Glitter Glue Controversy

When I was at FPBA in Vegas there were conflicting instructions on how to apply glitter glue and I've also found conflicting descriptions on-line. When I got home I tried a tribal tattoo three ways:

The yellow glitter section is the glue thinly applied and left to dry. By thin, I mean a thin even coat without white streaks.

The middle red section is thickly applied glue left to dry. It was layered on pretty thickly, some white streaks, applicator reloaded once, took a few minutes to dry.

The last orange section was applied as thickly as the middle section but the glitter was immediately applied.

I wasn't expecting as dramatic of results as these. The wet glue won hands-down over the three days that I left the tattoo on. (Sorry for the gray glue edges, I tried applying eye shadow for a 3-D effect. Oops.) I showered 3 times and patted dry.

I want to do a stencil removal test too. As you can see in the middle section, when you let them dry and then lift them, the thicker the glue the more "lift-off" you have. This makes sense to me because I've painted about a dozen homes and I always take the painter's tape off when the paint is fresh...or pay the price. Pashur was removing them immediately at the conference and I thought it was weird because it was against the instructions usually given, but it makes sense.

Hope this helps someone.

Denise

Awesome info!!!!

So, you recommend applying a thicker layer of glue, applying the glitter right away (before it is dry) and removing the stencil right after that?

IamGinaW wrote:So, you recommend applying a thicker layer of glue, applying the glitter right away (before it is dry) and removing the stencil right after that?

So far, I just tested the wet vs dry glue and found that the wet glue was better.

I'm going to test the remove stencil before glitter or remove stencil after. Pashur/Glimmer suggest that you remove the stencil BEFORE glitter. When I paint homes, I always remove the masking tape before the paint dries completely because if you wait, you will lift the paint along with the tape so this advice makes sense.

Hope that helps.

D.

I'm thankful for the info. I've never done glitter tats... will definitely use your technique when I get my first set!

Thanks for the information. I do it both ways only because it's so hot here in Florida.

It might help some people who have been waiting for the glue to dry before they apply. Might make the line a little quicker.

How do you wipe off the excess glitter when the glue is still wet? I let mine dry because I smear it all if it isn't. I don't use the stencils though...so the glitter is all around the design. That orange one looks great after three showers!

ClashAnna wrote:How do you wipe off the excess glitter when the glue is still wet? I let mine dry because I smear it all if it isn't. I don't use the stencils though...so the glitter is all around the design. That orange one looks great after three showers!

I do a calligraphy glitter tattoo so that's a good point, I haven't tried freehand when it's wet. This was with a stencil. I'm assuming you'd press it in and let it dry and then brush. I'll have to experiment.

img]

I find that if you take the stencil off before you apply the glitter you have to be very careful where you put the glitter.... if it's a hot day or the girl is wearing moisturizer or fake tan the glitter will stick to the skin around it and won't come off until they shower.... so I glue.. glitter straight away ( this can stuff up the brushes a bit, but I always use cheap brushes for this so it doesn't matter).... then remove the stencil.... this means I can only use them once or twice maybe but I'm ok with that as the finished result is quicker to achieve.

I remove the stencil first... too messy for me to leave it on!! I mean, there is glue on the stencil too, not just the skin.

And I agree on removing the stencil while the glue is still wet... it doesn't lift up then!

I guess I'd just never dream to let the glue dry. I mean some glues / types of body adhesives need to set and get tacky but dry ........hummm. We do free hand - but for stencils I have to agree with Tash - on or off for glitter can be dependent on your working environment. In hot areas where folks have moist skin, glitter can stick everywhere. Each artist needs to test their practices and make a working choice.

In a Pashur class he suggested that you not only alcohol the place where the tattoo will be but the fallout zone (bare skin) all around. It helps a lot when I've done that.

D.

there is also something to be sad on the different brands of glue - some do work better than others .. i find that a thin layer of glue last much longer with the ybody pink glue 7-10 days on a dry skin (myself) easy ..
i take it off with sun screen let it sit for a little while and rub it off with washcloth in the shower
works wonders,,,

Yeah! First time I've ever seen my name in beautiful glitter. Kinda brings a tear to my eye Sniff