- After years of “clean girl” minimalism, eyeshadow is making a bold return—seen in new product launches from brands like Makeup by Mario, Bobbi Brown, and Urban Decay.
- Runways and fashion parties are showcasing everything from ethereal shimmers to smudgy, cool-toned shadows, signaling a cultural shift away from bare lids.
- 2025’s “It girl” makeup celebrates expressive eyes—think Julia Fox and Gabbriette energy—where shadow and liner feel edgy, lived-in, and central to the whole face.
For all the years I've been reporting on makeup trends, I've been kinda bored. I got into the beauty industry because I loved avant-garde looks. Give me color! Rhinestones! Metallics! But the "clean girl makeup" movement kinda pushed that into a corner. When the goal is to look ~naturally pretty~, no one's dusting latest eyeshadow palettes all over their eyes. It's all tinted lip balms, skin tints, and faux freckles.
Thankfully, though, the tides seem to be turning. Of all the fall makeup trends I've predicted, lids coated in a range of neutral and colorful eyeshadows seem to be the throughline. Eyeshadow is officially back—on shelves and on runways.
Makeup By Mario told me they can't keep their Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow in stock. Bobbi Brown just relaunched their iconic Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks. Celebrity makeup artist Hung Vanngo launched his eponymous makeup line with eight eyeshadow palettes in varying shade ranges. Urban Decay just debuted a new Naked palette. It's all a sign of the times—we're turning away from the bare lids of the early 2020s and into a new season of shimmer and smoke.
I coated my lids for practically every New York Fashion Week show this season (the first place you really start to see editors and other tastemakers testing out a new trend). I swiped on a few of the ultra-shimmery shades from Isamaya's Core 2.0 Palette for an ethereal look for Collina Strada (and even added a coat of green YSL Lash Clash Mascara as an ode to the show's look). And for Valentino Beauty's party at Studio 54, I obviously pulled out all the stops, using Danessa Myricks Colorfix Stix for an ultra-shimmery cut crease. And I've
Runways aren't real life, but they are a predictor of what trends we'll start seeing on our feeds. Makeup artist Alex Levy elevated the glittery eye we miss from the Euphoria makeup days at Zankov, while Pat McGrath frosted models' eyes in baby-blue shadow and an accompanying mascara at Anna Sui.
Makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench coated models' eyes in a range of muted shades to match the Collina Strada color scheme for spring/summer 2026 (and she even went as far as to complete the look with a winged lash in a corresponding color from Lashify). On the other side of the spectrum, makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran used Rimmel liner and shadow to create smoldering rimmed eyes at Christian Cowan. MAC director of artistry Romero Jennings keyed the Kim Shui show and gave models a mix of cool-toned smokey eyes and glistening golden lids.
This all makes sense, per what experts are saying about fall 2025 makeup trends. "It girl" makeup, as Jennings called it to me backstage last spring, features strong eyeliner and smudgey cool-toned shadows. Think of the greats: Julia Fox, Gabbriette, and Alex Consani. They've cornered the market on a cool-girl way to wear eyeshadow in 2025. Levy also echoed this idea that eye makeup, eyeshadows in particular, feel upgraded right now. "I’ve been looking at a lot of '60s makeup references, a lot of Serge Lutens’ Dior beauty adverts, and at that time, color felt more in harmony with the whole face, rather than popped on at the end," he told me. Eyes wrapped in color just works, whether you're going for a soft smudge or a vivid swipe.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
