DIY Festival Glitter Gel for Face Painting: Easy Homemade Glitter Gel Recipe

Want to add gorgeous sparkle to your face painting designs without spending a fortune on ready-made glitter gels?

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make your own DIY glitter gel for face painting at home using just a few simple ingredients. This easy homemade festival glitter is perfect for face painting, kids’ parties, festivals, glitter makeup and face paint designs where you want an extra touch of sparkle.

The best part? It is incredibly simple to make, inexpensive, and you can customise the colour and size of the glitter to suit your designs.

How to Make Glitter Gel for Face Painting

Making your own glitter gel is a fantastic way to create a budget-friendly addition to your face painting kit.

For this DIY glitter gel recipe, you’ll need:

• Cosmetic-grade chunky glitter that is specifically suitable for cosmetic use
• Pure aloe vera gel
• A small mixing bowl
• A small pot or container for storing your glitter gel
• A face painting brush or glitter applicator

The basic idea is simple: combine your cosmetic-grade glitter with aloe vera gel until you achieve the consistency you want.

Watch my step-by-step tutorial to see exactly how I mix mine and how I apply it to finished face painting designs.

Always Use Cosmetic-Grade Glitter for Face Painting

One of the most important things to remember when making DIY glitter gel for face painting is to use cosmetic-grade glitter.

Never use craft glitter, art glitter or ordinary craft-store glitter on the skin. Cosmetic glitter is manufactured specifically for cosmetic applications and has different properties from craft glitter.

For face painting, I particularly love using chunky cosmetic glitter because it creates a beautiful festival-style sparkle and makes even a simple face painting design look much more impressive.

Important: Glitter should be used carefully around the eyes. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions and only use glitter that is specifically labelled as suitable for the intended cosmetic area.

Why Make Your Own Festival Glitter Gel?

There are lots of reasons I love making my own glitter gel for face painting.

💰 It’s Budget-Friendly

Buying multiple colours and styles of ready-made glitter gels can quickly become expensive, especially if you’re a professional face painter going through lots of product at parties and events.

Making your own allows you to create your own glitter combinations without spending as much on pre-made products.

✨ You Can Choose Your Glitter

One of my favourite things about DIY festival glitter is being able to choose exactly what goes into it.

You can experiment with:

• Chunky glitter
• Fine cosmetic glitter
• Different colours
• Iridescent glitter
• Rainbow combinations
• Glitter mixes to match your face painting palette

This makes it easy to create glitter gels that complement your favourite face painting designs.

🎨 It’s Great for Face Painting Designs

A little glitter can completely transform a face painting design.

You can add glitter to:

• Butterflies
• Fairies
• Unicorns
• Princess designs
• Flowers
• Festival face paint
• Rainbow face painting
• Mermaid designs
• Fantasy face painting
• Halloween designs

It is particularly effective when you want to add a sparkly centrepiece to an otherwise simple design.

How I Use Glitter Gel in My Face Painting Business

I’ve used glitter extensively throughout my years as a professional face painter, and I love how quickly it can take a design from good to WOW!

For busy kids’ parties and events, you don’t necessarily need complicated designs to make an impact.

A simple face paint design combined with the right placement of glitter can look incredibly effective.

For example, you could paint a simple butterfly and then add glitter to the centre of the wings. Or paint flowers around the eyes and use chunky glitter in the flower centres.

This is one of my favourite face painting ideas for kids’ parties because the sparkle makes the design feel extra special.

How to Apply Glitter Gel to Face Paint

Once your face painting design is complete and the paint has dried, you can apply your glitter gel to the areas where you want additional sparkle.

I recommend using a dedicated glitter applicator or brush so you can control exactly where the glitter goes.

The Fusion Body Art Glitter Cream Applicator is one of the tools I use in my face painting kit.

You can find Fusion Body Art products here:

Fusion Body Art Glitter Cream Applicator & Face Painting Products

Use code LETSPAINT10 for 10% off eligible Fusion Body Art products.

How to Store Homemade Glitter Gel

If you’re making your own glitter gel, proper storage is important.

Keep your finished glitter gel in a clean, suitable, tightly closed container and follow the storage instructions for the ingredients you’re using.

Because homemade cosmetic products don’t necessarily have the same preservation system or shelf-life testing as commercially manufactured products, I recommend making small batches rather than making a huge quantity.

Always use clean tools when handling your glitter gel and discard the product if you notice changes in smell, appearance or consistency.

DIY Festival Glitter for Face Painting, Festivals & Glitter Makeup

You don’t have to be a professional face painter to enjoy this DIY glitter idea.

Homemade glitter gel can be a fun addition to festival makeup, glitter makeup looks, children’s face painting and creative makeup designs.

Whether you’re preparing for a festival, hosting a kids’ birthday party or building your first face painting kit, adding a little sparkle is an easy way to make your designs stand out.

And because you can make your own glitter combinations, you can create something completely unique.

Watch the Full DIY Glitter Gel Tutorial

In my latest face painting tutorial, I take you through the process step-by-step so you can see exactly how to make glitter gel for face painting at home, what products I recommend and how I apply the finished glitter gel to my designs.

You’ll learn:

✔️ How to make DIY glitter gel for face painting
✔️ Which glitter and gel to use
✔️ Why cosmetic-grade glitter is important
✔️ How to mix your glitter gel
✔️ How to store your homemade glitter
✔️ How I apply glitter gel to face painting designs
✔️ How to add extra sparkle to your face painting creations

Watch the full tutorial to see the complete process!

Want to Learn How to Face Paint?

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Make Your Face Painting Designs Sparkle! ✨

Making your own DIY glitter gel for face painting is a simple and affordable way to add another level of sparkle to your designs.

With cosmetic-grade glitter, aloe vera gel and a few basic supplies, you can create your own festival-style glitter gel and customise it to match your favourite face painting designs.

So grab your glitter, get creative and add some sparkle to your next face painting session! ✨🎨

Don’t forget to watch the tutorial above for my exact method and application tips.