What is “Glitchy Glam” and why in the world is this predicted to be the new trend of 2026?
As you can tell-I am a HUGE fan of the perfectly imperfect. I love colors, patterns, glitter, and pure chaos when it comes to expressing myself. I am not able to really express myself at work because I have to be very PC in appearance. However, I find little ways to show little sides of me that are bright, imperfect, a little odd, and totally approachable despite my RBF.
“Glitchy glam” pushes away perfect wings and clean minimalism-and celebrates playful imperfection, mismatched elements, and finding the joy in colors dark to light. Think geometric, asymmetric, two-tones. You can do this in your lipstick, bold eye-shadow and creative chaos in your clothes. Not so far away from the 70’s, 80’s, or early 90’s to be perfectly honest but with upgraded fashion that fit’s all body types and flattering fits.
Photo provided by Pinterest: carla9929
This look is rooted in individuality, creative experimentation, and Gen Z’s appetite for not being like everyone else and letting one another just be themselves.
Five Starter Make-Up Looks Snagged Off Pinterest to Achieve the “Glitchy Glam” Look
- Use pop’s of colors in the eye liner for the day to day where you can show off subtle but bold accents that also flatter your beautiful eyes.
Photo snagged from Pinterest: readinwithro
2. You can also go a little bit brighter with touches of colors. You can even swap the colors (purple shadow with green inner eye on the left eye and green shadow with purple inner eye on the right eye). This is flattering and easy to do to make your face pop with individuality.
Photo snagged from Pinterest: @ur_s0ukiie
3. Add jewels, colors, lashes for even more individuality. Use colors to really make your eye color pop and jewels that draw attention in a way that is girlie yet shows that your not to be messed with. Think…galactic or intertrestrail if you need inspiration.
Photo snagged from Pinterest: @Nurblue
4. Feel free to add patterns, colors, shapes, and smiles. What ever makes you happy.
Photo provided by Pinterest: @yerilet
5. And if all of those looks are just too “extreme” or you do not feel like you can do all those colors-that’s okay. Know that not being symmetrical is the whole idea. Being imperfect is the whole goal. But I get it. It’s not everyone’s vibe- you can do the “clean girl” look and then just do pop’s of jewels, stickers, or glitter.
Photo provided by @ciaraajoseadeogun
10 Books that match the “Glitchy Glam” Vibe
- This book is a little misleading if you read what it is about from an glib- supposes to be “magical” but I did not read it that way. This book is about Leigh. After her mother’s suicide she has moves to Taiwan to reconnect with her maternal family and her culture. This book is in first-person and goes through memories of her mother’s mental illness. It is real, flawed, and combats the stigma against the Asian culture of mental illness.
“Her words come out in shattered pieces, unintelligible, thick with hopelessness, heavy under the weight of something that’s taken me years to even begin to understand.
Nothing is right, she says.“
Why does this fit? This novel has color, greif, and identity- perfect for lovers of bold emotion and artistic storytelling that is rarely seen in YA novels.
Fly to it here.
2. All Felix wants is love. All they want is to know why everyone else seems to be able to find someone when they can’t. Is it because Felix is black? Queer? Transgender? But then Felix finds themselves in a a love triangle. This book is funny! I love the banter and I love Felix and Ezra together even though Leah is a baddie themselves-I did not know who I wanted to root for.
“When someone hurts me, I either obsess over how to convince them I’m worthy of their love or obsess over how to destroy them.”
Why does this book work? This YA tackles identity, love, and self-acceptance with heart and humor- just like its glitchy glam self.
Find your individuality here.
3. I have talked about this book before and I will talk about it again and again! This book is not for everyone and you may not like it but just like the glitchy glam idea- that’s okay!
This book is about the Raxter School for Girls and suddenly they are put under quarantine because something is happening to them. Their spines are twisting, their limbs are changing, people are dying. But when Hetty’s BFF goes missing-she knows that she has to do something.
“I think I’d been looking for it all my life
a storm in my body to match the one in my head.”
Why this book works? Wild, weird AF, and unapologetically imperfect, this survival story’s chaos and transformation fits the aesthetics’ embrace of asymmetry and grit.
Survive this trend here.
4. This book is supposes to be “horror” but the only horror that I got from this book is how the beauty industry really fuck’s with our brains but then again I do not shy away from some gruesome visuals in a book. The ending was a bit rushed but after the wonderfully weird ideas of this general plot of this book-I was okay with that.
So this is about Holistik…they make amazing products and when one girl starts to use their beauty products after her parents were in a accident where she has to stop her love for music and work in a wellness store well…those samples are free right? And what happens when she starts using the beauty products and seeing beautiful people every day…well…it get’s a bit slothy.
“Society wants us to look for the approval of men in everything we do. Self-care is the radical act of dressing and living for ourselves.”
Why this book works? This book is about beauty standards and societal expectations-and cleverly curb stomps conformity.
Find your wellness here.
5. Okay-I am gonna step away from the gore and go full YA. This one was super cute-slightly for a teen-age/ fresh out of high-school read but it was “free” on my KindleUnlimited so I was like-hey, a cute quick read.
So Liz has a plan. She knows exactly what she wants to do after high-school and it involves GTFO of Indiana in a white suburban neighborhood-hell, town. Then she looses her financial aid…because life likes to kick those who are down sometimes. But then she remembers that there is a scholarship for the prom king/queen. And she knows she is awkward. She knows she is one of the few African American’s in her school. She knows that they consider her poor and awkward. But she goes after it anyways.
“I try to channel the confidence of a mediocre white man in a boardroom: untouchable.”
Why this book works? It is a spirited YA Rom-com about taking bold chances and loving yourself-loudly.
Pick up your crown here.
6. Okay-Eleanor what someone would be before they let themselves be the glitchy glam beauty that they are. She is all ridged routines, gray-scale clothes and thinking. Often thinking that if she fell off the side of the earth…no one would even notice. That forms such as hard judgmental mentality that she then uses on everyone around her. But then she helps an elderly neighbor who fell with her co-worker Raymond…and well- Raymond brings the glitter into her life (metaphorically because she would have no tolerance for glitter).
“Although it’s good to try new things and to keep an open mind, it’s also extremely important to stay true to who you really are.”
Why this book works? This is glitchy glam in emotional form. Be imperfect. Be human. Accept your flaws and know that healing isn’t linear. Your allowed to be a work in progress and still shine in little ways.
Heal with this book here.
7. This book is about a Palestinian-American girl who is a bit chaotic from a very early age. From pissing men off in front of church because she showed a piece of leg to pissing her family off when she comes out as queer. This book goes through the life of falling in love with every relationship as often as your next glitch glam make-up look. All variety, all change, all identity and culture rooted into every look. The book is about being messy, self-aware, self-destructive at times, and finding a way to love yourself.
“I enjoyed occupying blurred lines. Ambiguity was an unsettling yet exhilarating space.”
Why this book works? Taking up space emotionally, culturally, and romantically-even when your still figuring yourself out is all about being human-imperfect-finding what works for you and your world.
Find out how to exist here.
8. This book is all about self-discovery when you are already amazing. Stella loves math-which I can not exactly relate too but she is brilliantly smart and often believes that everything can be created with a simple math equation. Yes she is Autistic but that has not stopped her from making a ton of money from creating an algorithm to predict people’s shopping habits. But one thing that she can not predict is…sex. So what is the logical thing to do? Hire someone to teach her how to accept the more sexual side of herself. Little does she know…the equation does not have the predicted outcome.
“All the things that make you different make you perfect.”
Why this book works? It delves into self-discovery and confidence through relationships, intimacy, and self-acceptance.
Do the girl math here.
9. Okay…this is a mix of memoir and part how to be the best you without lectures. I think every now and then we need to read something inspirational and maybe help us get out of our mind funk. This book is short and sweet-all about breaking free from societal expectations, reclaiming your voice, and embracing who the fuck you are.
“I will not stay, not ever again – in a room or conversation or relationship or institution that requires me to abandon myself.”
Why this book works? This book is ideal about being your true self and show yourself some self-love in real life stories.
Find your voice here.
10. This book is fiction but it may hit a little too close to home for a few people. If you are into exploring alternate existences and discovering that self-love often starts with choosing yourself and to stop second guessing your choices, then this book is for you. Life is not meant to be second guessed or to cause you to freeze out of the being scared to make a change.
“If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it. And don’t give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. Most gossip is envy in disguise.”
Why this book works? This book is about living the life that you want to live without looking back and wondering if you made the right choice.
Find the alternate turn-outs here.
Get Nailed
The other simple way to take on this trend is by doing what my friend Morgan did. You know when you buy nails-after- nails…and you do not use them all? So, they are just sitting in a drawer somewhere until you throw them out? Well-don’t. Grab every single one of those nail kits that you once bought for that special occasion or to treat yourself-and mix them up. Literally. Grab a nail one nail from it kit to the matching finger size and there you go. Glitchy glam. Pretty easy. Or you can shop for a few (links below) if you have already thrown yours out.
Get these nails if you like a lot for your money.
So these are a bit shorter for those who have to type quickly or just don’t like the longer nails. But there are 720 pieces in 15 Sizes, 2 glossy solid colors that you can mix and match, 5 colors glitter press on nails, and 17 colors press on nails French tip. Oh and it comes with nail glue, nail adhesive nail tabs if you don’t like using the glue, nail sticks, nail files, and 4 sheets nail stickers.
Don’t forget that animal print is also apart of the glitchy glam look because it is not symmetrical. Its wild and different and each stripe or spot is as unique as you are. Get these nails here.
I personally like these nails: 8 matte solid colors, 4 glossy solid color, 8 colors glitter press on nails, 2 colors press on nails French tip black and white. 1 nude with white color and 1 nude with glitter color. Total 24 colors includes various styles and patterns. How can you not like these colors. Get them here.
Glitchy ending…
So if you are looking for books about self-love, identity, and bold personal growth as bold as your make-up, above is a good place to start. Welcome to your Glitchy Glam reading era-where messing healing, outspoken women, and radical self-acceptance, and emotionally complex characters take center stage in your life.
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