Eyeshadow is officially back. Its return might not have been on your 2026 bingo card, but, for the chronically online, the signs were there.
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Exhibit A: the spring/summer 2026 shows. Doll lashes framed a kaleidoscope of colours on lids at Harris Reed. Bold disco eyes by Terry Barber brought the party to Ashish. And at Dior, Willow Smith stole the show in striking pastels painted by Raoul Alejandre. I, along with the rest of #BeautyTok, have not stopped talking about it since.
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By the time Exhibit B landed (see Sophia Sinot’s ubiquitous Midnight Sun eyeshadow look on Zara Larsson), we were well and truly primed to dust off our best eyeshadow palettes and get creative.
Of course, for many, the eye make-up staple never really left. But eyeshadow trends were dominated by contemporary minimalism and got stuck. But as the cult of the ‘clean girl’ loosens its grip on beauty brands and culture at large, there are a lot more new launches to play with.
Maximalism is in, and bland beauty looks are fading out of the zeitgeist quicker than you can say ‘quiet luxury’. It’s now perfectly acceptable – en vogue even – to be seen out with a riot of hues rimming your eyes. As a make-up artist, my most requested looks this year have involved lashings of blue mascara, cool-toned grey eyeshadows and iridescent shimmers – sometimes all at once.
“We’re getting back into fun, lively, lived-in makeup, and I’m so glad,” says creator and beauty theorist Mikai McDermott. Roll on the return of self-expression, we say. Ahead is my guide to the key trends to know now, inspired by the It-girls wearing them and the best products to try them out.
The ’90s grey
Pamela Anderson may have retired her make-up brushes these days, but that hasn’t stopped the internet referencing the bombshell’s beauty archive. Tributes to her iconic 90s grey eyeshadow have been wildly popular online, and with good reason – it’s highly wearable with nostalgic appeal. Grey tones contour the face and make all eye colours look more vivid against the desaturated backdrop they provide.
Morphe
ChromaPlus 12-Pan Eyeshadow Palette in Moon Stone
The key to nailing a grey eyeshadow look is finding shades with pigment that appears deliberate rather than sheer or excessively chalky. Morphe’s ChromaPlus 12-Pan Eyeshadow Palette in Moon Stone excels in this arena. It includes frosty shimmers for those fully committed to recreating the 90s style.
Natasha Denona
Mini Xenon Eyeshadow Palette
Renowned make-up artist Natasha Denona is a veteran in the eyeshadow game, so we’re not surprised by the brilliance of her grey eyeshadows. In the heyday of the cut crease, her luxurious formulas were among the most loved. This slimline selection is easy to travel with and perfect for day-to-night looks, boasting the inkiest black powder I’ve tried to date.
The entry-level eye
If in doubt, it’s hard to go wrong with a monochromatic bronze look, as perfectly encapsulated by Bella Hadid. Her appearance on the Cannes red carpet this year saw demand for brown eyeshadows soar, with videos recreating the look racking up millions of views.
Patrick Ta
Major Dimension Artistry Edit
As a make-up artist, palettes like Patrick Ta’s are my holy grail on account of how much use they get. An edit of buttery browns and neutrals that suit all skin tones, the shades are highly requested among bridal clients and incredibly easy to use. They’re also talc-free and laced with ingredients like squalane, gliding on skin and as you blend. A top-tier eyeshadow palette.
Makeup By Mario
Master Mattes Cream Eyeshadow
Celebrity MUA Mario Dedivanovic’s palettes remained popular through the clean girl era thanks to an approachable suite of shades that sculpt the eye. Now, the artist is introducing those shades in an effortless mousse format that practically blends itself. This is a foolproof formula that serves experts and novices alike - it offers a quick wash of colour that self-sets with no transfer, even on teary eyes.
Pops of pastel
Pastels popped up on and off the runway at the SS26 shows, and Willow Smith wasn’t the only star seen in the bright-eyed look. Amid the prolific run of ensembles served by Doechii, make-up artist Chelsea Uchenna laid down mint green lids for the popstar’s Acne Studios appearance. Take notes if you want to freshen up your make-up: pastels awaken the eye because they are milled with vibrant white pigments. Vieve’s eye wands are a good place to start – they’re exceptionally pigmented, easy to draw on, and the lilac looks as good against brown eyes and skin as it does on lighter features.
Bright whites
Stark white eyeshadows have roots in 60s mod make-up, but it’s likely the infatuation with Y2K – the era of its second wave – that has brought it back to the beauty forefront. Since model Gabbriette made them her signature, they’ve surged in popularity. Now, nearly every it-girl there is had a go at the Tippex shade, whose high contrast makes for a flattering focal point on all skin tones.
Haus Labs
Hy-Power Pigment Paint in White Onyx Matte
The alt-girl into graphic liner will love Gaga’s all-over face paint tubes. They’re brilliant as both eyeliner and eyeshadow, and I’ve found them super handy for adjusting the hue of other products (think: foundation and blush) thanks to a squeeze-tubed, creamy formula that mixes well.
MAC
Small Eyeshadow in Gesso
A true, pure white with zero shimmer, Mac’s Gesso is the best white eyeshadow in my kit. The payoff is good on its own, but I recommend laying the pigment down over a paint like Haus Labs’ for superior punch and staying power – the cream formula of the latter gives the powder something to grip onto.
Shimmer central
Think shimmer is the reserve of party season? Think again. The current moment has seen chrome pigments used to trace the lashline, creating captivating statement eyes that are simultaneously subtle enough for daily wear. Elsewhere, glitters have undergone a refined evolution – like those in Chanel’s new eyeshadows. Microfine, they nail the current trend for sparkle that seems to come from within the skin.
Chanel
Les 9 Ombres High Intensity Eyeshadow Palette
In a new formulation dreamt up by Comete Collective make-up artists, Chanel’s latest edit of eyeshadows takes a more pigmented and playful direction than I’ve seen from the brand before. The shimmer here is in minuscule specks that dance like diamonds in the eyes, and each palette is balanced with neutral mattes that will assure the easily intimidated. Courting trend chasers with the cosmic purple eyeshadows that have been popular of late, the Space Traveller edit is the top choice for a library of shades that keep your look current.
The smokeshow
From unrecognisable make-up to the rockstar girlfriend trend, the smoky eye has persisted in pop culture. “It’s a sultry look that’s a good way to get into doing more powerful eyes because you can’t really go wrong with it,” says beauty theorist and creator Mikai McDermott. As she puts it, the lived-in look of the moment is easily replicated, provided you start off with browns. “People often go straight in with black, but when you build colours from light to dark, that’s when you get the best results.” Per McDermott, eyeliners like YSL’s Lines Liberated Eyeliner make great tools for the job.
I am back into eyeliner. The creamy formula from Victoria Beckham cannot be beat. It smudges at first, if that’s what you want it to do (and comes with a fab little tool to do it on the opposite end), but once it’s set after a few seconds of application, it stays all day. Plus, the colours – black with silver glitter! dark teal! shimmery latte! – are perfect. —M.A.
Something blue
Beauty brands are betting big on blue, with many adding electric blue and duck egg hues to their eye make-up offering. Revived interest in the colour has emerged on the runway (see: Conner Ives AW24, Harris Reed SS25) and beyond. And once an ’80s staple, Gen Z are embracing blue mascara in droves, driving the viral popularity of new tubes like Fenty’s. A swipe of the shade is an easy antidote to boring beauty.
Fenty Beauty
Fenty Hella Thicc Volumising Mascara in Elec’trip Blue
For a bold pop of colour – no shadow skills required, blue mascara is an easy way to tap into the cobalt blue trend, and the Fenty Beauty Thicc Volumising Mascara is highly pigmented as well as long-lasting, building and most helpfully of all, easy to wash away at the end of the day.
Charlotte Tilbury
Charlotte’s Palette Of Beautifying Eye Trends - Denim Dimension
I was struck by just how wearable the blue shades in Charlotte Tilbury’s Denim Dimension palette are. Whether you create a smoky eye, opt for one solo colour or pop shimmer into the corner of the eyes, it will instantly transform your look. The make-up artist recommends keeping the rest of your make-up simple when using these shades, simply a swipe of gloss oil and her Unreal Skin. Bella Hadid is a fan.