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Glitter Galore: Why We’re in the Era of Dopamine Beauty

March 6 | 5 minute read

Words by Izzy Wight

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What does it look like when ‘your makeup artist loves you’? According to the internet, it looks like Swedish pop star Zara Larsson on her Midnight Sun Tour – rhinestone-covered eyelids, neon blush and a dusting of holographic glitter, everywhere.

Over the course of her world tour, Larsson and her makeup artist, Sophia Sinot, have become an iconic duo. Matching the kaleidoscopic visuals of the album, Sinot has created a series of colourful, imaginative looks – makeup modelled after mermaids, butterflies, exotic flowers and “extraterrestrial sirens”.

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As we move away from ‘clean-girl’ minimalism, there’s an undeniably optimistic feeling to this style of makeup; when everything is far from butterflies and rainbows, your makeup can be – and it’s really hard to be sad when your lids are covered in glitter (unless you’re a Euphoria character, but that's a different conversation).

Citing late ’90s and early 2000s stars like Lil’ Kim and Christina Aguilera as her inspiration, Sinot wants to imbue a sense of joy and whimsicality in her looks. “What I loved about that era was how playful and carefree everything felt. The makeup was colourful, shimmery, and didn’t take itself too seriously,” she told Vogue, adding, “As a kid, those looks fascinated me. Now I’m creating makeup that gives people a similar feeling.”

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In the spirit of feel-good beauty, here are four ways to bring bold colour, sparkle and fun to your everyday makeup.

You're a Gem

There’s one consistent throughline in all Larsson’s looks: glitter. Everywhere. No longer reserved for festivals, Halloween and fairy cosplay, rhinestones, gems and shimmer are the easiest ways to transform a look from simple to Swedish pop icon.

Created by the sparkle expert, Euphoria makeup artist Donni Davy, Half Magic’s Face Gems are self-adhesive, stay put all day and come in three glitzy shades. Add a few under the brows, across the lids or make like Sinot and go all-out with symmetrical gems from the temples. Even better, layer them over the top of an iridescent shadow, like Half Magic’s Blushing Lizard or Stila’s Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in ‘Cloud’.

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The (Lip) Rule of Three

Sometimes, a two-product lip combo is simply not enough. Remember: when you’re taking a dopamine beauty approach, more is always more. To achieve Sinot’s signature sparkly lip, start with a liner two or three shades darker than your natural lip colour (M·A·C Cosmetics’ Lipglazer Glossy Liner in ‘Root For Me!’ is beautiful), fill with a nude shade like Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk and finish with a generous coat of Too Faced’s high-shine Kissing Jelly Lip Oil Gloss.

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Amped-Up Blush

Blush blindness who? On top of Larsson’s bronzed skin, Sinot always adds a bold flush, followed by a generous dusting of highlighter. In true Y2K fashion, she opts for shades of matte, pale pink and fuchsia (think: NARS Blush in ‘Thrill’ or Kosas Blush is Life in ‘Butterflies’). For maximum impact, layer a cream formula, like MECCA MAX’s Off Duty Blush Stick, underneath your powder, and finish with Kosas’ Shiny Objects Wet Glisten Highlighter.

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Every Shadow of the Rainbow

When asked by Glamour about her maximalist aesthetic, Sinot emphasised the importance of colour as a mood-lifter: “It’s interesting because biologically, colour activates the visual cortex more strongly… which can make us feel more energised, creative and emotionally connected, compared to neutral tones.”

If you’re worried about clashing, choose a palette with a wide range of shades (like Morphe’s Electric Currant) and focus on one pop of colour in the inner corner, under the lash line or all over the lid.