"Glitter ball" redirects here. For the UK interactive quiz show, see Glitterball
A mirrored disco ball
A disco ball (also known as a mirror ball or glitter ball) is a roughly spherical object that reflects light directed at it in many directions, producing a complex display. Its surface consists of hundreds or thousands of facets, nearly all of approximately the same shape and size, and each has a mirrored surface. Usually, it is mounted well above the heads of the people present, suspended from a device that causes it to rotate steadily on a vertical axis, and illuminated by spotlights, so that stationary viewers experience beams of light flashing over them, and see myriad spots of light spinning around the walls of the room.
Miniature glitter balls are sold as novelties and used for several decorative purposes, including dangling from the rear-view mirror of an automobile or Christmas tree ornaments. Glitter balls may have inspired a homemade version of the sparkleball, the American outsider craft of building decorative light balls out of Christmas lights and plastic cups.
A disco ball and spotlight in the Fishbowl of Currier House.History
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What are now usually called "disco balls" were first widely used in nightclubs in the 1920s.[1] They were patented in 1917.[2] An early example can be seen in the nightclub sequence of Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt, a German silent film from 1927. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, these devices were a standard piece of equipment in discothèques, and by the turn of the millennium, the name "disco ball" had grown quite popular.[citation needed]
A Louisville, Kentucky company known as Omega Mirror Products claims to have made 90% of the disco balls used in the United States during the disco craze and remains a supplier.[3][2]
A mirrored ball can be seen above the bandstand in this 1919 photo of the Louisiana Five jazz band.Popular culture
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The 1942 movie Casablanca featured a disco ball in a flashback sequence.
The 1967 movie To Sir, with Love featured a disco ball in the dance scene.
The English rock band Yes used a variant of the disco ball in their 1972 "Close to the Edge" tour. This was a slowly spinning vertical mirror disk mounted atop a tall ladder, with a single spotlight aimed at it, used for the opening and closing birds/waterfall-sounds sequences of the title song Close to the Edge.[4]
The Grateful Dead featured a disco ball in the band's 1977 concert documentary The Grateful Dead Movie. The film includes several sequences where glittery reflections from a disco ball fill San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom during a series of 1974 performances. "A twirling mirror ball overhead also adds some visual flash to the image," notes a reviewer.[5]
U2 also featured a lemon-shaped disco ball on their 1997 - 1998 PopMart Tour. The band entered the lemon disco ball at the end of the main set and emerged from the lemon disco ball at the start of their encore. The band also released promotional disco balls to promote the band's album Pop, the single "Discothèque", and lead singer Bono also sported the alter-ego of "Mirror Ball Man" during their 1992 tour Zoo TV Tour.
Introducing disco balls to a new concert demographic, the pop-punk band Paramore showcased dozens of spinning disco balls in 2014 as a glittering stage backdrop during the band's 37-city US Monumentour.[6][7] The same disco ball backdrop was used that year at the UK Reading and Leeds Festivals, where the band co-headlined. [8]
The UK television series Strictly Come Dancing and its US counterpart Dancing with the Stars award competition winners a "Glitter Ball Trophy".
In 2020, singer and songwriter Taylor Swift wrote the song Mirrorball which was a reference to the disco ball's mirrored surface.
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English rock band Pink Floyd used a glitter ball on their A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour of 1987 and The Division Bell Tour of 1994. The glitter ball used on the former was somewhat larger than normal but nowhere near as large as the glitter ball used on the 1994 tour. This particular glitter ball is one of the largest in the world: 4.90 metres in diameter, it rises to a height of 21.3 metres before opening to a width of 7.3 metres, revealing a 12 kilowatt Phoebus HMI lamp.[9] Both can be seen on the video of each tour, Delicate Sound of Thunder and Pulse, during the song "Comfortably Numb".
American singer-songwriter Madonna has used glitter balls in several of her tours. During The Girlie Show in 1993, she descended while sitting on one before performing "Express Yourself", and later in 2006, she used a 2-ton glitter ball that was embellished by 2 million dollars worth of Swarovski crystals, which used a hydraulic system to open like flower petals for her entrance during her Confessions Tour.[10]
Despite claims that the world's largest disco ball can be found on the promenade in Blackpool, United Kingdom,[11] it is smaller than the Guinness World Record holder. The ball was made for the 2014 Bestival event in England and is 10.33 metres (33 ft 11 in) in diameter.[12]
References
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Aside from relying on your skin care routine to achieve luminous skin, adding a highlighter to your makeup look can truly make all the difference. When applied correctly, highlighter can help lift and brighten the overall appearance of your face and give your complexion that dewy, lit-from-within glow that everyone's seeking. But when it comes to using highlighter, it can be pretty easy to go overboard — and if you put too much of the product on, you can end up with an unflattering, shiny visage. To avoid common highlighter mistakes, like applying too much or choosing the wrong finish, read our rulebook on all things illuminator, below.
1. You’re Using The Wrong Highlighter
In case you didn’t know, highlighters aren’t one-size-fits-all. There are a variety of formulas, from powders to creams, as well as different shades. If you’ve found yourself suddenly wondering how to choose the right one for you, the key is to find a formula and shade that’s flattering against your skin tone since using the wrong shade can actually wash you out and make you look like something of a ghost.
Generally, you’ll want to pick up a highlighter shade that’s about two shades lighter than your skin tone for a natural-looking finish. You can also find the perfect highlighter for your complexion by relying on your undertones (you know, that secondary tone under your skin tone). Just as your undertones come into play when choosing your foundation or concealer match, they can be helpful when picking out a highlighter. Typically, warm undertones play well with gold and bronze shades, while silver and pearly white hues tend to look more flattering on cool undertones. Folks who fall somewhere in the middle can rock most shades since they typically all look flawless against their skin tones.
Need a recommendation? If you have cool undertones, try the L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glow Amour Glow Boosting Drops in Daybreak. If you have warm undertones, give the shade Goldenhour a try instead.
2. You’re Applying It In The Wrong Places
Placement is everything when it comes to applying a highlighter. The whole point of using a highlighter is to bring attention to where light naturally hits your face (aka the high points) and flaunt a lifted visage with a youthful-looking glow. Here’s a simple guide on the targeted areas to apply highlighter.
The Cheeks
Always apply highlighter above your cheekbones — never below. By properly placing the product there, you will enhance your bone structure and give your face that coveted lifted appearance.
The Nose
Paired with your favorite contour, you can help brighten and sculpt out your nose by applying a bit of highlighter straight down the bridge of it.
The Eyes
One easy way to fake a goodnight’s sleep is adding highlighter to the areas of your face that are prone to darkness, like the inner corner of your eyes and the under-eye area. Dab on some highlighter to these spots to help yourself look more awake. You can also brush a bit of the glowy product onto your lids to make your eyes pop and brighten your overall look. The result is always an instantly, radiant effect that will make you look hours more rested.
The Brow Bones
Your brow bones are also an area of the face that catches light. Swiping on the shimmer underneath your brows will not only add dimension and a natural glow, but it will also add shape and define your eye area, making them look bigger.
The Lips
Skip the lip fillers — you can get the illusion of fuller lips by applying a touch of highlighter on your cupid’s bow, which is the curved section at the center of your top lip.
The Chin
Highlighting the center of your chin is a great makeup technique to enhance and elongate your face. But as with most makeup rules, be sure to blend out the highlighter in this area to ensure it appears natural.
The Collarbones
While the collarbones are technically not part of your face, we’d argue that highlighting this underrated feature is just as essential to your entire makeup look. Dusting a shimmer onto your décolletage can help accentuate and draw attention to the stunning makeup look you worked so hard on. Not to mention, it’s an easy way for faking that coveted sunkissed glow all year round.
3. You’re Using Too Much
Contrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as too much highlighter. If you apply too much, you run the risk of looking straight up shiny and sweaty. Remember, less is more when it comes to makeup — highlighter included. So, just make sure to brush on small amounts at a time and blend, blend, blend.
4. You’re Applying It With The Wrong Tools
While there is no denying that you can achieve a luminous glow with the right highlighter, not using the right makeup brushes and tools could be hampering your ability to do so. When it comes to applying highlighter, a fan brush is your one-way ticket to perfection. This uniquely-shaped brush works to lightly dust product onto your face for a natural-looking glow. And if you’re applying a liquid or cream highlighter, try blending out the product with a makeup sponge instead of a brush.
5. You’re Not Taking Lighting Into Consideration
When you’re planning on wearing highlighter, lighting should always be a factor. If you’re going to be spending the day in soft, dim lighting, then you can up the ante and go for a really sparkly highlighter, which can help make your features pop against a candle-lit background. On the other hand, if you’re going to be outdoors during the day, consider choosing a more subtle highlighter that won’t look as harsh under the sunlight. And on days when you’re going to be snapping a ton of pics, take a selfie before you go out to see what your highlighter looks like on camera.
6. You’re Using It With The Wrong Foundation
It’s a tale as old as time. You’re applying your highlighter in all the right places but it’s not coming out as it should or how you imagined. The issue could be that you’re using it with the wrong foundation.
In general, you should pair like-formulas with each other. So, if you’re using a powder foundation — such as the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Foundation in a Powder — then use a powder highlighter. We recommend the L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Shimmerista Highlighting Powder since it’s super buildable and always delivers a stunning, radiant finish. The same goes for if you’re using a liquid or cream foundation — then use a liquid or cream highlighter.
Editor’s tip: In a rush? Try the L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer — it can be worn alone, under foundation or on target areas for a more luminous effect. You can also mix a little bit of a light-infusing primer, like the L’Oréal Paris Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer, in with your foundation to help create a soft light illusion.
7. You’re Not Coordinating The Rest Of Your Face Makeup
To really make your cheekbones pop, you’ll need to pair your highlighter with blush and bronzer — but you’ll also need to coordinate the shades of the rest of your face makeup with the highlighter you chose. If you’re wearing a cool-toned highlighter, warm bronzer and blush won’t look quite right. To play it safe, use a highlighter palette, like the L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glow Nude Highlighter Palette, which includes all the shades you need of highlighter, bronzer and blush — all already perfectly coordinated.
Next: How to Create Winged Eyeliner With Eyeshadow
Edited by: Sophie Dweck, Photo Credit: Chaunte Vaughn