It sparkles, twinkles, shines, shimmers, sprinkles, glimmers, flashes, and it’s almost as expensive as gold. But it’s not gold, even though they say all that glitters is gold, it’s just…Glitter.
So grab your glitter wand and crash amongst the shiny cushions and find out how this became a conversation topic (and side venture into procrastination)…
What Makes Glitter Glitter?
Well, it’s not unicorn tears or tooth-fairy farts, but it is made from thousands of tiny pieces of material painted to sparkle.
Well, it’s not unicorn tears or tooth-fairy…
(Tweet This)
Apparently, our inner primate trait is attracted to the sparkle of fresh water is why we like the shine of glitter. I’m not sure on that evolutionary theory either, but you can’t deny how your eyes are drawn to the sparkle.
Where Did Glitter Come From?
Glitter isn’t Kryptonite discovered by a Doctor from a distant galaxy…
It isn’t Kryptonite discovered by a Doctor from a distant galaxy…
(Tweet This)
However, glitter first floated onto the world scene in the 1930s. Henry Ruschmann, a New Jersey cattle farmer, created a machine that cut the plastic film into tiny pieces 75 years ago by turning trash (recycled plastics) into treasure.
That’s for commercial Glitter.
Naturally, All Things Glitter.
Nope, it’s not part of Tinkebell’s routine on the dancing pole but it can be many things that are naturally sparkly. But naturally found glitter isn’t made from mermaid’s tears or their scales either.
Yet, glitter can be found on cave paintings, in clean beach sand, and many glittery gemstones like opals.
Ancient tribes used minerals found in grounding up certain rocks for jewellery or clothing.
Many bugs, like the Christmas beetle, glitters a rainbow of colours. The ancient Egyptians used to crush these sparkly bugs and use it for makeup around the eyes. Ick!
Isn’t Glitter A Confetti?
No. Although it can easily be confused with confetti–glitter is different, it’s tiny.
Confetti is generally made from paper, even sparkly paper. Confetti is bigger and older than glitter and has been chucked skyward since 1815.
Confetti, an Italian word for confetto, means sweetmeat and was a small candy traditionally thrown during carnivals in Italy. Over time, confetti changed to paper products becoming a part of wedding celebrations and other occasions.
Today, confetti is banned from most venues for marriage ceremonies, including rice tossing. It’s been swapped for organic frozen flower petals for those venturing down the aisle.
Yet, confetti and their canons are found exploding at many football venues everywhere. It’s just not glitter.
It’s easy to see how easy glitter and confetti cross paths.
(Tweet this)
How do you make Glitter?
To make shelf-stocked glitter you find thin multi-layered sheets of plastic. You then colour it with a reflective material, cut them into tiny shapes and Voila, you’ve got a glitter party.
If reading the labels, glitter comes from aluminium, titanium dioxide, iron oxide and some other unpronounceable-oxidey-metal. Er… what? Sorry, I’m a writer, not a scientist.
Can You Die From Eating Glitter?
Unless you have a serious addiction with a desire to eat glitter for breakfast before chasing rainbows in your glittery shoes, it won’t hurt you. Even if you accidentally swallow a few sparkles of craft glitter, doesn’t mean you can eat it by the gallons.
Yes, Mum, I blew that myth!
Do you have a serious addiction with a desire to eat glitter for breakfast before chasing rainbows in your glittery shoes?
(Tweet this)
Glitter For Dinner, Anyone?
Glitter is making its way onto many menus worldwide. Not only can you get glitter beer to match the glitter beard you can garnish anything with glitter. Sprinkling your latte’s and any whipped-cream desserts with glitter has been known to cause a stir in the kitchen!
Edible glitter is a starchy food made from sugar, acacia (gum arabic), maltodextrin, cornstarch, and colour additives. Including mica-based pearlescent pigments and FD&C colours such as FD&C Blue No. 1. This is why I don’t read labels!
It also comes with a warning to not be consumed on a daily basis.
Yum, right?
Just Gimme The Shiny Stuff!
Glitter is what makes stuff shiny on packaging, especially food products—targeted at the female and children’s markets. Think how yummy and shiny that chocolate bar wrapper looks? Now you know why.
It’s the trick in their marketing promotions to attract the buyer’s eye, other than to make stuff shiny, there is no other purpose for glitter.
Except it’s everywhere!
The Crafter’s #1 Contraband
As a raw material glitter is found in craft stores, stationery stores and supermarket shelves. It’s sold in the tiniest of tubes or huge bottles should you want to shower in it.
Glitter’s most common use is for decorations and artworks, it can be found in many crafter’s cupboards worldwide. (*yes, my hand is in the air.*)
Birthdays decorations, even the candles covering the party cake, contains glitter.
Glitter is all things Christmas! Can you imagine a Christmas tree decoration without glitter—how dull would that be?
Surprise glitter bombs are popular, which is a smaller version of the confetti cannon. It’s a part of many celebratory parties, a favourite at weddings, and also used as a tool of protest against politicians.
It’s easy to see how easy glitter and confetti cross paths. Ha!
The Glitter Invasion…
Looking beyond the crafter’s cupboard, glitter is sneaking further into the various products within the home. Such as:
Hair products
Cosmetics for powders, lip glosses, eye shadows
soap, shampoo and seaweed!
Nail polish—check out Instagram for glittery nail art.
Child’s toys, think Barbie and my little pony—which might have spawned the unicorn -glitter theory.
Clothing.
Costumes. Think tiara, tutu, fairy wings, and wands! Hands up who owned one or all—or still does?
Greeting cards and wrappings, it’s even found in the paper used for wedding gifts and stationery items. Look at your desk, or stationary corner of the kitchen counter, peek inside your daughter’s room and see how much glitter has spread inside the house. It’s in pens, even in the water bottles and photo frames.
You can get glitter toilet seats, shower curtains, even glitter in wallpaper and tiles to make that bathroom pop where you too can be your own shiny superstar in the shower!
Taking the Glitter to the Streets.
You can’t have a gay Mardi gras or any other street parade without glitter. It’s part of the wardrobe!
The Glitterati
The Glitterati is the rich, famous, and fashionable wannabe Hollywood Hall of Famers, who are chased by the Glitterazi—no, sorry, I’d meant to say the paparazzi.
The Glitterazi
The Glitterazi is a term for a GLBT rights activist who throws glitter bombs at conservative politicians.
Glitter Rocks!
Yep, you can find glitter in musical instruments, think electric guitars. But glitter went further and spawned the era of Glitter Rock in the 70s.
Glitter Rock’s king of glittering body paint and platform shoes was David Bowie’s alter ego, Ziggy Stardust.
Gary Glitter, Iggy Pop, The Sweet, Queen, Suzi Quatro, even Alice Cooper and Kiss were also part of this glittery extravaganza and many more followed. Back then to be that shiny rock star on stage, they used Vaseline to apply glitter onto their bodies and then rocked the house. So different compared to the boy bands of today.
The Sparkles Spread Off Shore
Not only found in certain metallic paints for cars, but you can also spot glitter on boats! Yep, they put gallons of glitter in the fibrous finish on boats too.
It’s also found in fishing lures to help attract the fish–remember that shiny water theory above…
Dulling Down That Glitter Parade
Sorry to ruin your glitter parade, but the most commonly used glitter isn’t a biodegradable product. Because of its fine clinging ability, glitter is getting a terrible rep in the environment. It carries on the breeze, floats on water, getting into everything, and allegedly taking a thousand years to break down.
Glitter can get into your eyes or nose, irritating or causing damage to the cornea or other areas used for breathing.
They’ve also discovered glitter inside freshly-caught fish, where Scientists suspect glitter is a trigger to upsetting various marine animal’s breeding cycles.
Getting Friendly with Glitter
Today, many cosmetic companies are now refusing to use non-biodegradable glitter in their products like toothpaste, that used to contain glitter, and we all brushed with it!
Music concerts not only stop alcohol from entering stadiums, but they’re also banning glitter at the gates too.
So, next time you throw it around, spare a thought.
Although many writers also have glitter on their book covers, I don’t. Not yet…
Although, I wrote a story about an introverted party planner, who uses it daily. She even admits to swallowing tonnes of the stuff over the year. It’s found everywhere and considered a hazard of her job.
In UNPLANNED PARTY, there are a few more hazards than glitter in store for our heroine. So grab your glitter wand and that glitter shake, lay back amongst the shiny cushions and find out how much glitter is in this story here.
**All still images relating to this post’s topic are via the talented & fabulous photographers at https://unsplash.com/ Thanks guys.
#Escape2HEA #ElsieCreek #UnPlannedParty
