Eyelighter Is the Shimmery Secret to Brighter Eyes

Over the past few years, we’ve seen the trend for glowing skin grow exponentially. It all started during the contour craze, when highlighting and shading went mainstream. Then it evolved into more intense strobing techniques and holographic pigments to amp up skin’s radiance as well as the arrival of “glass skin,” the K-beauty trend that created an almost wet-looking dewiness. 

It’s not hard to understand why glowy skin has become so popular. Highlighter draws attention to features we want to accentuate by putting a spotlight on them and, just like contour, can maximize or minimize specific areas of the face. Plus, radiant skin is the calling card of health signaling, or appearing as healthy as can be to the outside world in reaction to the events of the past 18 months.

Now makeup pros are using highlighting techniques to focus on creating the appearance of brighter, more awake, and more brilliant eyes, while using minimal products and DIY-friendly techniques. “From ’60s-style white-out eyelids to washes of futuristic pearl, icy pale eye shadow worn solo has become the statement of choice for a fresher alternative to the classic smoky eye, whether it’s a lid-to-brow block shadow, a graphic liner, or a pop of metallic in the corners,” says Terry Barber, MAC director of makeup artistry. 

Replacing the classic cut crease and blended-out bold pigments, “eyelighter” calls upon gentler washes of iridescent shades to achieve the same eye-opening effects. As Terry says, it can be applied in any way you like and paired with liner, lashes, or a statement lip. The most important thing is that the pigment used is an icy tone and contains pearlescent pigments to capture the light. 

For an ’80s finish, try a frosty blue shade all over the lids, a hint of cool pink on the lower lash line and pair with fluttery, fanned-out lashes to finish, which will create a statement makeup moment without any heavy pigments. 

Or, for a more ethereal effect, try eyelighting all around the eye, blending various icy shades to create a kaleidoscope of color and light. 

Whether eyelighting is a reaction to years of smoky eyes or as a result of wearing face masks and focusing on making the most of our visible features, we very much hope the trend is here to stay. 

This story originally appeared on Glamour U.K.