I Learned How To Apply Glitter Makeup, and I’ve Never Felt More Confident

My “glam” routine—if you can even call it that—has basically consisted of the same five products for the last five decades, and has been used solely for the purpose of covering my acne scars, filling in the  bald spot in my left eyebrow, and tricking people into thinking I’m wearing no makeup at all. I have dozens of bright eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks hidden away in my vanity, untouched, and an entire drawer full of glitter that only gets used once a year on Halloween. Despite dedicating a large chunk of my career to writing about how makeup can be great for self-expression, for me, it’s never really been about that. Then, I met Shari Siadat.

Siadat is the founder of TooD Beauty, a line of biodegradable glitter makeup that’s all about teaching people how to express themselves with makeup. Aside from the fact that the products are downright gorgeous, they also happen to be great for the environment—which traditional glitter is decidedly not. “Regular glitter is made up of thin sheets of copolymer or PET plastics that are cut up into tiny pieces, whereas biodegradable glitter is made from plant-based cellulose,” Detox Market makeup artist Merrady Wickes previously told Well+Good. “Regular glitter is basically microplastic which ends up in our water, and eventually in our food chain.” Tood’s glitters are, indeed, made from cellulose instead of plastic, which is much softer and can easily break down. After 28 days, it’s gone without a trace.

For the latest episode of Zoe Tries It All, Siadat came over with her TooD’s entire product line to teach me just how much fun smattering your face with sparkles can really be. “We’ve all been conditioned to feel like there are experts, influencers, or celebrities that tell us how to do things and how to look, but you’re a creator,” says Siadat. “There are no rules for putting on makeup.”

I went into our lesson thinking that I would dust some subtle sparkle on my eyelids and be done with it (like I said, I’m not really a “glitter makeup” person), but by the time we were done, I was covered in glitter from—no joke—my brows to my boobs. Once I started with the products, I couldn’t stop, and my look didn’t feel fully finished until I had two-toned glitter eyebrows, glitter freckles, a glitter lip, and a glitter chest.

After years of relying on natural-looking makeup to make me feel confident enough to go out into the world, I can honestly say that I had never felt more confident than while I was running errands in full-blown sparkles. For the first time maybe-ever, my makeup wasn’t about hiding the parts of myself that I didn’t want anyone to see—it was simply about the joy of expression.

If you’re looking to add a little extra sparkle into your every day, check out the video above to see how it’s done—and even more importantly, why it’s worth doing.

TooD Beauty Amethyst Bioglitter — $26.00

TooD Tigers Eye Bioglitter — $26.00

TooD Beauty Brother/Sister Color Cream — $24.00

TooD Real/Fake Color Cream — $24.00

TooD Turn It On Soap Brows — $26.00

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