Modern glitter is usually credited to Henry Ruschmann, a New Jersey machinist. Vice reports that in 1934 he found a way to make glitter by grinding up plastics, and a local history of his company, Meadowbrook Inventions, says he built a machine to cut plastic film into tiny pieces. When glass glitter became hard to get during World War II, plastic glitter took over.

From there it went everywhere, from disco to festival fields. But body glitter is not the same as craft glitter. Dermatologists warn that craft glitter is cut into sharp-edged pieces and is not tested for skin, and the FDA says a color additive cannot be used near the eyes unless its rules allow it, naming holographic glitter as an example. In Europe, a 2023 rule on microplastics banned loose plastic glitter for uses like crafts and toys, while cosmetic glitter got a longer transition, so expect more mineral and plant-based glitters in the years ahead. So use glitter made for your face and body, and keep chunky pieces away from your eyes.

The format matters as much as the color. A gel sticks without glue, a spray is fast and light, a pressed pot is the least messy, and loose glitter gives the most sparkle but needs a base to hold it.

The first grid is eight cosmetic body glitters, in gels, sprays, loose pots and a pressed puck. The second grid is eight body oils and glows for a softer shine when glitter feels like too much. My tip: put glitter on last, after lotion has sunk in, and press it on with a fingertip instead of rubbing.

Fenty Beauty Diamond Bomb All-Over Diamond Veil is the most reviewed glitter here, a diamond-dusted powder that gives the face and body a glittering veil. It is the easiest one to wear to dinner. NYX Professional Makeup Vegan Loose Face and Body Glitter is the classic loose pot, so use it over a balm or a gel base.

For gels, ColourPop Glitterally Obsessed Body Glitter Gel suspends the glitter in a clear gel, so you do not need glue, and it shares the top rating in this grid. L.A. Girl Dazzling Duo is two chunky gel pots in pink and gold, and Unicorn Snot The Original Glitter Gel comes in seven shades, though it has only one review here.

HALF MAGIC Glitterpuck is pressed glitter infused with water, the least messy format in this grid. For sprays, Eva NYC Kweeen is a silver hair and body spray with argan oil, and Rabanne Shimmer Bomb is a fine spray-on glitter. Hold it farther away for a soft veil and closer for more shine.

What I would skip: loose glitter on bare, dry skin. It slides off within an hour. Use a gel, or press the loose glitter over a balm so it stays put through the night.

TOM FORD Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil is the most reviewed product in this grid, a warm, sweet oil with bergamot and cardamom and a soft shimmer. It is the one I would pick for a summer night. NARS Monoi Body Glow I uses Monoi de Tahiti oil for a sun-kissed sheen, though its rating is the lowest here.

Sol de Janeiro Glowmotions Glow Body Oil has a buildable shimmer in Copacabana Bronze, and PATRICK TA Major Glow is a bronzing oil with acai oil and cupuassu butter. amika I'm Glistening Radiant Rich Body Oil is a fast-absorbing oil with vitamin C that the brand says fades discoloration, and it shares the top rating with Lux Unfiltered Golden Era Blurring Body Glow, which blurs and adds a golden glow to legs.

Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer is a waterproof liquid highlighter for the face and body, good for a long day outside. Kosas Shiny Objects is a talc-free, wet-pressed highlighter that melts into skin, for a glisten on collarbones and shoulders.

If glitter feels like too much, start here. A shimmer oil reads as healthy skin, not sparkle.

What I would skip: a shimmer oil under a light-colored dress. Let it dry for ten minutes first, or it can transfer.

I think the best body glitter is the one made for skin, applied last and pressed on, not rubbed. Start with a gel or a pressed puck if you worry about mess, and move to loose glitter once you have a base you like. For a softer look, the Diamond Bomb or a shimmer oil from the second grid is enough. Keep chunky glitter off your eyelids, and take it all off at night with an oil cleanser.