheekbones, pelted by protesters making political statements or stubbornly sticking to your face three days after a music festival, glitter has a magical — and messy — presence in our lives.

Its larger-than-life legacy stretches from ancient times to the present. It features in holiday greeting cards and ornaments, nail polish, fashion accessories, sports events makeup, and even food. In marketing and product design, it has been used to convey "premium" or "celebratory" vibes. Think shiny gift wrap, sparkling champagne labels, and limited-edition product packaging — if it glitters, we’re more likely to stop and stare.

It's even the focal subject of an exhibition currently running at Hamburg's Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe.

Close up of a person's teeth covered in glitter.

There's something about this stuff

"My love affair with glitter started over a decade ago at UK festivals — where everyone would dress up in sequins, costumes, and, of course, so much glitter. It was playful, expressive, and just pure fun!" Jeen Low, founder of Berlin-based Projekt Glitter tells DW.

"It was like rediscovering the magic of play — something we tend to forget as adults," adds Low, whose company produces biodegradable glitter. Yet she isn't alone in her love for this shiny stuff.

Humans have long been fascinated with all things sparkly. It is suggested that "glitter" itself might have its origins from the Old Norse word "glitra," which means "to glitter."

Picture of a Mayan temple during sunrise.

Sparkle from stones or scrap

Prehistoric people used crushed mica — a shiny silicate — to add shimmer to cave paintings. The Egyptians ground green malachite or blue lapis lazuli stones for shimmery eyeshadow and sacred art. In 2008, Australian researchers discovered that ancient Mayan temple builders used mica-infused plaster to make their temples gleam in the sunlight.

Modern day glitter owes its conception to German-born American cattle rancher and machinist, Henry Ruschmann. In the 1930s, he developed a machine to finely cut scrap plastic and metal into tiny, reflective particles, and industrial glitter was born. He later founded Meadowbrook Inventions, Inc. that still operates today and describes itself as the world's leading glitter company, producing among others edible glitter.

Picture of the late singer David Bowie applying makeup to his face.

Of glamor …

Glitter and pop culture have had a long association, with concerts, festivals or talent shows often featuring glittery finales.

It adorned the face of David Bowie's 1970s glam rock avatar Ziggy Stardust, and has lent its shine to latter day pop stars like Lady Gaga and Lizzo.

Taylor Swift famously sported glitter freckles to a Kansas City Chiefs game in October 2024; Fazit Beauty co-founder, Aliett Buttelman, would later post a TikTok of herself sobbing in joy at Swift's choice to wear her brand.

In fashion, glitter has been a staple of maximalist couture — think Studio 54-era jumpsuits, 1990s rave wear or sparkly platform boots seen on high-fashion runways like Gucci and Marc Jacobs.

Mexiko-Stadt 2019 | Proteste gegen geschlechtsspezifische Gewalt in Mexiko

… and glitterbombs

Perhaps glitter's stubborn stickiness could be the reason it's a "weapon" of choice for glitterbombing — where activists pelt public figures with glitter to highlight their causes. It first made headlines in the early 2010s, when US American politicians like Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum were glitterbombed for their stances on gay rights.

In LGBTQ+ circles, glitter has often symbolized defiance, joy, and unapologetic self-expression, with events like Pride powered by sparkle.

Mexico City in 2019 was the scene of Revolución diamantina or the "glitter revolution," that saw female activists protesting the alleged rape of a teenage girl by four police officers, with the city's security chief being pelted with pink glitter.

In 2023, a protester interrupted British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer's, speech at a Labour Party conference; the protest was later claimed by People Demand Democracy, a group pushing for electoral reform.

The dark side of sparkle

Despite its playful image, glitter can cause negative environmental impacts. Most commercial glitter is microplastic — made from PET or PVC coated with aluminum and dye. These tiny particles are too small to be filtered during wastewater treatment, ending up in rivers and oceans, to be ingested by plankton, fish, and even birds. These then move up the food chain — potentially even to our dinner plates.

However, innovators have been working on eco-friendly alternatives, including cellulose-based glitter, often made from eucalyptus or other plant-derived materials, that biodegrades naturally and doesn't pose a threat to wildlife.

They are, however, not the cheapest.

When Malaysian-born Jeen Low first founded Projekt Glitter, a Berlin-based ecofriendly glitter company, her biggest challenge was educating people on why it costs so much more.

"But I found that people who care about sustainability understood the value. Many customers over the years have since told me they had stopped using glitter altogether because of the environmental impact, so they are excited to find an alternative. And now, with the EU ban on microplastics, I don't really need to explain myself anymore. But it still surprises me how many people don't realize biodegradable glitter even exists!" she tells DW.

Glitter minus guilt

Low is also transparent about the percentage of plastic in her products. "Our main 'Sparkle' glitter is currently 94% plastic-free. But we already have a 100% plastic-free glitter — our pearlescent range. It's a little less reflective since it doesn't have the aluminum component, but it's completely plastic-free.."

Her aim though is to make the company's entire stock plastic-free by year's end – with preferably the same reflective sparkle as traditional glitter.

"It's been really rewarding to see people light up when they realize they don't have to give up glitter — they just need to choose a better kind."

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