Mary’s has become a much referenced look for beauty content creators who are jumping on the washed denim eyeshadow trend as it uses a grey-blue tone and the matte finish lends itself to a dreamy—rather than disco—aesthetic.
If you prefer a moodier version look no further than Taylor Swift’s latest album cover Midnights. Created using Pat McGrath Mothership X: Moonlit Seduction Eyeshadow Palette, it’s less perfect, with a smudgy slept-in feel and a wet-look sheen reminiscent of an oil slick. In other words, it’s the perfect shade if you want to switch up your eyeshadow for something more sultry and unexpected than a grey smoky on a night out.
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In a TikTok video that has already garnered nearly 150 thousand views, Victoria Lyn recently shared how she makes the washed denim shade work. According to the makeup artist, its appeal lies in how it conjures up “early 2000s glam nostalgia” and the fact that “it’s not a bright blue, it’s a faded blue—that’s what makes it a wearable blue.”
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Victoria favors a clean, frosted iteration worn simply with mascara and namechecks MAC Small Eyeshadow in Tilt, BareMinerals Mineralist Eyeshadow Palette in Stonewashed, and Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palette in Denim as favorites in her kit.
Another makeup pro, Muriëlle van Schaik, recommends grounding a blue eyeshadow in a more classic base when creating a smoky eye. She starts by creating the wing shape with a more traditional black shade, which she then blends across her lid and halfway under her eye before applying the shimmery blue shade on top, in the centre of her lid and over the black shadow under her eye.
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To give her eyes a sparkly glow up, she dots shimmery highlighter on the inner corner of her eyes, then, for extra definition, she runs a navy blue liner (LH Cosmetics Flash Crayon in Atria) along her top and bottom waterline, winging it out at the outer edge.
As with everything, the best blue for you will depend on how bold you want to go, but this edit of washed denim shades is a good jumping off point.
We’ve also rounded up some more of our favorite blue eyeshadow looks, complete with difficulty rating, so you know what you’re up against whether you want to dip your toe in or dive straight into the deep end. Behold: eight more ways to wear blue eyeshadow…
