Glitter is edging its way back onto the beauty scene. Autumn/Winter's London Fashion Week sparkled with sequined eyelids at Prada (pictured above) and Louis Vuitton, while off the catwalk, pop queens Katy Perry and Lily Allen have been seen embracing the trend. Now it’s your turn to get to grips with the new wave of glitterati.

The biggest apprehension surrounding sparkly make-up is the fear we might end up looking like a toddler who’s been let loose with a glitter pen, but panic not, because this season’s sparkle is ultra sophisticated and we’re here to show you how it’s done.

1. Settle on a spot to sparkle
   The key to wearing glitter is to keep the rest of the face muted, so if you opt for a sparkly eye, your cheeks and lips should remain natural. “The first rule with all glitter make-up is that less is more, always,” says make-up artist for The Body Shop, Chase Aston. “When applying onto the eyes, glitter along the lash-line is perfect but anywhere above the brow bone and on the temples can be too theatrical and childish.”
    
2. Bling first, blusher later
   Make-up artist, Jemma Kidd advises applying your eye make-up first to avoid stray sparkles ruining the rest of your make-up. “That way, once you’ve finished, you can use a cleansing wipe to remove any excess glitter. If there are any particles that won’t budge, wrap some scotch tape around your finger and press onto the glitter – it should pick it up off the skin.” 
    
3. Prep and prime
   To avoid smatterings and spillage when using glittery products, apply a cream shadow or an eye primer beforehand. “Smooth glitter onto a creamy eye shadow first so it has a better chance of sticking,” says Laura Martin, head make-up artist at Cosmetics a La Carte. “Then, using a flat square eye shadow brush, press the glitter onto your eyelid, making sure you get it as close to the lashes as possible.”
   
   Unsure what products to plump for? Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Boots), £11 is easy-to-use and has a handy angled applicator, while B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful’s Barrier, £7.85 contains a hefty helping of beeswax and talc to ensure your sparkle sticks.
   
   Some products, like Jemma Kidd’s Crushed Jewel Crème Duo (above right), £15.66, even come complete with a complementary crème base, making it much easier to create that seamless sparkle.
    
   
4. Be as understated or as OTT as you like
   At the autumn/winter fashion shows, leading make-up artist, Pat McGrath chose to champion glitter more than once, covering eyelids in bright red sparkles at Prada, (try MAC’s Reflects Glitter in Reflects Rust (right), £13.50 for a similar effect) while at Louis Vuitton she applied a rainbow of purples and reds over jet black liner.
   
   A great way to ease yourself into the trend is to sweep Colourworks Sparkle Eye Liners (Superdrug), £4.99 over your regular liner for a quick and easy update (always go over it more than once to ensure you get an even distribution of sparkle).
    
5. Complementary colours
   Want to know which colour glitter will boost your beauty? According to Jemma Kidd, “bright blues and teals work well on brown eyes, browns and golds are great for blue eyes and rich purples are perfect for green eyes.”
    
6. Eyelash embellishments
   It’s not just lids that are getting the twinkle treatment. For a bejewelled effect, apply glitter gel eyeliner along lashes or dotted onto the ends, or coat lashes with one of this season’s sparkle-infused mascara’s. The Body Shop’s Define & Sparkle Liner and Mascara (above right), £10, is a brilliant multi-purpose product available in silver and black; Bourjois have added glittery particles to their Volume Glamour Mascara, £7.82, now in Black & Diams Noir Pailléte, while Barry M’s Glitter Lashes, £4.95 in a kaleidoscope of colours add pizzazz when applied over your everyday mascara.
    
7. Step-by-step
   Still not found your glitter groove? Try make-up artist and myface.cosmetics founder, Charlotte Tilbury’s smoky eyes á la sparkle and you’ll never look back:
   
   “Apply a neutral brown all over the lid to act as a base and then use a deeper, brighter glitter colour for the crease - single blingtone in black ice (above), £9.99 by myface.cosmetics is a stunning update on the black, smoky eye and because it has an almost wet, metallic effect it gives it a foil-like finish.
   
   "Apply your chosen sparkle colour over the crease and extend it outward just beyond the outer corner of the eyes.
   
   "Apply a pale shimmery pearl, mushroom or beige eyeshadow at the browbone to highlight, then lightly blend all the shadows so no obvious lines are visible. Line the upper and lower lashline with a navy eyeliner, smudge slightly and finish with mascara.”

Right, that's the make-up sorted - now to what to wear. Check out our favourite sparkly party gear this year, and see what's going on at the Kalimocho Christmas party central.