Katy Perry's beauty looks over the years have covered everything from neutrals to neons, from bold, complex styles to softer palettes. The pop star has evolved so much since her early days of retro-pinup style, but one thing has always stayed the same (even as her hair hasn't!), no matter what her beauty choices have been. In every look Perry brings to every event, there's a sense of her huge, fun personality, with creative touches that let her personal style shine through at every moment. We've rounded up some of her most stunning, unexpected, and just plain fun beauty looks — keep reading to see what made the list!
Perry was a standout at a 2008 event for Chanel with her pop of hot pink lipstick, perfectly coordinated with the pink flower in her headband.
At a 2006 Grammys afterparty, Perry rocked an award-worthy dusting of gold metallic eye shadow to make a major statement.
For the 2009 Critics' Choice Awards, Perry left the bright colors behind for a subtler look. With a neutral makeup palette and retro-style wavy hair, she stood out for a totally new reason.
Perry's look for a 2009 pre-Grammys event put her own twist on a classic. She went with a bold smoky eye, but instead of a neutral eye shadow, she used an icy silver-lavender to match her dress for the evening, finishing it off with a pop of red lipstick.
Perry looked frilly and feminine at the 2009 Grammys, where she paired her pale pink dress with a pastel, candy-pink matte lipstick.
At the 2009 VMAs, Perry revisited a metallic color palette with a gradient silver and charcoal eye shadow, contrasting with bright coral lipstick.
Bronze eyes and a neutral lip made this a more low-key look for Perry, which worked just as well as her bolder styles!
Perry chose some subtle, elegant makeup for the 2010 Vanity Fair Oscars party. Her neutral lip paired beautifully with a matte eye shadow and a swipe of black eyeliner.
Perry swiped on a double dose of winged eyeliner, with a bright blue wing on top of her usual swoop of black. She topped it off with bright highlighter on her inner eyelid corners and pink matte lipstick.
One of Perry's coolest beauty looks wasn't about her makeup but her hair. In 2010, there was a glorious, brief period of time when Perry embraced the rainbow with hot pink, purple, and blue streaks through her curls.
At the 2010 American Music Awards, Perry combined a soft pink lip with shimmery coppery eye shadow, plus perfectly sculpted brows.
Perry updated the metallic look with a subtly shaded technique on this gold eye shadow, lending it some extra glamour and dimension.
Perry embraced her inner Smurfette by shading her eyes with all-over bright teal and blue shadow.
Sometimes, you just need one bold thing to focus your style. Here, at the 2012 Grammys, Perry went with a thick swipe of black eyeliner, keeping everything else low-key.
To match her faded-but-still-brilliant blue hair, Perry chose a bright blue eye shadow. But instead of leaving it as one bold swipe, she faded it out for a slightly subtler, softer style.
Perry's flapper look included her signature retro waves (complete with a '20s-inspired low headband) with a lovely matte lipstick and a mauve-tinted twist on the classic smoky eye.
Perry arrived at the 2013 Met Gala with a dark maroon lipstick and otherwise simple makeup, letting the focus fall on her elaborate outfit instead.
Perry embraced her retro roots with a pop of vivid red lipstick at the 2013 American Music Awards.
Perry kept her Grammys makeup in neutral but shimmery colors in 2015, instead choosing to let her loosely waved lavender hair (and some gorgeous statement earrings) take the spotlight.
Perry tackled another retro style with her bouffant-esque hairstyle in 2015, swiping on some magenta lipstick to amp up the look.
Perry arrived at the 2017 Grammys afterparty with copper-encrusted eyes that caught the light with plenty of sparkle, creating major contrast with her tousled hair.
For the "Witness World Wide" exclusive YouTube live-stream concert, Perry reminded us just how quirky her onstage style can be with this memorable look, featuring googly eyes and rhinestones at the corners of her eyes.
Perry's 2017 Glastonbury look brought on the bold colors with a gorgeous blending of hot pink, purple, and electric blue sparkly eye shadow, along with bright, berry-red lips.
This look, from an American Idol show in 2018, was a little more sweet and subdued, with soft but light-catching pink glitter eye shadow, standout eyeliner, and a soft, taupe-pink lip gloss.
Perry's carefully highlighted pink shimmer eye shadow perfectly matched her equally shimmering blush. Smartly, she kept the lips low-key and matte.