The Budget Fashionista

What: Adding standout sparkle to eyes feels fresh and fun this summer.

What the Experts Say: Arts and crafts, anyone? Backstage makeup fixture Charlotte Tilbury channeled the look of ’70s fashion icon Bianca Jagger for the Missoni Spring 2008 runway by sprinkling a load of green glitter on eyes for a disco-worthy cat’s eye look. “I did it in a contemporary way—it’s how girls would live and wear it today if they were out partying,��? she said. Also in on the sparkle trend: makeup guru Pat McGrath, who took smoky eyes to the next level backstage at Anna Sui’s Spring 2008 show by showering lids in blue glitter for a “fun, strong��? edge.

What We Say: Oh, glitter. How we want to love you, but we’ve grown up! We simply can’t bust out glam glitter eyes without look ridiculous, right? Wrong! Dousing eyes in intense sparkle for the occasional night out can be extremely eye-catching—when done correctly. The trick is to lay your foundation first—a cream primer base that will catch the flecks and make them stick, followed by the color eye shadow of your choice—and then layer on the glitter for multifaceted beauty. Hard Candy does all the work for you with its ingenious Bling Bling, which contains a standout glitter hue plus two bases: nude for a pure glitter look and black for a fierce smoky eye. What’s even better, the regularly priced $16 bling beauty is now $8—score! For the slightly more timid, keeping the sparkle strictly on the eyeliner allows you to have fun with the trend without really going disco. Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner offers knockout colors that can be layered for rock-star intensity, or worn discreetly. Still not feeling like a glitter go-getter? Try a black liquid eyeliner and, using an angled brush, layer a tiny bit of glitter over it while it’s still wet. The result is super subtle—just enough to let out your inner glitter girl.

Photos: Allure.com and Style.com