After one tumultuous year, it’s finally time to party again! And black light parties, along with their closely related “glow parties,” seem to be all the rage this summer. So are you ready to dim the lights and charge up an epic neon party? Here are a few ideas to make your glow in the dark party memorable!
Glow In The Dark vs. Black Lights Party
Inspired by the rave movement, neon-themed parties have crossed their subcultural boundaries and are now found all over the world. Whether a gender reveal party, a birthday bash, an indie concert, or simply a fun weekend rendezvous, you can find party ideas everywhere!
Before we move on, let’s set the difference between a glow party and a black light one. In both cases, regular lights are a no-go. Don’t worry, it won’t be pitch black. In the case of a glow party, you can use several props such as glow sticks, candles, balloons, glow in the dark paint, and other phosphorescent items.
When it comes to black light parties, the logistics are a little bit more constrained as it all boils down to the compulsory use of black lights, which make the fluorescent materials glow.
If you won’t be using black lights, make sure to charge your phosphorescent materials under bright light for a generous amount of time. Keep in mind, once the lights go off, the fluorescent materials will not glow without the black light, but the phosphorescent ones will retain their glowy abilities for a few minutes.
The best part of planning a glow in the dark party is you can get super creative props and decorations! You can use glow in the dark ornaments, clothes, table cloths, even FOOD! All you need are some ideas to get you going:
Dressing Up Glow Party Ideas
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Do you remember that episode in Friends, when Ross’s whitened teeth were glowing brightly in the dark light? Yes, teeth, white clothes, even eyeballs can radiate! If the light is right, it will emanate a shade of blue. However, you can add even more color to your party outfit by applying fluorescent accessories, body paint, makeup, and nail polish.
You can either order them online or make your own (up to some degree). Petroleum jelly, for example, makes for great nail polish with a blue tint under UV.
Alternatively, if it’s a kids’ glow party, highlighter pens are a fun idea to decorate the skin. Go for orange, yellow, green, and pink for maximum effect. Invisible pink pens are invisible under normal light but will pop up in various colors under black lights.
Pro tip: Neon pens are least likely to make a mess. Neon paints, on the other hand, shine brighter. However, don’t ruin your mood by worrying about housekeeping. Any water-based neon paint should wash right off.
Kids love stars, superhero logos, silly facial features like long eyelashes or fangs. Use glow stick bracelets, collars, coloring books, or other accessories to enhance the effect.
Glow In The Dark Party Tattoos
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If it’s Saturday night, and you really want to make an impression, we have just the right idea for you...go for some glow in the dark temporary tattoos! They will stand out in any dark-lit area, such as bars, clubs, festivals, and outdoor get-togethers. These come in two types, and you can choose to style them in many different ways.
Standard Glow In The Dark Temporary Tattoos
Standard glow in the dark tattoos use a special white ink that includes phosphorescent particles. They then charge in the light and glow in the dark for several minutes.
There are tons of awesome designs and temporary tattoo ideas that fit the glow in the dark party theme: tribal symbols, dragons, winged hearts, constellations and astrological signs, realistic X-rays, or even futuristic cybernetic mainframes appearing to light up from beneath your skin. Fabulous!
Black Light Temporary Tattoos
Black light tattoos are obtained using ultraviolet-reactive ink. This means they are almost invisible in the daylight but shine under a UV bulb. Remember, black light tattoos will not simply glow in the dark and will instead require a black light. They can last up to 3 or 4 days.
Beautiful examples of these are white ink Jellyfish tattoos, a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, or a telescope with stars that glow in the dark.
The great thing about our temporary tattoos is that you can have one custom-made for the event you are attending, make a splash, and then allow it to fade out in a short time.
Glow In The Dark Food And Drinks
Yes, food! Drinks are relatively easy to do, but some foods can also glow under a black light! Honey, caramel, and maple syrup will shine a potent golden yellow hue.
Milk and vanilla ice cream will appear yellow, and the same goes for peeled eggs.
Freshly cut fruits and veggies may show a faint red glow under UV, depending on the fruit batch.
A great glow in the dark party idea involving food is to use oil when cooking. Using olive oil to cook or coat your vegetables will help them glow brighter than they would otherwise. Frying them in olive oil or using a little olive oil seasoning will make them even more visible.
Not to forget desserts! Mix vanilla ice cream and milk into a glowing yellow milkshake and add some caramel syrup on top for even more glow power. Jello will also appear out-of-this-world, especially if you replace regular water with tonic water in the original recipe.
In fact, tonic water is very UV friendly and can be used to light up all your cocktails. It works best with clear alcohol drinks (such as gin, vodka, white rum, coconut rum). If you want to skip on the tonic water, just pour a vitamin B-rich beverage in your potion. The more vitamin B the drink has, the brighter the glow.
Final Thoughts, Before The Lights Go Off
Glow sticks, neon fabrics, and neon paint can make even the dullest party shine under the black light bulbs. Suitable for both adults and children, they can be adapted to any space and any glow in the dark theme, whether it’s a birthday party in the living room or a rave party in the woods.
Will you be the brightest guest at the next party, or do you intend to host one yourself? Just remember, in the dark, all cats are black. Unless they’re wearing a neon collar.
For more party and temporary tattoo ideas, check our blog! We hope you find these articles fun and helpful:
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