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2000 BCE
Glitter and The Mayans
Dating all the way back to the Mayans around 2000 BC, ancient temples have been discovered to have traces of a sparkling paint-like pigment. From studying tiny shards of this paint, it is believed that the Mayans would crush a mineral called mica into a fine dust and color it using different pigments and dyes. When this paint was applied to the temples, the sun would reflect off the mica dust and create a beautiful illuminating shine. -
50 BCE
Ancient Egyptian Glitter
During Cleopatra's rein in ancient Egypt from 69 BC to 30 BC, the Egyptians found many ways to make different facial products and pigments. They crushed up beetles with metallic shells until they became a fine powder that shone in the light. Cleopatra used this powder for her lips as well as what we'd now call "highlighter" in the cosmetic world. Crushing up these beetles for this shine became very popular, making this method one of the first versions of glitter. -
Year Unknown German Glass Glitter
While there's no specific date, Germany has been using traditional methods to make glitter for over a hundred years. German manufacturers make their glitter out of glass. This type of glitter was very popular and started to be made in other countries as well. Around the time of World War II, glass needed to be rationed due to low supply. This gave Henry Ruschmann the idea to start marketing his synthetic glitter. However, to this day, glass glitter is still being produced and utilized. -
A Roaring Time For Dresses
In 1922, King Tut's Tomb was found. Inside, he was wearing robes and garments embellished with small discs made of pure gold. As news of this discovery spread, it wasn't long before the creation of sequins. Sequins were made from plastics that reflect and cut precisely in the same disc shape. They were first used on ballet dancers costumes to sparkle on stage. Flappers immediately took note and started wearing them on their dresses as well, this was their way of representing women's liberation. -
Henry Ruschmann's Invention of Modern Day Glitter
Henry Ruschmann, a cattle farmer and machinist in New Jersey, was using his machine one day when a malfunction occurred that changed the world forever. With a little experimenting, Henry had created tiny, colorful, reflective chunks of plastic that sparkled in the light. These specks at the time were called "Glitter Schnibbles", and were later mass produced in a company Henry created with his partner Henry. This invention boosted consumerism and led the way for many new ideas and businesses. -
Glitter In Automotives
In the 1930's, the automotive industry got creative and started adding glitter, as well as synthetic enamel into the auto paint. The addition of this very fine glitter gave the cars a metallic, glossy appearance. With this being a new feature tested in the automotive world, companies only offered it on their most expensive cars at the time. These high-dollar vehicles included cars such as Packards and Cadillacs. -
Shimmer in Makeup
Shortly after Henry Ruschmann's Invention of synthetic glitter, the cosmetic industry quickly embraced this new, sparkly invention. Many companies caught onto this trend and started producing new eye shadows, lipsticks, and face powders. This addition to the products boosted consumerism and gave many companies ideas for years to come. -
Making Glitter Edible
In the 1960's, John Watson got an idea to replicate the shine and sparkle of synthetic glitter and make it edible. Watson created the first edible glitter that's used as a topping or inclusion, and could be added to baked goods, drinks, and any food you'd want to make shine! His company was called Watson Inc and today the company has since changed their products to meet the demand of "clean labeling". -
Glam Rock and Glitter
In the early 1970's, a flamboyant genre of rock music was created called Glam Rock. This style of rock was originally developed in Britain but has since reached beyond. Performers often wore gender bending costumes and extravagant makeup/accessories. Idols of the time such as Elton John, David Bowie, KISS, and Freddie Mercury of Queen all popularized glitter makeup and or costumes. Glam Rock helped people break societal norms and express themselves freely and creatively. -
The Disco Era
The Disco Era started in the 1970's and was a shift in cultural and social norms of the time. Fashion and lifestyles were becoming more flashy. Glitter was a big contributor to this fashion, as well as a staple of the era. Musicians of the time such as Cher, and even the "Queen of Disco" herself, Donna Summer embraced glitter in their costumes and makeup. These flashy outfits allowed the artists to stand out and create their own unique stage presence. -
A Hip New Sparkly Look
In the 1990's to the early 2000's, body glitter became a huge hit among the youth. Body glitter came in many forms: gel in a tub, roll on sticks, metallic, glow in the dark. The glitter in the gel was also very versatile with different shapes such as hearts, stars, moons, etc. Wearing this shiny gel became a norm for party scenes and raves. It made many people feel more confident and it was a fun way of expressing themselves. -
Colgate's Sparkly Toothpaste
In the late 1980's through the 1990's, the toothpaste company, Colgate, made an interesting new product. This product was marketed for children as a junior toothpaste. The tip of the tube was a star shape and the best part? The paste on the inside had glitter! This glitter was made from a very small amount of white mica mixed into the toothpaste to give off that sparkly shine. -
Glitter and Revolution
In Mexico, a Republican Presidential candidate was showered in glitter in protest of his hate against the LGBTQ community. Over the coarse of the next year, many public figures and politicians that were hostile or against the LGBTQ community were also successfully targeted by these "glitter bombers". The LGBTQ community chose glitter because they wanted to stand out and make their points known and heard without destruction or violence. -
Slime on YouTube
In 2015, Karina Garcia started a YouTube channel, inspired to make more content she hadn't seen much of at the time. In these videos she would add various ingredients into slime, many of which were a variety of different glitters. Although she wasn't the first person to put glitter in slime or make a channel about slime, she inspired others to use glitter and create similar content, or buy their own glitter and slime to make at home. This boosted the demand for glitter and sparked creativity. -
Glitter in Protest
In Mexico City on August 16th, a protest was held against the police. The women of Mexico City were outraged at the police force after a teenage girl was assaulted by four police officers. Three hundred women gathered at the protest that day and showered Mexico's chief of security in pink glitter to get their message across.