One of the first makeup products any woman learns how to put on is eyeshadow. We’ve all dug through our mother’s makeup purses in our younger years and slathered shimmering shadows relentlessly on our lids. And since our first encounters with eyeshadow, most of us keep stockpiles of palettes and tins in our beauty drawers, yet have settled on a small rotation of just two or three staple eyeshadow looks. If the eyes are truly the windows to our souls, shouldn’t we give them a pop of individuality with some eyeshadow?
Eyeshadow is a namesake beauty item that’s been around longer than the beauty industry itself. The earliest reminisce of eyeshadow is dated back to ancient Egyptian years, when powerful women such as Cleopatra herself would give her eyes a smoldering smokey eye with lampblack; an eye paint that was created by burning a candle and collecting the black soot from the flame. This trend in eyeshadow looks lasted for centuries, and is still thriving in its own modern form. But, by the early 1900s women started to drift away the classic black shadows and started color-coordinating with their outfits. Another trend that caught on during this time were the gold and silver shadows, which were exclusively for the evenings.
Heavy-eyed eyeshadow looks became a major trend of the early 20th century, thanks to a performance of the London Ballet Russes. Beauty mavens such as Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein jumped on the trend immediately, and started to introduce these bold shadows to their richer clients.
Fast forward to modern day, and you can see that we’re still following in our ancestral beauty footsteps. But, we’ve made a few adjustments to create more contemporary styles: monochromatic aesthetics, cut creases, and technicolor ideas are now the styles that we’re glitzing across our lids. And this fall, we’re expecting our eyeshadow looks to be bigger and bolder than ever.
It’s official: minimalism is dead. This season, it’s all about the glitz and glamour of glitter and gold eyeshadow looks. These styles are the opposite of chill: they’re bright, fun, and shine brighter than the stars in the autumn night sky.
And who’s to say that gold and glitter are solely reserved for nighttime and partying? We say, keep the party going from dusk till dawn with these fun shimmers and foil shades. Whether you’re headed to the club, or headed to the office, there is always a time and place for a vibrant eyeshadow look.
We bet you could benefit from a dose of pigment this fall season, so spice things up with some of our favorite eyeshadow looks. Instead of settling for basic nudes and mattes yet again, whip out your makeup brushes and create a kaleidoscope of color around your eyes. If you need some styling inspo, then check out some of our favorite trends of the season — and learn how to create them yourself, below.
Revive the twinkle in your eyes by trying out these bold autumn eyeshadow trends.
Golden Leaves Are Falling
Photos: Shutterstock
If you’re looking for some true autumn inspo, just take a look at the leaves on the ground. Golds, reds, and oranges are the perfect eyeshadow hues to try this season. And why stop at one shade when you can fuse them all together in one ultimate fall look? Just grab your shimmeriest shade and get to blending!
To create this look, try using a glitter-filled eyeshadow palette that focuses on warm tones. One of our favorites is the Givenchy Prisme Quatuor Eye Palette in Caresse. This palette contains every luminescent shade you need to create this warm look.
Evergreen
No matter what season it may be, green is always a prime color to use on your lids. This dark olive tone has an ethereal vibe that’s fitting for the fall season. But, we’re not just using any green eyeshadow to create this look: we’re grabbing a pigmented cream eyeshadow to make our eyelids stand out from the crowd.
Or top cream eyeshadow pick: the Stila Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows, of course. These highly pigmented creams are filled with glitter, and just one swipe will leave your lids glimmering from day to night. Here’s a quick tip: to create the hue above, simply mix the shades “La Douce” and “Vivid Jade” together.
Feelin’ Blue
One of the biggest myths about fall styling is that it’s a season reserved for warm tones. We’re completely throwing that concept out and creating our brightest, bluest looks yet. This royal blue idea is a fierce style that we’re ready to rock all season long. Bonus points go to this style for being simple in execution: simply outline your crease with a dark purple hue, then fill your lids with a saturated blue like the one above.
For crafting this concept, we always reach for the Lancôme Color Design 5 Pan Eyeshadow Palette in Midnight Rush. Editor’s tip: to create a cream-like finish with powder shadows, just lightly wet your eyeshadow brush with a setting spray before dipping into the shadow pan.
Gunsmoke
Another major mistake that many beauty novices make is using black for a smokey eye. To avoid the dreaded raccoon look, keep a dark grey hue in mind to create that ash-colored look, without looking like you rubbed charcoal all over your eyes. Take your smoky eye to the next level by incorporating gunmetal tones to your finished project. These ash-grey hues create a cool girl vibe with a slight grunge edge that we can’t get enough of.
When creating a smokey eye, you want to make sure you go dark, but not too dark. That’s why we always use this perfect palette: the Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Smokey Grey No. 1.
Party Animal
Who said eyeshadow had to have crisp cut creases all of the time? The messy, “I woke up like this” vibe is not only sexier, but so much easier to create. If you’re in a time pinch, then go for this look: it’s as simple as adding colors wherever you want, and blending them seamlessly to have a nonchalant energy.
For this look, go for an eyeshadow palette that’s filled with vibrant, shimmery shades to play around with. Our favorite is the MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Palette Volume 2- Artistic. It’s jam-packed with electrifying hues, making it a perfect pick for a nighttime party style.
MAKE UP FOR EVER
Artist Palette Volume 2 - Artistic Colors You Crave - I-872, ME-910, S-924, D-552, ME-232, ME-302, ME-512, ME-700, ME-930 9 x 0.06 oz
One-Track Mind
How could we make a list of fall eyeshadow favorites and not include the monochromatic trend? This style has taken the whole beauty world by storm, and it’s a favorite for almost every beauty guru in the beauty-sphere. And it’s probably the easiest look to create: one eyeshadow is all you need to create the look.
For creating this red monochromatic eyeshadow, we swear by the Tarte Tartiest Metallic Shadow in Revel. This deep red shade may appear like a powder, but applies like a smooth cream for a more pigmented finish.
Lavender Looks
Pastels aren’t reserved just for spring — you can easily create a cool fall style with a fun lavender shade. We’re loving lavender for autumn because of its sweet, playful presence that tends to fade away in the colder months. You can incorporate it with any of your grey and blue eyeshadow shades to serve ice-cold looks all autumn long.
We can’t deny the fact that our favorite lavender eyeshadow shade of the moment is the Tom Ford Shadow Extreme Foil Finish in Violet. Just a few pats of this shadow and your eyes will be glimmering brighter than a disco ball (in a good way, of course).
A Neutral Mood
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This deep nude shade is simple, yet striking in pigment. It’s a subtle statement-maker for any day look, no matter how gloomy the fall weather may be. It’s also the most effortless look to create on this list: just swipe on some dark brown shadow, and you’re finished.
To create this everyday look, I always whip out my Smith & Cult Book of Eyes Palette. Each of these shades are packed with shimmery pigment, and the warm brown tones from the Noonsuite shade range is perfect for creating radiant nude shadow looks.
Bumblin’ Around
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Looking for something a little eccentric? Then try out this saturated yellow eyeshadow style. It’s lively, vibrant, and is pretty reminiscent of the warmer summer days. When you’re longing for a little bit of sunshine in the cold, just swipe on some yellow pigment for a burst of brightness.
This look requires some blending of multiple pigments, which is why I always grab a palette that’s filled with fun colors to create this effect. My go-to: the Violet Voss Like a Boss PRO Eyeshow Palette. It’s packed with 20 ultra-pigmented shades that easily blend together for a seamless multitoned effect.
Pretty in Pink
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Let your eyes do all of the talking by creating this monochromatic pink look. This style is fool-proof to mess up, and gives your style an overall eclectic feel that’s great for any major night outing. Just a few swipes of vibrant pink on the lids, then use a toned-down nude pink on your lips, and it’s a wrap.
For a = glossy effect like the one above, always opt for a liquid shadow over powder. This liquid eyeshadow from Giorgio Armani is the perfect pink pick: the liquid dries with a subtle gloss effect, which is heightened through the luminous shimmer finish.
