Iridescent glitter and shine pearl for face-ups

You can also mix the Pearl-EX powders with a clear acrylic medium (available in matte or gloss, possibly also in semi-gloss). I've done this before when using acrylics and either want to thin something out without water (too much water can break down the paint) or to make something like iridescent powders apply like paint to get details, like fine lines, stripes, tattoos, etc. I know Liquitex offers such a medium, and I think Golden may as well (Golden and Liquitex are both very good quality for acrylic paints). You can usually get a smaller bottle of it too if you don't do a lot of painting outside of doll face-ups/body painting. Just test before applying for the right consistency of sparkle you want. For when you are using it as a powder, just spray a little further away and build up in layers if you need a thicker application as you would with pastels.

 

I mixed blue Pearl-ex powder in matte medium and painted over Ruth's eyeliner with it for just the barest hint of shimmer, and used russet Pearl-ex in the gloss on her lips, and it turned out wonderfully. There's a seller on ebay selling small amounts of Pearl-ex in little jars (much like people sell decants of Mac pigments and the like) and I've got some of those on the way. It's a small amount, but a teeny bit goes so far I doubt I'll ever use it all up!

I need to get a better pic, but you can kind of see it here.

 

Hm... thanks a lot for the fast answers... I didn't know this thread was still so active!

The kind of effect I want I think the pearl ex won't stay on the resin w/o MSC :/ Because the make up is kinda fantasy... and I'd like to aply a good amount of Interference blue on the eyes, to give a shiny icy look... I've noticed Pearl Ex stays on the resin very well without MSC< but when you use smaller quantities than this... XD

I'll test the matt medium you recommended... I thought of something like this before I asked, but only wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything bad. ^^' I have an extra head here, and I can test somethings on it, while it doesn't have a body... Poor Isaac XD With so much testing, I will improve some until I can give him a proper face-up and body :3


Thanks a lot everyone for the great answers! Very usefull!

AmyAngel: Thanks for the picture! Your girl is really pretty... the effect you gave to her face-up is beautiful! I have a small crush for dolls with scars >w<

 

I assume this has the same effect as....say, the Soom blushing on Euclase's ears?
(Sorry for bringing the MD madness to this thread, but the shimmer on his ears are gorgeous!) I mean, it's safe to assume that the mica powder is the dry form of the liquid shimmer used in their airbrushes? Obviously, not everyone and their grandma has an airbrush and compressor, so.....

Apologies, babbling will stop now.

 

adhara: Yep, I think it is possible to assume that... The mica powder is a great way to add that shimmer to the face up... and I think Soom just added some fine powder to the paint, and airbrushed it, but there's many ways to use the mica powders. ^^ you just have to find the better one for you.

 

Hello everyone!
I've been thinking about adding sparkles and shines to my faceups, but I don't exactly know what to do. I know the VolksUSA site has a lot of really interesting dollcare products, so I took a look over there.
I found this gloss-type stuff. It says "white" so does it have a solid color, or will it just be like gloss, but will add sparkles?
Are there any other products I can use that are resin-safe?

Thanks so much, everybody!
I hope my paranoia of damaging resin isn't too obvious!
​

 

I'm not familiar with the Volks product but I think it just adds shimmer. I use silver, gold & several other metallic sparkling eyeshadows to add sparkle to my dolls. With human make-up you must be careful though & thoroughly read the list of ingredients. If there's any oil, it's not safe for resin. I basically stick to the Pure Mineral products & a few higher end pressed & loose powders with no oil.

 

I have some in white and gold, though I think I lost the white... I've usually added it to gloss and then applied it, it's not a solid color unless you use too much, otherwise I've gotten it to be a semi-clear shimmery gloss (which lightened the color of the lips I applied it to). With the gold I mixed it with gloss as well and it just added a golden shimmery effect to the make-up I applied it to.

 

I think as long as it's not oil-based it'll be fine.
Things like oil-paint and oil-based makeup when used on dolls seeps into the resin and stains it... D:

 

Pearl-Ex powder! Some is more shimmery, some is more glittery. It works well carefully brushed on or mixed with either matte or gloss medium and painted on. I suspect the shimmer powders Volks sells are probably similar, but Pearl-Ex can be had at Michaels or other stores. There's someone who sells smaller "decants" of it on Ebay as well, which is nice because you need so little.

 

I actually have this stuff. It comes in a smaller container then it appears, but it's -really- potent stuff!

By white, it means the sheen color. When it catches the light, it gives off a white... Pearlish glitter appearance. The actual color of the powder is irrelevant, really, since when it goes on it's see-through.. Until it catches the light, and it shimmers white.

I use it in eyeshadows sometimes and for lips if you wanna add a little sparkle to gloss on your lips

 

I've been looking for some shimmery powder to be used over the entire face, like fairyland have on some of their dolls. Its not much and hardly noticeble but in light it sparkles and makes the faceup look more alive, does anyone know where i can find something similiar which is easy to apply to an dolls face? Preferably on the internet and not from volks?

 

I second the comment about pearl ex.

This stuff is awesome, and because it's a powder it can be used in a hundred different ways.

Most pure mica powders are also safe. I've always found it's better to have a powder you know is safe and a medium you know is safe (gloss, matte, whatev) than to try to find something pre-mixed where you're never sure what you're getting.

 

I've used pearl-ex but when I MSC-ed it, the glittering became invisible. Tips anyone?

 

I dont have much personal experience with this, but I figure you can use micas and superfine/cosmetic glitters to add some sparkle.

tkbtrading.com is a mica wholesaler, but you can get samples for 1.50, a little baggie with a tablespoon of mica. These are similar, in my experience, to pearl ex powders.

 

Peal-ex is ueally added after the MSC, along with any glossing.

 

I just bought some Pearl-Ex today and used it for a faceup-and it was awesome!
I didn't have to use a lot either so I know it'll last me a long time-even though I'm sparkle obsessed!

And yes, it is hard to get it to stay sparklie under msc-but I think Volks spray doesn't cover it as much.

 

Those powders are just mica. Mineral eyeshadows work as well, I have some from here and they work well. It's best to do all of the faceup, then add the glitter and give it only one coat of sealer. If you want a more glittery effect you have to add it to gloss.
Here's some pictures where you can see the glitter-y effect I've gotten.

 

I got a bunch of Pearl-ex jars today at the art store. They looked so nice up close. Really shimmery and gorgeous. It seems to be just like the ZM Shine Powder or the stuff that Luts is selling in their tools section but a lot cheaper and in more color choices. I got mine at 3$ canadian each.

I used to use sparkly/shimmery acrylic paint a bunch of times for my face ups and it doesn't look good long term so I'm excited to try this stuff in my next face ups.

 

I've actually seen an 'iridescent' gloss at Michaels before too. Don't have the right doll to try it on yet, but eventually. ^_^

 

The "iridescent gloss," if it's the same one I've used, is probably going to be too heavy for you, though that depends on what you're looking for in an effect.

I've used "Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist" for both a practise faceup and some finished blushing, and it works nicely; it's basically mica powder suspended in water that you mist onto whatever you're making sparkly. I've had it splatter a bit when using it, but I've also found that a damp Q-tip can re-liquify it and spread it out again, so it's not a disaster when it does clump up. MSC doesn't mute it, and it doesn't come off once it's MSC'ed on (though it will get all over your hands until it's sealed). Nice stuff, but a little more spendy, at about $7 per bottle.

 

What section of Michaels is the Pearl-Ex in? I made a special trip to pick up dollface stuff back in December, and I couldn't find it either with the paints or the scrapbooking supplies (unless I was looking in the wrong paint area - which is probably possible considering how many bloody aisles those places have). I ended up coming home with a tube of 'crystal snow microfine glitter', and I couldn't get that to work the way I wanted - it didn't seem to transfer during my regular blushwork at all, no matter how much I mixed in with my pastels, and even shaken straight on, it didn't really get the effect I was going for (plus, it didn't want to stay in place even dring an extremely careful walk from the work area to the spray area >_< ).

 

My Michaels doesnt have pearl-ex powders, but there's a specific ART store, not craft store, in town that does. If you can find an art store, they should have them. Usually they only carry pens, pencils, paper, canvas, paints, pastels, brushes and so on. Wish you luck =)
I would also suggest micas from TKBtrading if you cant find the pearl-ex

 

All of the Michaels in my area have it.
I got mine in the scrap booking section.
It is hanging up in a plastic box-but it's easy to miss.

 

I've seen it in the scrapbooking section at Michaels, sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not, sometimes they only have a pack of several. I also got some of mine a long time ago from a Stampin' Up distributor.

I've found that MSC does dull the glitter a bit, but not totally. Good for a more subtle look. If it needs more, I'll add another dusting before the final coat or two of MSC. The more glittery pearl-ex stands up to MSC better than the more shimmery pearly kind, I find. They both work wonderfully in gloss, though.

 

I find that if you're having trouble getting the pearl ex to show under the sealant (I use ZM) that a little bit extra while the sealant is still tacky, carefully applied, stands out like woah and lasts a long time.

Be careful when getting into 'eye shadows' because you run the risk of getting something with oil in it, even as a bonding agent.

 

So the "Glimmer Mist" works well? Over large areas I mean. XD I know I will be needing something glittery over a large area of a doll later on, and I keep hunting for sparkly stuff that will fit the bill. I've heard of the "Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist" before, but no one ever said how well it worked. Or had a sample of what it looked like on a doll. I will definitely have to look into getting some then, if it works over large areas, since I'll need it for that. And it stays glittery under MSC? Thats even more fabulous.

 

Yep, it sure does! I've got a few pictures, mostly from a test of it that I did a while back, and one that shows it on a "finished" blushing job.

These are from the first test of it; I used the clear/pearl color, and for this one just sprayed all over. These are the pictures that best show the result after sealing with MSC:
Glimmer Mist test (Post 2) by vicemage, on Flickr
There's an all-over shimmer like what shows well around the eye here.

Glimmer (Post 3) by vicemage, on Flickr
You can kind of see some of the "splatter" here; it wasn't until later that I realized that a little water would let you spread those around so I just sealed over them; once sealed, it doesn't move at all.

Glimmer (Pre 2) by vicemage, on Flickr
This was actually done before spraying with MSC; it didn't really dull the shine noticeably in person, just stopped the mica flakes from coming off on my hands.

And on Imaginos's horns:
Imaginos by vicemage, on Flickr
When I finish his face, I'll add a little around his eyes and ears, too; it's heavier on his horns than on the test head I did, so it's a nice pearly look that sort of makes him look like he's been out in the morning dew.

 

Ooooh, thats fabulous~ ^-^ I am definantly going to have to get some in something near a gold shade, I remember them having various colours. I plan to use it on a tan SD doll that will need to look glowy-firey and I figure a sparkle of some sort will give him that fantasy golden 'fire' look. I figure gold on top of tan will look all right. Thanks for the photos Vicemage! It looks like it will work fantastically on a whole doll! XD

 

i was surprised when getting my brownie i've seen her face sparkle
then i've noticed that my minifee is too, i'm assuming its something korean artists use...

i would like to know what it is, i've even asked fairyland but they just said they use mr.super clear matte and then another thing over it but they don't know what its called

someone know?

 

If you do a search in this forum for "sparkle," you will find several threads with suggestions about how to give a sparkle or iridescent effect to faceups:
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?35484
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?16699

 

i did search but i haven't found what i was looking for
beside the search won't let me look for single content, everytime i try that it show no results, so i need to look for thread title hoping to find something...

and my question was more like if someone could tell me what they use
i haven't seen any pictures that clearly show what i mean
those mineral pigments they talk about look just like normal gloss

 

Mineral pigments, like the shine pearl stuff from volks. makes the faceup sparkly. It's powder and you brush it over the doll's face and lightly coat it with msc or whatever sealer. It's not gloss, it's sparkly powder. It's very difficult to photograph the glitter, so most of the pictures don't depict what it actually looks like.
This is the best picture I have of my doll when she had a faceup that I used mica/mineral eyeshadow for.

 

just look on volks website at the shine powders or ebay for 'pearl ex' its mixed in the gloss layer or brushed on after for the shiny look

 

I *so* want to see pictures of that! I plan on making some glimmering dollies (they're aliens, Karolina Dean-style, from Marvel's Runaways) in many different iridescent shimmery colors...

Just wondering, does anyone know if we might be able to use these on our dolls?
Mineral Glow

I especially want to know about the Nail Perfection, and Coastal Scents' Glitter. That Rock On Blck Holographic or Black Magic Hologram glitter on a Bygg... ^____^

 

Well, considering I own some of the CS Mica powder (pure, nothing added to it), I'd have to say it's more than likely safe to use. It's mineral-based and I removed it relatively easily with water... though this is from experience using it on my face, not a doll...

 

Oh! Thank you so much! Could you tell me if there's an "ingredient list" so to speak, on the package? If so I think I might be able to deduce whether it's safe or not

 

I tried the metod of mixing pearl ex with thinner and water some time ago, but I was actuall a bit dissappointed by the result, it loses a lot of the glitter and it's looseness. But I saw some good sussestions here and I'm going to try to apply it on wet MSC.

Good luck with your project and I hope to see some of that Glimmer Mist: it looked really interesting.

 

Well, first and foremost, mica itself is actually a mineral... in make up it's just ground to a powdery state.

Because you were looking for a black glittery product, I'm going to refer to the product 'Paradise Black Pearl' (will add link at the bottom).

Paradise Black Pearl Mica
A slightly pearlescent luster mica pigment, it has excellent coverage and opacity.
INCI
Mica 77079
Titanium Dioxide 177891
Iron Oxides 177491
CAS 12001-26-2, 13463-67-7, 1309-37-1
Particle size 30 to 60microns
Shelf life 5 years
Safe for us on Eyes, Nails, Face and lips. Can be used in lotions and creams
To be completely honest, my suggestion would be to go with:

Sterling Silver Glitter Powder

And add it to

Black Mica Powder (a very matte product... like ground charcoal)

I'm suggesting these two products, because what I read from customer reviews on the 'Black Magic Holographic Glitter', it seems like it's more dark grey that black with orange sparkle, and does not have a very vibrant sparkle to it at all. The Sterling Silver actually has sterling silver in it, and looks to be very vibrant, so it shouldn't be overcome by the matte black mica powder.
Get the teaspoon sample bags, because honestly it's a LOT of product for $1/sample.

 

Tallenvyaere; Thank you so much for your extensive reply and suggestions! I really appreciate it I emailed Coastal Scents and Nail Perfection about their products (and asked them if they contain any oils), just to be on the (neurotically) safe side. If they are free of oils, I'll give it a shot on some spare parts. I'll be sure to post some pictures and my findings when I do.
Thanks again!

 

No problem! Glad I could be of some help! If I had my Bygg or Yrie's legs/arms (they both wear only their fantasy parts) I'd have run a test on them myself. Also, if you're looking for JUST a sparkle with no base color (by base, I mean as in how you want the black in there) then I strongly suggest Paradise Diamond Pearl Mica (slightly larger particle size) or Ultra Shimmer Mica. Hmmmmm... Post when you get a reply before purchasing, and I'll dust a little bit of the micas that I own on my hand and my Yrie's headcap so that you can see what they look like on people and dolls. I'll also post some pictures on how much you get for $1, and how much you get in an ounce (you get so much, it's insane! It'll last you forever).

 

Eeep! Awesome I'm so excited about this I immediately checked my email. Ofcourse, that was a little too enthusiastic
I'm kind of scared sometimes that if we can actually use these, I'll go completely overboard and won't be able to see my dolls through all the sparkle!
I also asked one of my favourite face up artists what they used in one of their Flickr photo's (Little pink glitters on the lips! Yowza!), so if it doesn't work out we might learn of a great alternative.

Well, I got a reply from Nail Perfection today:

*giggle* Marcia, that answer is correct! You win our Grand Prize!

back OT, it's not very clear to me (who is Marcia? how much does she know about the product? did she ask someone who's in the know?), so I'll order a small amount and administer the paper test, to see if it leaves little oily residue stains.

I have now also received word from Coastal Scents:

So I think the same applies: paper test first.

If I do decide to use either of these I'll thoroughly spray the doll with MSC first (perhaps a few coatings), and I'll definitely try some on the inside of the headcap, or a spare part or so, first.

 

Hey guys, I'm wondering if anyone out there has used glitter on their dolls face-up? I want to apply some really fine (almost dust) glitter to the eye shadow of one of my girls, but I can't figure out how to get it to STICK without ruining the shine of the glitter or making her eyelid glossy...

I first applied it and then tried lightly spraying her with MSC, but that completely ruined the shine of the glitter... I was thinking about maybe using a small amount of Elmer's Glue (or even watering it down a bit) but I'm worried that'll make her whole eyelid glossy, which isn't exactly what I'm going for either...

Any ideas? ^^;

Thanks!

 

There's a product called Shine Pearl that Volks sells that is made to be mixed into paint or pastels, and remains somewhat shiny even through MSC. It's a very fine powder, and you could probably use it on its own. Other doll companies sell similar things, too, I'm pretty sure, under different brands.

 

It's not exactly glitter, but I did find some pearlescent watercolor paints at Michael's that have a nice shine even through a few coats of Testors. Maybe not exactly what you're looking for, but they do give a very nice look to the dolls I've used it on.

 

As Timid said, Shine Pearl is very glitter-like, almost a dust by itself. Apart from Volks, if you have a craft store in your area some sell it in the acrylic paint aisle. (If there's one near you, I've seen it at Hobby Lobby before.)

If you can't find Shine Pearl, there are several easy-to-find varieties of pearlescent liquid acrylic out there that show up through any number of sealant layers. They're not so much glittery as shimmery, and need to be thinned out even more than they are so that they don't show up as a colored paint, but maybe that would work as a last resort.

 

I use Pearl-Ex. Sometimes it takes layering it, but it holds most of the shimmer through a light layer or two of MSC. For more pronounced shimmer I mix it in with matte medium (for eyeliner) or gloss (for lips) - though the matte medium is still not 100% matte. I've also painted on a line of matte medium and patted actual glitter onto it, but you wouldn't want to MSC after that, really.

 

Just my two cents because I have trouble not using this stuff on a faceup because I love glitter, but Pearl Ex powders are amazing. They're loose mica powder and they come in bazillions of colors and different grits.

They're awesome, and they're fairly cheap.

 

not sure if this was answered, but if memory serves from my handmade card phase, embossing powders are meant to be attached and blended with embossing supplies, these are heat treated with a special heating gun (it looks like a tube with heating coils in it kind of like a toaster, and it sounds like a hand held dust buster). there are 3 types, one that is blended with a white powder that turns clear after its treated, one that reacts to heat without the powdered gkoss, and one that is thick and kind of creamy, i have no idea how that one works.
the safe one looks like cosmetic grade powdered eye shadow, while the heat treat ones are kind of grainy.

hope that helps clear up something for you guys.

i did a couple of searches and didn't find a thread like this, so i thought i'd make one for people who want to buy the pearl shine powders but are still on the fence. (Mods feel free to delete/merge/move this if it isn't acceptable)

So here's my questions!

What colors do you have/have used?

What were your initial impressions?

What methods did you use to experiment with the powder?

Any problems/praises?

and lastly, after everything was finished, what was your final impression?


feel free to add in anything you feel should be said!

(my feedback on these)

What colors do you have/have used?
Shine pearl in purple and blue.

What were your initial impressions?
Honestly, at first i was very disappointed, they both looked off white and i had been expecting something more out-right noticeable.

What methods did you use to experiment with the powder?
After testing it on my fingers (which made me alot happier) i applied it straight to a doll i use for faceup practice, the color was very shimmery and impressive.

i also tried adding them to gloss, seperately and then blending them, Both have had beautiful results.

Any problems/praises?
The powder does tend to get in the the cap so it gets all over your fingers when you open it if it isn't stored upright.

The purple deffinately has a more pink hue to it then purple. If aiming for a very purple shimmer i'd definitely recommend buying both purple and blue and blending the two of them.

Praise wise, don't let the first impression of the off white color fool you, once it's spread or blended, it really explodes into color.

and lastly, after everything was finished, what was your final impression?
They were definitely worth the money. and the variety of uses they have is really impressive (you can also blend them with pastels to get a shimmery color!) and so far just about every little test i've done with them has made me very pleased. In the future i do intend to order more colors, if not every color just to have them on hand.

my only additional comment is that when blending with the tamiya gloss from volks, be aware that it has a very powerful wine smell.

 

I used gold eye shadow (those small balls, they're really annoying to use as makeup :P ). I crushed some of those balls to powder, supercleared my doll's face and torso and dusted him liberally right after he'd dried, then spray-coated him again. Now he has a soom-like golden shimmer to his entire face and chest. strangely enough, the eye shadow wouldn't stick to his arms and hands.

 

You may want to be carfeul using human makeup. Eyeshadow most definitely has oils in it, which can eventually harm/eat through resin.

 

Is it just me, or volks doesn't ship those out of japan? I tried and it gave me that. Ugh...

 

I've used the purple shine powder on my Glot's horns and hooves:



At first just looking at the powder in the bottle, I was afraid it wouldn't have much color to it. In the bottle, it looks mostly white. But once I added it to the gloss and painted it on, the color really came out.

I applied a base layer of lavender acrylic paint to the horns and hooves, then mixed the purple shine powder with Liquitex gloss medium and painted on several coats.

In the end, I was very happy with the end result. This effect doesn't photograph well, but in person it's got a wonderful interference shimmer... purple in some light, pinkish in others. It gives it that "oil slick" multicolor shimmery effect. It's also super-fine, which allows it to mix well with the gloss medium. When mixing with Liquitex Gloss, I didn't notice any particular odor.

 

I have the white shine powder, and I used a toothpick to measure out some onto wax paper and mixed with Tamiya Gloss. The more powder you use, the heavier the shine becomes. With a little powder and lots of gloss, it adds a little bit of shimmer that's perfect for adding a zing to lips, eyeshadow, and nails. With a lot of powder, it becomes more like a shimmery paint that ends up covering up the color.

I like using it, but I'm bad at figuring out how much to mix for a nice shimmer without wasting too much.

 

I find you get better results mixing them with gloss than you do brushing just the powder on. The MSC (or whatever sealer you choose) tends to dull the shine, but the color is still there.

That's just the smell of the Tamiya gloss lol. It smells like that no matter what you put in it.

Are you on the American site or the Japanese site, cause I've ordered them before with no problem.

 

Hi! I wanted to know if it's safe to mix acrylic paints (Hobbycolor or Vallejo) with Zoukeimura Shinepearl to do airbrush face-ups? I was thinking of using it in the base eye shadow... Anyone has ever tried mixing them??

 

Sara: I'd say as long as you can keep it's consistency very liquid-like it shouldn't be a problem, but in general you'll want to keep within the same "family" for paint types when mixing to be on the safe side.
Even though mineral makeup is "non-oily" or is mostly mica, I'd probably be a bit leery about using it on resin if it's made for a human, since in general, things made for humans has some oil in it or something that may not be good for resin. It's like I have pearly powders that are made for crafts and for a moment thought to use them for cosmetic products but then thought against it as it wasn't designed for that. I use Liquidex Pearl varnish which is nice but it does lighten the colors some, you can add thinner or gloss varnish to it to make it more transparent. Another way if you want, Luts sells pigment powders (as well as some other companies) that you can either add to you paints or add to gloss varnishes.
Just be sure to mix very well.

 

OH, you mix it with gloss
I have pearl white and i just brushed it on. Once I sealed it, i was like "HEY! The shimmer's gone D:"

Thanks ^_^

 

Yep, even one coat of sealer will dull shimmery colors like that. More than one coat and it will all but disappear. I use a shimmer powder with the Liquitex acrylic Gloss Varnish. A tiny bit of powder in the gloss and just one very very thin coat of it will give you shimmer just like you had before.

I'm glad people like the Volks pearl powder. I may have to try it. I use PearlEx right now and I love it. But I don't have any blue or green in the 12-pack I own. So I might buy the Volks instead of seeking out the other 12-pack Pearl-Ex sets that have the other colors.

 

I spray very lightly after added shimmer, and i might have to add more shimmer, and sometimes i used 2 or three coats if i want it to be shimmery, just lightly use the spray and you should be fine really.