What is it about glitter?

Question

Glitter... not the obnoxious, huge-specks kind, and not the metaphorical kind. I mean the glitter of a sticker, of the fairy wings you (or your friend) wore for Halloween when you were five, of glitter paint... what makes it so mentally entrancing?!

I for one could stare at a container of glitter paint for minute after minute after minute, twirling it around...around...around... which I just did a few minutes ago, only to pull myself away, curious as to what makes it so amazing.

Answer 1

Seriously interesting question. I make homemade math and science books for sick kids and I'm called Granny Glitter because I use so much glitter glue and such in my art. When I was a little girl, I was legally blind and no one had caught on to it, yet. I went for years in a pretty fog of colors. One day, sitting on a new sofa, I saw my first "sparkle". The sofa fabric was laced with tiny metalic threads that reflected sunlight that was pouring into the room. With my eyeball practically glued to a sparkle, I somehow acheived my first clear image of stuff. In that sparkle, I could see clearly all the way across the street. I trained my eyes to use sparkles after that to see more, like using a monocle or something. I became obsessed with sparkles. My parents worried that I had autistic tendencies. My father teases me to this day about being like a raccoon and liking anything that sparkles over other things of greater "value". His valentine's day card to me last week was a delight. It had three brilliant "sparkles" that actually lit up when you press a spot on the card. When I was about six or seven, I finally got glasses. I put them on for the first time one night outdoors by myself in Alaska. I put them on and looked up. The sky . . .well, what can I say. . . it was Alaska. It was as though whatever gods that there may be in this Universe were celebrating with me because the first sight I ever really had was of the Northern lights and a starry sky so breathtaking it made me cry. I had never seen stars, the ultimate glitter. I saw the STARS! I had thought they were myths. Anyway, I then could see sparkles on a lake, sparkles off diamonds, sparkles sparkles everywhere! That was when my parents became worried about whether I had autistic tendencies. They worried about my little girl glitter fever. All little girls have glitter fever at that age. I had agreed to tone down my glitter fever when we got our first television. It was a color set. A fancy tv. It was a big event, the first night we were going to watch it. My dad turned the tv on at the appropriate moment for a show to begin. The very first image that came across the screen . . .of all things, considering my "problem" with sparkles" . . .was "The Wonderful World Of Disney's" opening sequence. Tinkerbell magically, most beautifully,glided across the screen, dripping pixy dust like the marvelous Milky Way beneath her. My young eyes filled with sparkles. My parents burst out laughing and groaning. I spent a big part of my life studying optics and light as a hobby. The answer to your question is, the Great and Mysterious Secret of the Universe is truly all about pixy dust. : )

Answer 2

I like glitter when I'm out partying, but it has to be not overdone. Like glitter just in one of the products i'm using. Sometimes i stick to brown eyliner with glitter, sometimes with glittery eyshodow :) The thing is not to overdo it and wear it for proper occiasions :)

Answer 3

This is because the way the light reflects off of it is really pretty--- well at least I think so.

Answer 4

wonderful shiny distractions....its magical!!!

Answer 5

ooohhh...shiny