If Gwyneth Paltrow's aim with her Oscars naked dress was to get everyone talking and garner countless headlines, it certainly worked.
The 53-year-old took to the world-famous red carpet on Sunday in what seemed to be a fairly simple ivory gown, but upon turning to the side, the Marty Supreme actress revealed she was actually wearing an on-trend 'naked dress', with a dramatic cutout running the length of the gown.
© WireImageCue headlines declaring that she's 'changed the game' for how women in their 50s should dress, while others professed outrage. And while I was dazzled by the dress (who wouldn't be?) it was her iridescent skin, visible through the side panels, that had me mesmerised.
My fashion-forward colleagues explained that it wasn't Gwyneth's skin that was shimmering Twilight-style, rather the dress had sheer glittering panels. No matter, though, as by this point I'd already started scouring the pages of Cult Beauty and Sephora for beauty buys that would help me recreate what I'm calling 'the Gwyneth glitter'.
© The Academy via Getty ImagesHappily, I was met with countless lotions and potions promising the grown-up glimmer sported by Gwynnie – and none of it came via a roller ball applicator that I used to use in my younger years.
While body glitter might make me feel nostalgic for school discos and Strawberry Jelly and Ice Cream Panda Pops (discontinued!) the 2026 iterations of my beloved 00s body glitter is all grown up, imparting a subtle shimmer as well as moisturising and hydrating. The gloopy gels I used to get free with teen magazines are long gone, replaced with sophisticated formulas worthy even of clean-beauty lovers like Gwyneth herself.
Here are the grown-up body glitters that caught my magpie eye…
For gold glitter: Dior's 'J'adore Les Adorables Golden Shimmering Scented Body Gel', £67 / $85
I normally save this for the festive season, but now that Gwynnie says glitter is an all-year thing, I have dusted it off and been applying with abandon.
It leaves behind the scent of Dior J'adore (so I smell like Rihanna, the new face of the scent), as well as an irresistible fine gold sparkle.
For soft skin: Sol de Janeiro GlowMotions Copacabana Bronze Glow Body Oil, £35 / $46.20
This adds softness, scent and shimmer to dry limbs, with Sol de Janeiro's unmistakable fragrance almost as addictive as the sheen it leaves in its wake.
For sun protection and shimmer: Ultra Violette Disco Queen, £38
Launching at the end of this month, Ultra Violette has fused body shimmer and sun protection in this coconut and pineapple scented oil. It has a dry-oil texture so it's non-sticky, only detectable by the glimmer it leaves on the skin. It glides on like a dream for a golden hour glow I haven't seen since last summer.
For sparkly suncare, I also love Kopari's Beauty Sunglaze Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen SPF 30, £36 / $47.52, not only thanks to the misting mechanism making it easy to apply, but for the rose gold shine it leaves on the skin.
