Bold Makeup Looks to Try When Soft Glam Won’t Cut It

1. Dusty Blue Shadow

Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG26/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Blue shadow is officially back like it never left—and this time, it’s giving cool-girl confidence. Spotted on Adwoa Aboah at the 2026 Met Gala, the icy cool wash of color across her lids made her entire look feel bold, modern, and incredibly chic. To recreate the high-fashion look, sweep a dusty, muted blue shadow across the lid, softly diffuse the edges for that effortless “lived-in” finish. To really make the shadow shine, keep the rest of your makeup natural-looking and glowy. Bonus points for pairing it with glossy lips and brushed-up brows.

2. Anything-But-Black Mascara

Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images

Is this specific glam look a little much for everyday? Sure. Does that mean we’re any less obsessed with it? Absolutely not. We’re not saying you have to go full-on Met Gala like Gigi (unless you want to)—we’re just saying that if you switch up your classic black mascara for a different color, and you’ll be surprised at how much you love the fresh vibe it brings to your glam. Try a swipe of cobalt, burgundy, plum, or even white mascara on your top or bottom lashes to add a pop of color that still feels incredibly chic. Pair it with soft skin and glossy lips for a cool-girl finish that will have you on everyone’s mood board.

3. Siren Eyes

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If you’re as active on your FYP as we are, you’ve definitely seen iterations of the siren eye makeup trend. This eye look is sultry, seductive, and dramatic, sporting flicked liner at both the inner and outer corner of the eyes. This particular look uses a dark blue liner on the outer rim of the eye and dark black liner like the LITHE BEAUTY High Definition Gel Eyeliner on the inner rim of the eye to really carry out the drama. We also love how this look is topped off with a bold, ombré lip—it’s iconic. 

4. Cat Eyes

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We love that the cat eye is here to stay forever (no, it’s not just for millennials). We’re especially obsessed with this take on the classic look because it feels softer, smokier, and a little more undone. Pair a sharp wing with diffused liner and fluttery lashes, and you’ll have an effortless, off-duty-model look that’s wearable from day to night. To achieve the vibe, start with a precise liquid liner, like our fave from IL MAKIAGE to sketch the wing. Then, blend a dark brown or black pencil liner along the outer lash line and waterline for extra depth. Finish the look with wispy lashes and glowy skin, and you’ve mastered this cool-girl cat eye that’s perfect for pretty much any occasion.

5. Brown Smoky Eye

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Brown smoky eyes are having a major moment (again), and Zendaya is proof. For this sultry vibe, she paired a soft sepia smoky eye with bronzed skin and chestnut-lined lips for a look that felt equal parts effortless and bold. The secret to recreating it? Layer warm matte browns all over the lid, like the ones from our fave NATASHA DENONA My Dream Eyeshadow Palette, deepen the outer corners with your fave espresso shadow, and finish with smoked-out black liner for that sultry, lived-in effect. 

6. Bold Pout

Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Essence

It doesn’t get much bolder than a brown lip. We’re in love with this look because not only does it match the hair (genius!), but it’s paired with a gold lid. To nail this look, you need a red pout that stands out, like the LAURA MERCIER  High Vibe Lip Color. Another feature we love? The blinding highlighter on the bridge of the nose—trust, the OFRA COSMETICS Star Lit Liquid Highlighter is your girl for this.

7. Green Shadow

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Colorful shadows like this one might seem a little scary at first (good thing you have us), but when you do them right, they turn heads. All you need is a good eyeshadow palette like the CHICA BEAUTY Mini Fiesta Palette and fluffy shadow brush and you’re good to go! The best part about this look is that’s simple—it requires some good blending work and that’s about it. 

8. Baby Doll Blush

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This look requires some serious pink blush action. Our suggestion? Layering. Opt for a liquid or cream blush like the RARE BEAUTY  Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush as your base and the SERAPHINE BOTANICALS Periwinkle + Pop Blush on top. With this combo, you’ll have Sabrina Carpenter’s flushed cheeks in no time.

9. Gold Shadow

Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images

This eye look combines the drama of a cat eye with the sparkle of a gold shimmer shadow—we can’t get enough of it. To add it to your next glam session, reach for the TARTE Maneater™️ After Dark Eyeshadow Palette. This palette has all the sultry shimmer and matte shades you need to create a look that will have everyone stunned.

10. Major Lower Lashes

Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Turner

Actress Sophie Turner knows that sometimes the best bold makeup looks can be all about playing up one feature, like your eyelashes (or just your lower lashes in this case). To get the looks of spidery lower lashes, pack on a few coats of your favorite volumizing mascara over your lower lashes, being sure to drag the brush all the way from the roots of your lashes to the tips. This way you get both volume and length, which is key for this bold lower lash look.

11. Glowing Neon 

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

If when you think about the neon makeup trend, you picture an '80s jazzercise class, think again. HBO Max’s "Gossip Girl" actress Whitney Peak combines one of our favorite color trends with the rhinestone makeup technique ("Euphoria" vibes, anyone?!), but you can also get this neon eyeliner look with zero embellishments. Lay down a neutral shadow base, then trace a bright hue along your lash line. Pro tip: Lay down a base of white before you go in with your neon color of choice. This way you’ll get the most vivid payoff.

12. Contoured Lip Liner

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The biggest '90s makeup trends are back, and rapper Megan Thee Stallion is fully embracing one of our favorites: visible lip liner. Unlike most matching lip combos, to get this contrasting look, you’ll need a dark lip liner and a lighter lipstick, or even a gloss. Outline your lips using a lip liner a few shades deeper than your lips (you can overline your lips if you want a fuller effect), lightly buff the line in using your fingers or a precision brush, then fill in the center with a lighter color. Bonus points if you pair your throwback makeup looks with a matching '90s hairstyle trend.

13. Vampire Glam

Photo by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

We love that soft glam is taking a backseat this season to darker, moodier, and way more dramatic looks—like this Balenciaga runway look that’s totally ‘80s, totally goth, and totally vampire vibes. The blurred burgundy shadow, softly smoked liner, and deep, wine-stained lips create that perfectly undone, after-dark energy that somehow feels both edgy and ultra-luxe. To recreate the look, blend rich berry and espresso tones around the eyes, keep the skin fresh and slightly matte, and finish with a dark plum or oxblood lip for that cool-girl vampire effect everyone’s suddenly obsessed with.

14. Glitter Accents

Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Sorry, but we’ll never stop talking about our love of glitter. It doesn’t matter if it’s glitter nail art, glitter lipstick, or glitter eyeshadow, the more shimmer and shine, the better in our books. Model Winnie Harlow’s pastel purple inner corner pop is no exception. Work a deep brown into your crease and buff a matte black along your lash lines to create a base before tapping a glitter in your inner corners. We prefer a liquid eyeshadow for this type of precision work to avoid messy glitter fallout. 

15. Draped Blush

Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SBIFF

There are a few ‘80s beauty trends that can stay in the past—sorry, side ponytails—but then there are ‘80s makeup trends like bushy brows, vivid primary colors, and draped blush (seen here on actress Lucy Boynton) that we can’t get enough of. This highly placed blush is meant to sculpt the face and add dimension, almost like you would want from a contour. The key is to start small. Tap a bit of bright color over your cheekbones, temples, and brow bones. Keep adding a bit more until you reach the opacity you want, then buff out the edges using a small fluffy brush until you can’t see any harsh lines.

16. Red Eyeshadow

Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Beautycon

We’re all for experimenting with color and practically consider purple eyeshadow and green eyeshadow neutrals, but there’s something about red eyeshadow looks that can be a little scary. That is, until we spotted this bold red winged eyeshadow on actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Her smoked out cat eye takes up most of her lid space, leaving a little room for a hint of crimson at her inner corners. It’s the perfect trick to pulling off an intimidating shade like red.