Glitter Paint

V1rtus is a high-quality glitter paint additive that transforms almost any wall or ceiling emulsion into a sparkling glitter paint. A 100g pouch contains thousands of glitter crystals that enhance either flat, matt, soft-sheen or silk emulsions – allowing you to achieve the look of your dreams.

Unbuffed, a pouch of additive is suitable for up to 1.5L of paint. However, considering the price of a pouch, we recommend mixing the quantity with 2.5L of paint and buffing the wall with buffing pads to unleash your new sparkling effect.

Coming in 25 colours, the product is very easy to use. Just pour the contents of a pouch into the indicated quantity of paint, stir it vigorously, then apply the emulsion to the wall with a smooth roller. We followed these indications and achieved satisfactory results; however, some users suggest that mixing a small quantity of glitter with a small quantity of paint in the roller tray can enhance the end-results.

While we haven’t tried this method, we feel that achieving consistent results in this way is tricky. Apparently though this method works well and you can give it a try if you’re feeling experimental.

Application apart, what we like is the quality of the pigments. Regardless of the colour, the glitter doesn’t bleed in to the chosen paint and is waterproof. The fine crystals will also add sparkles without changing the texture of the paint (provided you’re using the indicated quantity).

Polyvine Glitter Glaze may be a DIYer’s dream. Supplied in 500ml tins, the product is ready to use on pre-painted walls, wallpaper, furniture and fabric – and the sparkling effect can easily enhance the look of any home environment or revive old, worn-out objects.

Water-based and non-toxic, the glaze is suitable to use in poorly ventilated environments or in your children’s room. Application is easy and straightforward; just stir the glaze and apply it with a smooth roller or wide bristles brush, depending on the surface.

On walls, the product covers up to 8m²/litre and dries to a durable, shimmering finish. On other surfaces, and especially on fabric, the coverage is considerably lower due to the absorbency of the material. The finish can also suffer alterations on surfaces different than walls.

However, this is not a drawback of the product but rather an effect triggered by the characteristics of the material.
In fact, the only thing we’d change is the size of the tin. Half a litre of product may be sufficient for small decoration projects but it’s hardly enough to achieve satisfactory results on a wall.

Hemway Silver Holographic Additive is the low-cost alternative to V1rtus, a glitter additive brand belonging to the same manufacturer. The main difference between the products is the price, but also the covering power. In fact, the additive produced under Hemway’s brand has a recommended mix ratio of 100g to 1 litre of paint.

According to the recommended mix ratio, the product doesn’t turn out much cheaper than the V1rtus. However, most users report that the product still provides satisfactory results when the same quantity is mixed with 1.5L of paint. And in this case, Hemway is more affordable, provided that buffing unleashes the desired sparkling effect.

Recommended for use with water-based wall and ceiling emulsions, this additive is compatible with most interior paints. This makes it ideal to use with wall, wood and metal paints for a host of DIY projects.

Versatility aside, the product comes with its share of drawbacks too. One of them is the subtle effect on walls compared with other glitter additives. Buffing can certainly help, but the process is time-consuming. The manufacturer also states that it offers a refund if the product isn’t satisfactory, provided you return the product within 14 days. However, it’s near impossible to return the additive once you’ve mixed it with the paint.

Downsides apart, we did have a positive experience using this additive, although we had to perform additional steps to get the desired result.

Hemway Clear Glitter Glaze provides the perfect solution for those who want sparkling walls without the fuss of mixing glitter additives with emulsions. The clear glaze is suitable to use on walls of any colour while you can choose your favourite hue of glitter from 35 available options.

Like all Hemway products, this glaze is manufactured within the UK. It has a water-based formulation and is non-toxic. This makes it suitable to use in the kid’s room; application is easy with a smooth roller or brush although getting an even coverage is tricky.

That being said, we found the manufacturer’s instructions useful. Applying the product in a criss-cross motion reduces any patches, and the glitter gathered in certain areas is also easy to disburse by pressing it hard with the roller or brush.

Coverage is similar to most wall and ceiling emulsions. The number of coats needed to achieve satisfactory results varies depending on your expectations. If the product is stirred well before and during use, two coats are usually enough to get a sophisticated shimmer.

In summary: this product is expensive and unfortunately, the result hardly justifies the price.

My Glitter Wall is another additive that impressed us. The product stands out due to the thick glitter crystals that show up on walls better than the thin crystals provided by most manufacturers. Coming in 150g pouches, the additive provided is sufficient for up to 1.5L of paint.

Mixing the product with a smaller quantity of paint enhances the sparkling effect. If desired, you can tone down the shimmer by mixing the additive with a larger quantity of paint.

The glitter flakes are designed to mix with matt and silk emulsions but won’t mix well with speciality paints even if water-based. As such, the product is not quite suitable to use in the bathroom or kitchen. Gloss and eggshell paints also don’t mix well with this glitter.

For a sparkling effect, it may also be necessary to buff the wall when the paint is dry. This step enhances the effect of all glitter products, but it does take more time.

Other than this, the additive is exceptional and we recommend it if you’re aiming for a truly sparkling room.