Welcome to Summer 2024, where our top trend analysts (ahem, me, the clean beauty enthusiast writing this) are calling it: this summer is shaping up to be an exciting season for makeup lovers everywhere, particularly those who love to experiment with a bold eye. As we’ve seen so far on the runways and beauty influencers and pretty much anyone interested in beauty on Instagram, this summer is all about dewy skin, romantic, Italian-inspired elements, and bold, expressive, playful looks (the 90s and aughts are back, y’all!).

From Capri, tomato-girl-esque romance to shimmering Britney Spears-inspired finishes, this summer’s trends are all about one thing: making a statement. 

So if you’re wanting to dive into the top eyeshadow trends you need to try this summer, how to achieve them, and tips for making them work for you—look no further. This blog is for you.

90s and Early Aughts Drama

The 90s and early aughts are back with a vengeance. Think lined eyes, frosted lips, glossy lids, and a whole lotta color. 

Purple eyeshadows have made a triumphant return for summer 2024, embracing the '90s and '00s nostalgia while adding a modern twist. These vibrant shades are perfect for creating eye-catching looks that can be played up or down.

Our favorite color for this look is Aurora Eyelights, which is a vibrant violet, or Blaze Eyelights, which is a muted, silvery mauve.

How to Achieve the Look:

Base Prep: Start with a good primer to ensure the pigment stays put. We love our ReEvolve Radiance Locking Primer because it’s packed with skin-nourishing ingredients that plump and hydrate, while locking in color for up to 8hrs. 

Application: Use a flat brush like our Skin2Skin Everything Brush (you might think it’s too big, but we promise it’s not!) to pack the color onto your lid. For a more intense look, dampen the brush slightly before applying the shadow.

Blending: Blend the edges with a clean, fluffy brush (our Eye Polish Brush works great for this) to avoid harsh lines and create a seamless transition.

A Few Top Tips:

• Consider Your Skin Tone: Bright colors like pinks and purples can be adapted to suit different skin tones. Keep reading to discover what will work best for you.
• Minimal Makeup Elsewhere: Keep the rest of your makeup minimal to let your eyes stand out. A subtle lip gloss, like our Liplights Cream Lip Gloss in Bare and a touch of natural-looking highlighter (we love our Living Luminizer) are all you need to complete the look.

The Softer Tomato Girl

Last summer we saw the meteoric rise of tomato girl summer, an Italian-inspired look that utilizes terracotta reds and auburns. This summer, we’re seeing something similar, though not as intense.

Think pretty pastels that, instead of being “frosted”, are more concentrated. Ballet pinks, moody mauves, and romantic roses are what we’re going for here.

Our favorite shades for scoring this look are Sunbeam Eyelights Cream Eyeshadow, which is a gorgeous, summery sunlit coral, and Halo Eyelights Cream Eyeshdaow.

How to Achieve the Look:

Layering: Build the color gradually to achieve the desired intensity. Patience is key here; if you don’t start with a basic wash of color, the whole look can be too intense, too fast. 

Accents: If you’re wanting to be a little romantic, add a touch of highlighter (like our ReEvolve Hydra Dew Luminzer in the inner corners of your eyes to give a fresh, wide-eyed appearance.

Our Top Tips:

• Pair with a Simple Swipe: Just one swipe of mascara can bring the whole look together. Try to refrain from doing too many coats. 
• Day to Night: This eyeshadow look is versatile enough for both day and night. For a daytime look, keep it light and airy. For nighttime, add some depth with a darker shade in the crease.

Glitter and Shimmer

Glitter and shimmer eyeshadows are perfect for those magical summer nights when you want your eyes to sparkle and shine. And while a bit of glitz has always been fun, this summer we’re seeing the drama turned up a notch.

These shadows catch the light and add a touch of glamor to any look. Popular shades include gold, silver, and even iridescent hues that change color as they catch the light.

Our favorites are Strobe Eyelights Cream Eyeshadow, which is a champagne mink, and using our Champagne Rosé Luminizer as an eyeshadow for a sweeping, shimmering wash on the lid. 

How to Achieve the Look:

Base Preparation: Use our ReEvolve Radiance Locking Primer to ensure the shadow adheres well and stays put.

Application: If you’re using Eyelights, just use your finger to apply. But if you’re using a glittery eyeshadow, pat the glitter onto your lid with a flat brush like our Skin2Skin Everything Brush or your fingertip for maximum impact.

Layering: For added dimension, layer different shades of shimmer or glitter.

Our Top Tips:

• Control Fallout: To minimize glitter fallout, apply your eyeshadow before your foundation. This way, you can easily clean up any excess glitter.
• Complementary Makeup: Pair your glitter eyeshadow with a simple lip to balance the overall look. Too much shimmer can be overwhelming, so let your eyes be the star.

Monochromatic Magic

Monochromatic makeup is all about using varying shades of a single color to create a cohesive and sophisticated look. We’re obsessed with this trend because it’s not only chic and ultra-classic but also incredibly easy to achieve, making it perfect for those who want a polished look without too much effort.

Our favorites for this are Moonbeam Eyelights Cream Eyeshadow and using our Peach Luminizer in replace of a shadow, either as a base for a bolder look or on its own.

How to Achieve the Look:

Choose Your Color: Select a color that compliments your skin tone and eye color. Like we’ve been talking about, popular picks for summer 2024 include coral, peach, and rose.

Layering Shades: Start with a light shade as your base, then gradually build depth with medium and dark shades in the same color family.

Different Finishes: Mix matte, shimmer, and satin finishes to add dimension and keep the look interesting.

Our Top Tips:

• Versatile: Monochromatic looks are versatile and can be adjusted for different occasions. Keep it soft for daytime and intensify the darker shades for a night out.
• Blush and Lip Coordination: Coordinate your blush and lip color with your eyeshadow to enhance the monochromatic effect.

How to Pick the Best Eyeshadow for You

Now that you know the trends, it’s time to pick one that works for you. (And if you ever need any help, by the way, just book a free, virtual, one-on-one consultation with one of our in-house Artist Experts here.)

We’ve been told our whole lives to match our eyeshadows with our eye colors using color theory. Color theory is a mix between art and science; where we look at colors and how they interact with other tones around them (in this case, skin tones) using the color wheel. 

Brown and hazel eyes with purples and greens, green eyes with browns and golds, blue eyes with browns. It makes sense; if the idea is to make your eyes pop, you want to use a color “opposite the color wheel”, which will bring a colorful bit of contrast to the face. And this advice is not wrong at all.

But what’s missing from knowing how to choose the eyeshadow that’s right for you is an understanding of skin undertone, in addition to your eye color. 

Undertones are the secondary colors that help define which shades look best on you (this goes for makeup as well as clothing and jewelry).

There are three types of skin undertones: warm, cool, and neutral, and they are separate from your overtones (for example, you can have porcelain skin with warm undertones, and you can have tawny, olive skin with cool undertones).

Warm skin tones have undertones of peach or gold, while cool tones have undertones of blue or red. And neutral is a mix of both! 

To get your undertone without a beauty consultation, look at the veins in your neck (we suggest neck or face because that’s closest to where you’ll be applying eyeshadow…you’re not applying it on your wrist). 

Here’s a good rule of thumb:

• If your veins are greenish (or olive), you have warm undertones. 
• If your veins are blue or purple-ish, you have cool undertones. 
• If you just can’t tell, or if they look different in different places, you’re neutral.

Now that you know your overtone and undertone, it’s time to pick your eyeshadow shade range. We suggest first identifying which colors you like best with your eye colors, and then finding undertones to match your skin tone.

The Best Eyeshadow for Warm Undertones

Whether or not you have fair or darker skin, warner undertones look great in shades that are warmer by nature and can emphasize the warmer tone of your skin; golds, richer greens, champagnes, plums, and orange-based reds like rose.

The Best Eyeshadow for Cool Undertones

Cooler undertones—again, regardless of whether you have fairer skin or darker skin—look great in shades that are naturally cooler; blues, icy silvers, turquoise greens, and blue-based purples.

The Best Eyeshadow for Neutral Undertones

Neutral undertones can wear any shades, so we’ll usually suggest choosing your eyeshadow based on what you’re wearing or what the rest of your look is going for. If you want an earthier, sultry vibe, go with warmer toned eyeshadows. And if you want a bolder, more intense or vibrant look, go for cooler toned eyeshadows.