The internet thinks glitter is a military-grade secret. And honestly? Fair.
You might’ve seen it: “The Glitter Conspiracy Theory.”
It started when a 2018 New York Times article interviewed a major glitter manufacturer, and when asked who their biggest client was, they refused to say.
But not just refused. They said:
“They don’t want anyone to know it’s glitter.”
Cue the collective internet losing its mind. Reddit threads. Podcasts. Deep-dives.
No one could say for sure. Which, obviously, made it worse.
Enter: The Glitter Conspiracy Theory
According to the Reddit thread that kept the mystery alive for years, the refusal to name the client wasn’t just about privacy. It was about secrecy on a different scale.
If a company doesn’t want consumers to know something contains glitter, what are they hiding?
Speculations rolled in:
- Military stealth tech and radar scattering
- Aerospace and satellite insulation
- Car paint, road markings, luxury packaging
- Passports, currency, anti-counterfeit systems
- Toothpaste, nail polish, detergent, processed food
Essentially:
Glitter might be everywhere. And you wouldn’t know.
A not-so-fabulous origin story
Here’s the twist, glitter didn’t start in drag makeup.
It started during World War II.
In the 1940s, a machinist named Henry Ruschmann in New Jersey was shredding scrap plastics and metals in his barn. He ended up creating the first version of modern glitter: micro-thin particles of PVC and aluminium.
These flakes were used for radar deflection, reflective coatings, and military camouflage.
Yes, the first commercial glitter was literally war tech.
By the 1950s, glitter entered mass production. It was everywhere: paint, printing, industrial design, aviation, cosmetics.
It never really left its military-adjacent roots — which makes the theory that it’s still used in secret government or aerospace projects… not that far-fetched.
So… who’s buying all the glitter?
The popular internet theories are split into two camps:
The Secretive Camp (The fun one):
- Military technology - radar scattering, stealth coatings, satellite optics
- Aerospace - reflective insulation for spacecraft
- Currency and passports - embedded anti-counterfeit measures
- Corporate manufacturing car/ boat paint, plastics, packaging
The Mundane Camp (The depressing one):
- Food. Toothpaste. Nail polish. Detergent.
- All the “pearly,” “lustrous,” “shimmering” things you didn’t know were plastic.
In other words, either glitter is being weaponised, or it’s in your toothpaste. Possibly both.
Here’s the thing: glitter is everywhere.
Because traditional glitter, the kind made from PET plastic and aluminium, is cheap to produce, highly reflective, and basically indestructible. It’s used to create shine, shimmer, brightness, illusion. And yes, it’s been used in everything from fishing lures to billboards to food packaging.
Because in capitalism, if it sparkles, it sells.
Which, honestly, might be worse.
Meanwhile… in our non-conspiratorial world
At Projekt Glitter, we don’t need to hide who our glitter is for.
It’s not embedded in state secrets. It’s not hidden in anti-theft devices.
It’s on your face, your body, your chest, your best friend’s cheeks at 2am.
It’s in joy. In community. In consent.
And unlike the stuff in the conspiracy theory, ours breaks down.
Compostable. Plant-based. Certified. Made for bodies and bodies of water.
What this whole thing reveals
The Glitter Conspiracy Theory might sound absurd, but it speaks to something real.
Most people don’t know what they’re consuming. And most companies don’t want you to ask.
And that’s the real problem.
Meanwhile this glitter company (us!) is pro-sparkle, anti-secrecy!
Want glitter that doesn’t come with classified files?
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