Outdoor style has seen trend after trend, from bold, neon Lycra in the 1980s to gorpcore to the current Y2K “hot girl hiker” aesthetic we’re experiencing now. Another recent trend involves a makeup item you might associate more with a night out than a day outdoors: glitter.
Outdoorsy folks ranging from everyday hikers to ultrarunners to Olympic skiers are embracing glitter, hair tinsel, and bedazzling. Brands have even popped up specifically for this purpose, selling sweat-resistant face glitter.
My first experience with it was on a backpacking trip, when a woman told me glitter was her “luxury” item: She brought it on trips, even though she didn’t really need it. She offered it to our group, and as everyone else on the trip got glittered up, I declined.
I couldn’t square my identity as an outdoorsy dirtbag (and a woman who displayed very little traditional femininity) with putting glitter on my face. In my mind, we were women who hadn’t showered in 3 days and were sleeping on the ground in the woods. What was the point of glitter? Were we trying to pretend like we weren’t filthy and gross?
That episode stuck with me and made me dig into why some women and queer folks were such fans of getting “glittered up” to go do outdoor activities and sports. Ultimately, the trend is more than just about style: It sits at the nexus of gender expression and empowerment.
The Why
Choosing Joy
Maybe one of the most prominent professional athletes to embrace the glitter trend is Jessie Diggins, the most decorated American cross-country skier ever. Ever since her first Olympics in 2014, she’s always worn hair tinsel and/or glitter on her face.
“The pre-race glitter is a promise to myself that I’m going to go out there and be gritty and give my absolute best — but that I’m also going to enjoy it, and race with joy!” Diggins explained in a Facebook post.
Diggins calls her smiley, glittery face right before a race her “game face.” “When we race, we’re pushing our bodies so hard. You have to be willing to dig incredibly deep, and it’s very painful. And so, the paradox for me is, the happier I am, the more excited I am, the better I feel, the better am to just dig so deep and to really suffer,” she explained in a video.
“And so putting glitter on before a race is this reminder to myself, like, I get to do this. This is fun. I have to remember to have fun.”
Folks on Reddit joke that glitter makes them run faster during faces. In reality, they love the spark it brings to a physical challenge. “It gears me up and it’s fun to look at while slogging up a big long climb,” one fan said. When facing a grueling 50K, any chance to add a bit of fun and personality is most welcome.
Embracing Femininity
Another Winter Olympian is also well-known for her glittery looks. Ashley Farquharson, a bronze medalist in luge at the 2026 Games, started wearing it because luge, as a sport, isn’t the most photogenic, and it added a bit of razzle-dazzle. Over time, “it sort of turned into a way to prove that you can be feminine and girly and still be a really good athlete,” she said on Instagram.
Several years after that backpacking trip, I reached out to that woman with the glitter on the trip, Emily Quigg, and asked about her why. Quigg works as a professional in the ski and outdoor industries, and often mainly works with men.
“Working in male-dominated industries and participating in male-dominated sports/activities, you can start to feel very boyish yourself. I feel like the glitter just brings back some femininity to these things. I feel more confident and have more fun when I wear glitter in the outdoors,” she explained. For Quigg, glitter is a tool to proclaim her femininity when working in an environment that, at best, doesn’t reflect it, or at worst, shuns it.
It’s also a way to meet people and build community. Quigg says whenever she wears glitter in the outdoors, it starts a conversation, and she never knows who that may help her get to know.
Investigating My Own Response
After talking with and reading about these women, I reflected back on my first reaction when Quigg offered me glitter all that time ago in the forest. Why was I so resistant and, frankly, judgmental about the idea of a bit of harmless sparkly fun?
I realize now that as much as I loved the outdoors, it wasn’t a place I felt confident or safe as a woman. I believed being out in nature required me to put my defenses up: The more masculine-presenting I looked, I thought the less likely someone would be to mess with me.
I had internalized so many misogynistic expectations: To fit into male-dominated outdoorsy culture, I had to reject femininity. These women, however, demonstrate that there are a multitude of ways to express your gender while loving the outdoors. There’s no single right way to embrace who you are in nature. That may look like glitter, or that may look like a plain, all-black ensemble, or somewhere in between.
Join the Fun
If you’re ready to join the glitter revolution, there are a few things you should know. Glitter can be a major source of microplastics, so it’s important to avoid basic craft glitter or typical glitter makeup. It’s worth scoping out biodegradable choices, like ones from Dermatone or Projekt Glitter.
If glitter on your face isn’t your vibe, Quigg also recommends decking out your ski kit with a bit of pizazz. She recently bedazzled her ski poles, and can’t help but smile when she looks down. There are plenty of ways to bring some sparkle into the great outdoors, and it might spark some extra joy.
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