A major part of the year 2020 was spent sans makeup, thanks to the pandemic. We bet a lot of your favourite makeup products ended up in the bin after reaching their expiry date while you waited for the pandemic to be over. One beauty trend that has emerged during the lockdown and is here to stay is stunning eye makeup looks. While masks cover some of the most important features of your face, your eyes are still visible. Makeup enthusiasts around the world made good use of their quarantine time to experiment and came up with eye looks that go well with masks. While we have adjusted our lives around the pandemic, we still need to wear masks for a good part of 2021.
This means eyeshadow looks are going to be a big trend in the new year. If you wish to look your trendy best during the holiday season and beyond, you should bookmark this page. In this article, we are going to reveal 11 eyeshadow looks that will be trending throughout 2021. If you are ready, let’s dive right in and find out what they are. Bonus: we also mentioned how to achieve each one of them!
- 1. Earthy eye look
- 2. Liquid eyeshadow
- 3. Bright eyeshadow look
- 4. Pop of blue
- 5. Sunset eyes
- 6. Dramatic metallic eyeshadow look
- 7. Floating eyeliner
- 8. Eyeshadow with coloured mascara
- 9. Mismatched eyeshadow look
- 10. Subtle smokey eye
- 11. Sculpted eye
- FAQs about eyeshadow looks
1. Earthy eye look
Image courtesy: @mpbbeautyart
Neutral makeup was big in 2020, most celebrities preferred wearing earthy shades like browns and nudes and kept it minimal. While the new year may continue to see these shades, there might be a slight twist to the eyeshadow look. A hint of glitter or shimmer over the earthy shade will not only elevate the look, but will also make you appear trendy AF!
How to: It’s simple. Start by applying some primer and concealer to form the base. Then swipe on deep brown eyeshadow all over your lids. Next dab some brown shimmer shade or glitter all over it and spritz some finishing spray to lock the look in place.
2. Liquid eyeshadow
Image courtesy: @debasreee
We’ve been using liquid eyeliner and lipsticks, 2021 is the year where you will be seeing a lot of liquid eyeshadows in bright shades. If bold and experimental is your makeup style, then you are going to love this eyeshadow trend. You can create so many different eyeshadows looks using these liquid formulas or do something simple like this pink eyeshadow look with a dash of glitter.
How to: Draw a floating cat eye using the liquid eyeshadow, then fill it in. Once it dries off, pick a bit of golden shimmer eyeshadow and dab at the centre of your eyelid to get this look.
3. Bright eyeshadow look
Image courtesy: @amystickler
The colour is back in makeup in the new year. If you’ve spent a good part of 2020 wearing neutral shades, now is the time to switch things up. If you are wearing a mask, a bright eyeshadow shade is probably the easiest way to attract some attention. Choose orange, fuchsia or blue to create this look.
How to: Pick a bright orange shade from your palette and blend it all over your lid, extending all the way up to your brows. Apply the excess below your lower lid as well to create a dramatic look. Finish off with neat cat eyeliner.
4. Pop of blue
Image courtesy: @feelinthebeauty
Talking of bright eyeshadow looks, there’s another one that caught our eye and is quite simple to create. If two-toned eyeshadow looks have your heart, then this one is definitely worth trying. Make sure to keep the rest of your makeup simple while wearing this one to avoid looking gaudy.
How to: To create this look, you will need a bright blue eyeshadow and light blue eyeliner. First, apply and blend the dark blue eyeshadow all over your lids extending outwards up to the tip of your brow. Then use the light blue eyeliner to create a floating liner on top.
5. Sunset eyes
Image courtesy: @pretaportacosmetics
The start of 2020 began with several different versions of sunset eyes. However, the eyeshadow look did not get enough time and attention to showcase its beauty due to the pandemic. Therefore, it is making a comeback in 2021, and this time it will definitely find a lot more takers.
How to: While there are many different ways to achieve this look, as a beginner, you can start with three shades - yellow, orange and pink. Start by applying the yellow shade from the inner corner of your eyes, orange at the centre and pink on the outer corner. Don’t forget to blend them well.
6. Dramatic metallic eyeshadow look
Image courtesy: @rryuukm
Whether you have tried it yet or not, metallic eyeshadows have become an eye makeup essential. Creating sultry eyes becomes so much easier with shimmery and metallic shades. Use one shade or add some black to it to recreate this gorgeous, never seen before smokey eye look.
How to: Apply the metallic gold shade on your eyelids and blend well. Then use a black matte or shimmer shade to draw a winged eyeshadow look. Extend it all the way up to the tip of your brow to make it look dramatic.
7. Floating eyeliner
Image courtesy: @makebeauty_bysoffy
The floating eyeliner is still one of the trendiest eye looks out there. But combining it with eyeshadow is something that no one saw coming. In 2021, instead of wearing just a floating liner on your lid, fill it with a bright eyeshadow to take the look a notch higher.
How to: Draw a floating crease liner with a dark black eyeliner. Then fill it in with a bright and gorgeous eyeshadow shade such as green or blue to recreate this look.
8. Eyeshadow with coloured mascara
Image courtesy: @dryaedis
Coloured mascaras have been around for a while now and the best part about wearing one is that you don’t need to wear any other makeup product with it. But looks like that’s gonna change, as we’ve been noticing a surge in eyeshadows being used with coloured mascaras. Of course, not in very different and striking colours, but this one trend is surely something to try out.
How to: First off, you need to invest in a coloured mascara, start with something that’s noticeable but not too bright, blue is safe. Apply a neutral shade eyeshadow over your lids and pair it with your coloured mascara.
9. Mismatched eyeshadow look
Image courtesy: @makeupbymeghnaroda
One eyeshadow look that gained a lot of popularity amidst the lockdown is mismatched eyes. This eye look allows you to wear two different shades of eyeshadow at the same time without looking like a clown. The key is to pick shades that go well together and belong to the same colour spectrum.
How to: Start by picking at least 4-6 shades of eyeshadow to create this look. Start with the lightest and move on to the darker ones as you reach the outer corner of your eyes. Blend them all well to make it look effortlessly gorgeous. Work with matte shades as they are easier to blend.
10. Subtle smokey eye
Image courtesy: @leilawilksmakeup
You spent all this time perfecting that smokey eye looks only to find a subtle version of it in the new year? Don’t be disheartened, eye makeup looks are always evolving and learning new eye looks is always fun. If minimal makeup has your heart, then you will definitely love this eye look.
How to: Instead of using a brown and black eyeshadow that you normally do for creating a smokey eye look, pick a light and dark brown shade instead. Repeat the same steps as you do for your regular smokey eye.
11. Sculpted eye
Image courtesy: vivis_makeup
Did you know you can use eyeshadow to contour and change your eye shape? Yes! That’s what the sculpted eyeshadow look is all about. For example, if you have wide-set eyes, using a little bit of light brown eyeshadow, you can contour the inner half of the lid to create the illusion of close-set eyes!
How to: Each eye shape requires a different contouring technique, so you will have to do a little more research on this topic. However, know that sculpted eyes are going to be a big trend in 2021, so you better get started!
FAQs about eyeshadow looks
Q. Can you just wear eyeshadow?
A. The best thing about makeup is you can wear it however you want. You may come up with a new trend for all you know. If you think your face looks better with just eyeshadow on, go for it. Or you can apply mascara, fill in your brows and wear nude lipstick.
Q. What are the different eyeshadow looks?
A. Eyeshadow looks keep evolving. Every season we see a lot of new trendy eyeshadow looks appear. However, some of the classic looks are soft smokey eye, rose gold eye, gold festive eye, defined crease look and more.
Written by Sanya Hamdani on Dec 29, 2020
Sanya Hamdani is a skincare enthusiast and lipstick hoarder, she truly believes no two red lipsticks look exactly alike. With a Master's degree in Communication & Journalism and 5+ years of digital writing experience up her sleeve, Sanya has some of the biggest beauty experts in the country on her speed dial. When she's not swatching products or writing about the latest trends in beauty, you will find her watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.