We've already seen pastel purple highlighters taking off this season, and now the color trend is coming for our eyes too. At the recent InStyle Awards, both Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez arrived wearing matching lavender shadow. But they aren't the only ones: Rita Ora just wore the look at an MTV TRL visit and Rihanna did at one of her Fenty launch parties. Perhaps the trend is a result of lasting influence from the unicorn beauty phenomenon. Perhaps it's premature excitement for Winter's frosty color palettes. Either way, we're 100 percent on board.
"I love that lavender is feminine, edgy, and chic all at the same time. It really pops against brown eyes," celebrity makeup artist Jill Powell, who did Demi's look, told POPSUGAR. Inspired by the singer's lavender dress and "chic rocker vibe," she mixed together two cream shadows to create the vibrant purple hue: Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Color Paint Shadows ($25) in M-90 Matte Purple and I-80 Iridescent Pink Beige. She also layered Amethyst from Kat Von D's Alchemist Holographic Palette ($32) on top to create an iridescent finish.
If you plan to try the look, Jill suggested having the rest of your makeup low-key. "I love to keep focus on one area for the most part. When bringing in colorful shadows, I love to keep the rest of the face more natural so it acts as the backdrop for the colorful shadows," she explained.
Jill also assured that any skin tone can pull off lavender. "Work with the depth of your tones," she advised. "Lighter skin tones should use lighter shades, and deeper skin tones should use deeper hues to coincide with the depth of their skin and avoid looking too light or ashy."
Now that you've got all the expert tricks, see more examples of lavender eye shadow from celebs and shop the trend at every price point ahead.
The shade: iridescent violet
Shop it: Nars Hardwired Shadow in Lunar ($26)
The shade: ultraglittery pastel lavender
Shop it: ColourPop x My Little Pony Super Shock Shadow in Sunbeam ($5)
The shade: shimmery cool purple
Shop it: Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Asphyxia ($19)
The shade: ranging from deep indigo to baby purple, and the square all the way to the right is a true lavender
Shop it: Lancome Color Design Eyeshadow Palette in Amethyst Glam ($50)
The shade: deep blue purple with pink sparkles
Shop it: MAC Dazzleshadow in Feel the Fever ($18)
The shade: silky, dusty violet
Shop it: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow Quad ($10)
The shade: lavender with blue undertones
Shop it: Clinique All About Shadow Shimmer Eyeshadow in Lavender Out Loud ($17)
The shade: warm-toned pink-purple in a matte, translucent finish
Shop it: Shiseido Paperlight Cream Eye Color ($25)
The shade: metallic lavender
Shop it: L'Oréal Infallible Paints Metallics in Violet Luster ($9)