Primark’s ‘glittery bum diamonds’ spark outrage online

‘What fresh hell is this?’

Olivia Petter
Friday 08 June 2018 12:01 BST
Comments
(Primark)

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Festival fashion is nothing if not synonymous with a saturation of glitter, but the latest high street offering has left some shoppers confused.

One Mumsnet user was baffled after she came across a packet of body gems in Primark, which a corresponding diagram suggests are designed to adorn one’s derrière.

“Spotted in Primark today... glittery arse cheeks anyone?” she wrote in the post alongside a photograph she’d taken of one of the store’s mannequins wearing the gems.

Produced as part of the budget retailer’s festival beauty line, Glitter Junkie, the images have sparked a furore on the online forum, with users arguing that the product is neither hygienic nor practical.

“Who wants a blingy arse?! Bet they're uncomfortable to sit on,” responded one person.

“Can you imagine the sun burn patterns?!?!” added another.

Many also raised the tricky issue of using the toilet while wearing the gems.

Images of the product were also shared on Twitter, prompting a similar response:

“Butt bedazzle. Not very functional,” wrote one person.

“One for the Love Island generation?” added another.

As avant-garde as they may seem, glittery bottoms have become something of a staple in the festival fashion zeitgeist, with more than 1,000 posts on Instagram under #glitterbum featuring a whole host of bedazzled backsides.

It’s a fresh take on one of last year’s most contentious festival trends, that of the glitter breast, which saw women all over the world adorning their chests with sparkling body art.

However, the trend came under question in January when one woman was filmed attacking a man who had groped her glittered breast at a New Zealand music festival.

Madeline Anello-Kitzmiller was at the Rhythm & Vines festival in Gisborne with just a dusting of glitter covering her breasts when the incident occurred.

The 20-year-old, who was with her friend at the time, can be seen quickly turning around before throwing a drink in the man's face and punching him several times.

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