♕ Part of My World ♕ GlitterTubes ~ Pressed Glitters ♕{Overview, First Impressions, Swatches}

Taking a little break from my make up looks because I have a big first impressions post  for you today! 

If you follow me on Instagram then you already know that some weeks ago I received, as a gift from a friend, a selection of pressed glitters by GlitterTubes - an indie brand that sells both loose and pressed glitters, along with rhinestones, flakes, sequins and, of course, glitter glue. 

It all started back in April, when I read Sabina's post about these pressed glitters - I immediately got curious, as I've always wanted to use glitters in my looks (plus I love everything that shines, the more sparkly the better!). Long story short, a few days afterwards a lovely friend of mine surprised me a bunch of beautiful, glittering pans *___* 

I've been using these beauties for quite some times now (and again, if you follow me on Instagram you surely noticed XD) and here are my impressions & thoughts!

Here's some basic information about this brand: they're UK based, as I said previously they sell mostly loose and pressed glitter - and their range is HUGE! The pans that you'll see in this post are all 26 mm, contain 3 g of product and cost £ 2,50 each. Pretty affordable, right? (They also have teeny tiny sample acrylic pans which cost £ 1 each)

Loose glitters come in, like, test tubes (hence the brand name!) - which are absolutely original, but I'm glad that my friend opted for the pans instead, as they're easier to store for me. 
There are different shipment options you can choose from (please note that they only use Royal Mail): "signed in" option is for UK only and costs £ 3, "standard" (not tracked) costs £ 5 and, lastly, there's also the "tracked" option that costs £ 9 - and that's what my friend chose, both times. Yeah, both times, because she actually had to place two different orders. 

The first batch of glitters (pic above on the left, click to enlarge) that my friend bought me was supposed to include twelve pans, but once the parcel arrived and I unboxed it we realized that there were only eleven pans. Everything was perfectly sealed: five pans in a small bubble wrap bag and six in another, both included in a big, silver mail bag (pic on the right, click to enlarge). Eleven in total, and my friend had to check the order list included until she found which one was missing (turned out to be Twinkle). After moments of pure panic (lol), she wrote an email asking for assistance. Thankfully, GlitterTubes' customer service is great: they replied quickly and figured that out right away. Since we where already discussing a new order (because they added more glitter colours meanwhile, and some of them totally stole my heart), they offered either a refund of the missing pan or to put Twinkle in the next package - and that's the option we chose, of course.
The shipment is fast, they dispatched both orders in a couple of days and they arrived in about one week. Pretty fast, in my opinion, since I live in Italy. 

In the picture above you can see how each pan is sealed and safely packed (in my opinion this is the best packaging for individual pans I've seen so far). The pan is placed in a  sort of cardboard "clam", the hole in the middle is protected by a transparent lid. Plus, every piece is sealed in a clear plastic bag, that on the back has all the ingredients listed. Needless to say, each pan comes with a lid with its name, glued on the bottom. 

If you use magnetic palettes such as Zpalette you won't need to purchase any addictional magnet. But, if you want to use another kind of case (not magnetic) you'll to buy individual magnets to add to the bottom of the pans (and they do have them on their website).
I only use magnetic palettes (the one featured in the first picture is a limited edition Liberty palette by NABLA Cosmetics, but I plan to get a bigger palette so I can keep all the glitters together!). 

Now let's see alllllll the glitters I have (16, as of now) in detail! The original 12 pans were chosen by my friend (she knows me well... But she also knew which one I liked XD), while the remaining 4 were chosen by me when she placed the second order (and are: Dory, Emerald, Droplet and Darling). 
There are different types of glitters in GT range: metallic, holographic, iridescent and with a particular sheen - thus I divided them based on this. 

Before that, though, a little intro to glitters. 
Differences with eyeshadows: they differ in terms of application and texture, as eyeshadows may be powdery (both loose or pressed), creamy or even liquid - but glitters are usually loose. These particular ones are pressed, meaning they are mixed with a binder substance that holds them together in the pan and also allows an easier application. Nevertheless, compared to powder shadows, they have a thicker texture - and in some cases grainy.
Brushes or fingers?: guess it depends on personal preference. I definitely prefer brushes, and I recommend using flat, synthetic brushes. Either way, don't press too much your finger or brush into the pan - as the mixture is quite fragile - and apply the glitters on the eyes with gentle dabbing motion. 
Glue or no glue?: glue is compulsory with loose glitters, of course, and you can use it with pressed glitters too; however, I haven't used it with mine (I used lash glue just once, because I wanted to create a glittery eyeliner) and they stay in place easily. Fall out happens during application (nothing huge, but it's inevitable), and if you have hooded eyes like me consider that they will transfer on the crease - so keep that in mind while doing your makeup. (I think a layer of glitter glue would help, I'm considering buy theirs sooner or later...).
How to remove: any makeup remover should work (I use a micellar water and they come off easily), but keep in mind that removing ALL of them in one stroke is nearly impossible - patience is key with glitters. 

 METALLIC

Brassic: "Bronze-gold metallic in colour."

The description really fits: Brassic is a gold with a slight touch of bronze that makes it really vibrant. 

It's quite a classical glitter shade (but yeah, I don't have silver glitters currently XD) and its texture is very silky - not grainy at all. Looks gorgeous applied all over the lids - it made me feel like I was wearing real gold XD

Aquatic: "Light blue metallic in colour."

The palest of my blue glitters so far. It has the colour of clear, shallow waters, of a cloudless sky, of the ice. Such a lovely shade.

Just like Brassic, it's velvety and it's very easy to apply (even without any glue).

Skinny Dip: "Light blue metallic in colour."

Same description as Aquatic - totally different shade. It's a medium blue, very bright, darker compared to Aquatic, but lighter than Sonic. Might look very similar to Droplet, but other than being lighter, it also have a different kind of reflects (metallic vs holographic). 

Beautiful, and I really mean beautiful colour, I wish I had a matching eyeshadow!

Sonic: "Deep blue metallic in colour."

Stunning dark sapphire shade (darker than it looks in picture, actually!), velvety just like the others. Looks like a gemstone turned in glitters *_*

Great when used in a gradient along with Skinny Dip and Aquatic (spoiler: you'll see it in my next makeup look!) or along the lower lash line to add a touch of sparkles to it. 

Fairy: "Pink metallic in colour."

To me Fairy is more fuchsia/raspberry than pink - it's a very bright and vibrant, but also sweet, shede! Unlike the other metallic ones I own its texture feels a little grainy - however this doesn't affect the application (thankfully). 

I tried it alone and in also in combination with Chewee (see below), it's lovely in both ways. 
(I also tried it on my lips and o-m-g I could easily wear glitters on my lips everyday. Such a shame that they're a little uncomfortable - but definitely a new go-to of mine for liparts!)

HOLOGRAPHIC

Crown: "Dark gold holographic in colour."

Crown is an ancient gold, slightly un-saturated. It's so silky, but it's holographic effect is almost nonexistent. It shows up only under direct sunlight (please see swatches in the next section of the post), otherwise you can barely (and I really mean barely) spot it. 

These are the only glitters that let me down a little bit in terms of colour/effect - if they could fix the holographic thing it would be a really pretty shade of gold!

Delicate: "Pale pink-silver holographic in colour."

I remember Sabina mentioning that she couldn't get Delicate because, back when she ordered, it was sold out... I looked it up on the website and I could see why she wanted it - luckily my friend managed to get it!

It's a very original and unique shade: light-to-medium pink (not so pale in my opinion) with a gorgeous holographic effect, very noticeable in all light conditions - probably the strongest and most colourful. Green, blue, red, pink, purple - all part of the holographic effect. Hard to describe and catch on picture!

Chewee: "Dark purple holographic in colour."

This one is one of my friend's pick: since some of the shades I wanted (Pegasus, for example) where sold out, she chose some shades on her own - which is fine because she knows my tastes. Since I mentioned Jaded (sold out), she chose another purple - this one. 

It's really dark, yet vibrant - and the holographic effect adds a stellar touch to it. 

Droplet: "Light blue holographic in colour."

Droplet is part of the second order and I personally chose them - I was intrigued by its shade (I clearly have a thing for blue) plus the holographic effect... But I regret choosing it to be honest. 

These glitters have an extremely grainy, rough, texture - and also it's the hardest to apply. On top of that, this shade tends to look similar to Skinny Dip one's in certain light conditions (see swatches section). Too much similar, especially because the holographic effect is not extremely noticeable.
Definitely the only glitters that let me down in every way :(

Splash: "Turquoise holographic in colour."

Okay must admit that Splash was on my wishlist because of its name ("Splash" is a mermaid movie XD), but of course the shade is very me - don't you think? :p

Not a turquoise in my opinion, but a very dark teal. LOVELY. Plus, it has a very strong blue holographic effect that makes these glitter fit for a mermaid u.u

It's a little grainy, but nothing extreme (I mean, it's not like Droplet's), it's easy to handle. 

IRIDESCENT

Dory: "Deep blue iridescent in colour."

I fell in love with Dory the very same second I saw on Instagram when the four new glitters were introduced. Like, instantaneously. 

The shade is a bright, sea blue with a beautiful aqua green iridescence - it's like a mermaid's tail *___* (And its name... Come on, who doesn't love Dory?)

These are my favourite out of ALL the glitters I own so far. Perfect colour/iridescence combination aside, it's silky and applies smoothly. 

 Emerald: "Deep green iridescent in colour."

Another mermaid-y shade, no doubt! It's a real emerald shade with a paler green and light blue iridescence that makes it look like a gemstone that shines in the ocean waters. 

It's barely grainy - nothing crazy though. I've used Emerald only once for now - but I'm in love already. I feel the urge of making a mermaid look using Dory and Emerald together XD

Darling: "Deep pink iridescent in colour."

Last one from the second order, chose by me myself and I. To me Darling is more of a reddish shade than a pink one, and that's why I selected it.

I don't own many red shades - which is a shame, because it's one of my favourite colours. So when we had to place the second order I told my friend to include Darling too - and I'm glad I did! I love the reddish base shade paired with the green, gold and pink iridescence - long story short, it's another original and unique shade!

Fireball: "Deep coral orange with a golden iridescent sheen."

If you've been following me for a while, you might know that I'm not into orange shades. Red, yes, orange NOPE. 

So when I realized I was holding orange glitters in my hands I looked at my friend like "are you kidding me?". This another of my friend's pick - she included this one on her own initiative because - and I'm quoting her - "it totally looked dynamite".

And you know what? She was absolutely right. Fireball is mesmerizing. It has a golden sheen - in fact I wasn't sure if I had to place it under the"iridescent" or the "golden sheen" category, but its slightly finer texture makes it different from Twinkle and Minted. 

GOLDEN SHEEN

 Minted: "Light green in colour with a golden sheen."

Usually I'm not into these bright apple green shades - but Sabina, in her post, pointed out that Minted's base is very subtle, almost transparent... It was a flaw, to her - but I liked that and I absolutely don't mind it XD To each their own I guess! 

So yes, its base is really pale and tends to disappear with sunlight (please see swatches!) but, on the other hand, the golden sheen is very strong - and it kind of compensates that. The glitters themself are square cut instead of round (like all the previous ones). And yes, Minted is grainy - but manageable. 

Twinkle: "Light blue in colour with a golden sheen."

Last but not least, the missing pan from the first order. Ta-dah XD 
I don't know why, but Twinkle gives me fairy vibes *__* It has a lovely periwinkle shade and it's filled with gold and green sparkles. Feels so angelic *_* Definitely worth the double wait XD

Just like Minted, these glitter are square and not round - and the texture is a bit grainy but manageable (not a big issue at all). 

Alcohol, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol , Aloe Vera, Jojoba Oil, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Polyethylene Terephthalate.

I was a little concerned when I first used these glitters, as they contain dimethicone - which my skin seems to tolerate to a certain point, but not always. Thankfully, I can safely wear these beauties - no red-eyes, irritations, soreness, puffiness or itchiness of any kind. Phew. 

The following pictures are quite big, so click to enlarge!

Each glitter was applied with no primer/glue/base underneath. 

Swatching glitters is more difficult than swatching eyeshadows, as their texture is thicker.

My swatches are always messy - but this time they are crazily messy. Sorry for the inconvenience ^^" 

Another note: I usually do swatches with natural daylight but, since these are glitters, I also did them with direct sunlight, to better show their amazing sparkles!

Needless to say, when I was done I was covered in glitters from head to fins XD

As you can see, they all change quite a bit depending on the light - especially Minted, that is sooo sparkly with sunlight but almost loses its base colour; but, with natural lighting, its base and golden sheen really stand out! 

Thank to the sunlight you can clearly see the holographic effect of Crown. I was like "oh there you are holographic effect" XDDD I wish it was more noticeable with natural daylight! 

Brassic looks warmer with natural daylight, while Emerald and Splash look cooler. 

No major differences here, but with natural daylight you can clearly see the stunning base and golden sheen of Darling and Fireball *__* Delicate, Fairy and Chewee looks darker with sunlight - and are extremely sparkly; Delicate and Chewee, also, have a much better holographic effect than Crown because it shows up even with natural lighting. 

Lastly, all the blues *_* Twinkle is the palest but, unlike Minted, it doesn't change that much under sunlight and it maintains its base. 

Here you can see how Droplet and Skinny Dip can look similar and very different at the same time: the sunlight shows the colour difference (Skinny Dip is darker than Droplet), but the natural light makes them look almost the same. Aquatic looks darker in the upper pic - but it's actually quite light, like on the bottom one. Viceversa, Skinny Dip and Sonic are dark like in the sunlight picture ;D

Name: GT Pressed Glitters

Brand: GlitterTubes 

What is it?: Pressed glitter in 26 mm pans

Price: 2,50 £ each

Other: Hand-made product; Designed, developed and made in UK.

Where to buy: Website 

Hope this post may be useful to you ♥

Do you own this brush set already? Any thoughts about duo fiber brushes?

(I already have a new wishlist... Pegasus, Loom, Jaded, Reflection - just to mention a few!)

Mermaid kisses and starfish wishes ♥