An interview by Ivy Nina Valentina xx
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IN2ART. Into Art. Inter(viewing) Art(ists).
Welcome back to IN2ART, the series where I interview cool and interesting artists to find out more about their practice, art form and what inspires them. For this third issue, I bring you an interview I conducted with one of my best friends, Senna, the beautiful mind and wonderful talent behind Glitter Bomb (@gli77erbomb)!!! Senna is a tooth gem artist decorating and bedazzling the pearly whites of Melbourne. I sat down with Glitter Bomb whilst she was getting a shimmering nail set done by our last IN2ART interviewee, Miss Maxy (@missm4xy). Together we talked all things bling, sparkle and tooth decoration curation!
Ivy: So what was it that got you started in tooth gem artistry to begin with? Was there a certain event or spark that made you think “I want to do that”?
Senna: I think I saw some people on TikTok and thought, wait… I need to be cool like them! It was through TikTok that I found some tooth gem creators and started buying a bunch of DIY kits and just trying it out on myself. Then the girl I bought them from released a professional tooth gem course. She was the GOAT – she suggested that I do the course and offered it to me for half price. So that’s how I got started. Then as I was doing the course I realised how much fun I was having curating and designing looks and that gave me the idea to turn this into my career!
Ivy: That’s awesome! I’m wondering how you get from the initial message from a client to a set of glitzed teeth? What does that process look like?
Senna: To book in, clients DM me on my Instagram (@gli77erbomb). From there I work out more of the specificities of the kind of look they’re wanting and roughly how long it is going to take to achieve. Sometimes they send inspo or an example of something I’ve already done from my page. Then I’ll allocate them a date and time to come in and get their gems!
When they come in for their appointment, I do a consultation to get a bit more background on their medical and dental history. Here, I’m making sure that my client exercises good dental hygiene and that their teeth will be compatible with tooth gems. This also helps me to recommend a more tailored aftercare plan. If the client is a smoker for example, or they are on a specific medication, I take that into consideration. Once we’ve gone through that, I take the client through a consent form and explain the different materials and methods I will be using such as the dental adhesive and curing light. When that’s all done, I sit them down, put their mouthguard in, get to work and then it’s done!
Ivy: Do you have to like, file down the teeth?
Senna: No, there’s no drilling or filing involved. It’s a similar process to getting braces on! I use a dental grade adhesive to cure the gems on – it’s a pain free process!
Ivy: Have you ever had to turn away a client because their teeth weren’t applicable for gems?
Senna: No, I haven’t! All of my clients have been awesome and have had really good dental hygiene. But I know the signs to look out for. If a client comes to me with visible plaque buildup and signs of tooth decay, I would recommend they see a dentist first and hold off on doing any gems. But luckily, that’s never happened before! Although, since becoming a tooth gem artist, I haven’t been able to look at teeth the same. I am constantly clocking people at my day job who I think could probably use a quick clean from the dentist, hehe!
Ivy: I can imagine! Okay, so you’ve done the tooth gems, now I’m wondering what are the typical aftercare recommendations you’d give to a tooth gem client?
Senna: The first 24 hours is always the most crucial because that is how long the dental adhesive I use takes to set. I definitely make sure my clients know not to consume anything acidic during this period. It really depends on the client and the design that they have. I usually recommend a soft diet, especially if the client’s design is more complex. But if they have a really minimal design that’s only on one side, they can just eat normal foods but use the other side of their mouth. Generally, clients should also avoid smoking in the first 24 hour period. Once that period is over the rules relax a little, but if the client wants the greatest longevity for their gems, they should be following a healthy diet and lifestyle. I’m always advising clients against using charcoal toothpaste because of its abrasiveness and to have 8-9 cups of water a day. I have a whole highlight for it on my Instagram!
Ivy: Moving from the technical to the creative, how would you describe your personal artistic style in three words?
Senna: Three words?! I have to think of the funnest words… I think I would choose colourful, playful and then… a statement. But as one word: a-statement. Although, I want people to know too that not every look I do is really complex with like, 17 gems. Sometimes a more minimal look is what suits a person best! And it still makes a-statement.
Ivy: Perfect! My next question is not really a question… Glitter Bomb is Tumblr coded. Elaborate.
Senna: Oh, Glitter Bomb is SO Tumblr coded! It’s Halsey. It’s Lorde. It’s pastel goth. It’s just Tumblr. It’s so nostalgic. I feel like the aesthetic I’m tapping in to just reminds me of my childhood in the 2010s. And everyone on Tumblr was always expressing themselves through their clothes or makeup. I see the looks I curate for tooth gems in the same kind of vein. It’s a way to express yourself! And Tumblr was like the way to express yourself which is why Glitter Bomb is Tumblr coded!
Ivy: If Glitter Bomb was a song, what song would Glitter Bomb be?
Senna: That’s such a fun question!! Let me think… I think Glitter Bomb really has the vibe of f@k€ by Shygirl. Also Halsey’s entire Badlands album. And the album how i’m feeling now by Charli xcx. Clock into that.
Ivy: If a client is giving you a bit of creative freedom with their look, what are some of your favourite designs to do? And is there anything you haven’t done yet that you’ve been wanting to try out?
Senna: I really like the music note that I do! I feel like that’s a staple design of mine, it just feels so cutesy and so Glitter Bomb. It takes a while, but the results are always so worth it! I also like doing big, colourful sets like the shooting star designs. The more cohesive looks that go across multiple teeth and have a sense of flow to them are always super fun to do. I also usually get to freestyle those looks a little more which I love! It’s more of a collective vision that way. I’ve also been really keen to try out more opals! I want to do a whole set using only opals in really subtle pretty colours, I feel like that would be really cute.
Ivy: Moving now to the more business side of things, Glitter Bomb has been present and sparkling at a number of Melbourne’s key markets such as Fitzroy Market and Second Life Market. What was your first market experience like?
Senna: It was actually the best. I did it for much cheaper because I was just starting out and I was more focused on gaining real life experience first. And so many people came to me for gems! I was busy the whole day! It was great because it helped me to grow my confidence in my work and feel more legitimate as a tooth gem artist. Markets are so good for exposure but they can be hard at times because you do have to be prepared for lots of different climates and conditions. Rain, wind, hail – you’ve got to be prepped for it all. That’s what makes indoor markets a little easier.
Ivy: Yes, and I believe the Fashion Thrift Society event you did in Hobart was an indoor market. Could you tell us more about that?
Senna: That was such a good experience! In Hobart there aren’t any tooth gem techs so I was contacted by Fashion Thrift Society and they offered to fly me out to their market event there which was awesome! The day started really early, we had to be there at 7 am to set everything up. But once business got going, it was NON-STOP. When a queue forms, everyone starts to get curious about what you’re doing and then they all join the line as well. It’s funny because my stall could be dead for like two hours but as soon as that first person lines up, I’m set for the day. The only trouble is trying not to go delirious and remembering to leave yourself time to eat! But the people are always so sweet! Some come and get matching gems with their friends – it’s so cute!
Ivy: Final business question: what are your plans for the future of Glitter Bomb?
Senna: I really want to start doing teeth whitening. It would just make Glitter Bomb a lot more sustainable from a business standpoint because gems are pretty long-lasting whereas teeth whitening is a procedure that develops a returning clientele. That will increase revenue which is naturally also a goal of mine so that I can keep putting money back into my business and keep expanding. I’ve also been thinking about selling gems and kits online but I think that might be a little hard right now just because I run my business by myself. I want to take my time and pace myself. But ultimately, I just hope for more clients, more designs and more fun!
Ivy: Okay, I want to end on a fun one: if you could do any celebrity’s tooth gems, whose gems would you do and what sort of look would you curate for them?
Senna: Oh my God. I NEED to do Gabbriette. She’s awesome. Baddest of them all. I would do a very classic look on her – only silver gems. I feel like that’s a very 90s vibe and matches her kind of gothic supermodel aesthetic perfectly. I would also love to do Addison Rae! I feel like that would be so fun! I think I would do a sunset-y look on just one side with some pink and yellow gems. A cute little butterfly moment would also be adorable for her. Very fairy, very whimsical. Doing either Gabbriette or Addison Rae’s tooth gems would be a dream! Or Ru Paul. I just feel like Ru Paul would be awesome. Like, imagine Ru sitting in my chair HAHA! I need that!
Glitter Bomb operates in the western suburbs of Melbourne. To enquire about gems or see more from Glitter Bomb, head to @gli77erbomb.
Thank you so much for reading this interview with the most glitzy of them all!! And a massive thank you to Senna for being my third ever interviewee in this series – I love you so much! Comment and share! And as always, more writing and more IN2ART is in the works, so subscribe (it’s free <3) !!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Image sources:
All images throughout the interview by Glitter Bomb (@gli77erbomb)
Feature photograph of Glitter Bomb by Ivy Nina Valentina (2025)
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