As Y2K trends continue to rule in beauty and fashion, the icy
blue shadow looks of the early aughts is a major trend this summer. It’s the
same look at two decades ago, but thanks to better products and better shadow techniques, its more
dimensional and more vibrant.
Despite the assumption that blue eye shadow only looks good
on blue eyes, anyone can try this trend.
For brown eyes, go for more navy and denim tones, for blue, go either
darker and lighter than your iris, not matchy-matchy. Green eyes should stick
to jewel tones or teal with a green
undertone while hazel is best with cornflower, periwinkle, or bright aqua.
Alison MUA, an L.A.-based makeup artist on TikTok, shows her
technique in this makeup tutorial that takes a smoky blue eyes and really
layers in the shades and colors. Using white and blues, both mattes and frosty shades, she does a bold but pretty look that really makes eyes pop. Here’s the products she uses (or similar) and
here’s how she does it.
2. Fluffy Brush
Start with the right tools for the job. Since there's a lot of blending and diffusion in this look, opt for a fluffy shadow brush like Merit Brush No. 2 Double Sided Eyeshadow Brush.
3. White Pencil
Take a white pencil like Morphe Bi-Liner Dual-Ended Gel Pencil in Mild or Wild and use it as a base color to to saturate the whole lid
so the white powder shadow doesn’t disappear. Dab on right from the pencil and buff in with
fingers.
4. White Powder Shadow
Starting in the center of lid, use a white powder shadow like MakeupForever Artist Waterproof Color Cream Eyeshadow & Eyeliner in All Around White to blend from lid up to brows, diffusing into the inside
and outside corners and around the bottom of the eye, mimicking fallout.
5. Frosty White Powder Shadow
Next, with a big fluffy brush, grab a frosty white powder
shadow like Demure Mineral Makeup in Eggshell. Sweep on lids, focusing mostly
on the inside corner and in the crease, but don’t worry too much about
precision here as there’s more blending and shades to come.
6. Blue Crayon Shadow
Next, Alison takes a shimmery blue crayon like Jouer Cosmetics Crème Eyeshadow Crayon in Mosaic and sweeps it across the lids, from lash
line to crease as well as in the lower lash line. She then uses a brush to windshield-blend
across lid and in circles, making the color well diffused.
7. Blue Powder Shadow
Layering on another color, she takes a pretty periwinkle blue
shadow from the NYX Professional Makeup Ultimate Shadow Palette in the Vintage Jean Baby set and swipes it into the crease, into the lash line and under the eye.
She uses it as an accent color, not to dominate the whole lid.
8. Frosty Blue Powder Shadow
For the last blue, she uses a frosty blue powder like Mac Frost Eyeshadow in Tilt, windshielding across the lids, blending with a brush to
diffuse up and over the crease.
9. Big Volume Black Mascara
Skip the liner and go straight to a black high-volume mascara
like Covergirl LashBlast Volume Mascara. Lashes are natural, light and feathery, not
dense and clustered.
10. Peachy Lip
Even though this shadow is soft in color, it is still a
bold look so it’s best to balance with a soft, peachy pout. MAC Cosmetics Lip Cushion High-Pigment + Hydrating Lip Oil in Boy Bait strikes just the right balance.