Our Best Purple Eye Shadows

ICYMI, shades of purple—from lilac to violet—are the “it” makeup colors at the moment. Luckily, you can easily incorporate this shade into your makeup routine, and one of the best ways to do so is with eye shadow. One of our absolute favorite ways to use purple is on the eyes—and we’ve got plenty of eye shadows for you to try for an on-trend makeup look. Keep reading to learn how to take your eye makeup up a notch with striking purple eye shadow; we’re sharing everything from our best purple eye shadow options to five purple eyeshadow looks anyone can master.

OUR BEST PURPLE EYE SHADOWS

Try one of the following purple eye shadows to make a major makeup statement. From plums to light lilacs and everything in between, there’s a purple eyeshadow shade just for you.

OUR BEST TRUE PURPLE EYE SHADOWS

When it comes to purple shadows, you can’t go wrong with a true purple. After all, it is the color of royalty.

L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24 HR Eye Shadow in Perpetual Purple: This deep, intense shade complements dark skin tones beautifully. The powder-cream formula glides on smoothly for all-day wear. Use it alone on your lids for a striking makeup look that’ll have all eyes on you.

L'Oréal Paris Infallible 24HR Eye Shadow in Purple Priority: Slightly closer on the color wheel to the blue spectrum, this gorgeous shade of purple has cool undertones. We recommend it for anyone with a warmer complexion—it will create a stunning contrast!  

OUR BEST violet eye shadows

Think violet is more your style? Consider one of the following two shadows.

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Paints Metallics Eye Shadow in Violet Luster: Thanks to its metallic finish, this violet eye shadow is a two-for-one when it comes to makeup trends. Next time you’re struggling to decide on which trendy look to embrace, sweep this shadow across your lids.

L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Pocket Palette Eye Shadow in Violet Amour: An eye shadow palette is a great product to have in your makeup bag, as you can use it for a variety of makeup looks. This palette features four violet hues ranging from light to dark so you can create a gorgeous purple smoky eye among other looks.

OUR BEST plum eye shadow

If you’re looking for a shadow that’s a little darker, a plum shade sounds like just the thing! And don’t worry about it being too dark, it’s still just as sweet as your favorite fruit.

L'Oréal Paris Infallible 24HR Eye Shadow in Smoldering Plum: This dark plum eye shadow shade is perfect for a night out. Try smudging the shimmery shade along your lower lash line!  

our best lilac eye shadows

Pastel eye makeup is undeniably in, and purples are one of our favorite ways to participate in that trend. Grab a lilac shadow and give it a try.

L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Quads in Stacked Heels: This eye shadow palette comes with four purple eye shadows, including a lilac shade, that allow you to mix and match seamlessly. Try blending the lilac shadow across your lid if you have a fair skin tone; it’ll be the perfect dose of purple without overwhelming your skin tone.

L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Dual Effects in Unforgettable Lilac: If soft makeup is your style, you can’t go wrong with this lilac eye shadow palette. And don’t worry, there’s still one darker shade in case you come across an occasion that calls for bolder eye makeup! 

5 purple eyeshadow looks

Once you’re armed with all of the purple shadows you could ever need, we obviously need to share how to use them! Below, find five different purple eye makeup looks you’ll want to learn!

purple eyeshadow look #1: soft pastel purple

Softer purple eyeshadow hues are perfect for the spring season or even an everyday makeup look. To try it out for yourself, simply apply a light dusting of one of the lilac eyeshadow shades onto your upper eyelid, then tightline your upper and lower lash lines with a black liquid eyeliner pen, such as the L'Oréal Paris Infallible The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner in Black. Then, swipe on a few coats of black mascara, like the L'Oréal Paris Voluminous X Fiber Mascara in Blackest Black.

purple eyeshadow look #2: two-toned purple

Take your purple power up a notch with a two-toned eyeshadow look, featuring a couple of different shades. First, choose two different shades of purple eyeshadow—one that’s lighter and one that’s slightly darker. You can choose any two shades you want, but a good rule of thumb is to pick ones with similar undertones. So, don’t mix purples with warm and cool undertones. Instead, just choose one or the other. To rock a two-toned purple look, swipe the lighter shade of purple eyeshadow onto your entire upper eyelid using a small eyeshadow brush. Then, apply the darker shade onto just the outer corner of your upper eyelid and across your lower lash line. Keep the rest simple, so as to show off this gorgeous two-toned look. Swipe on a few coats of your favorite black mascara, then use a nude eyeliner, such as the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof, Up to 24HR Pencil Eyeliner in Nude, to highlight the very inner corner of your eye and underneath your brows. Voila!

purple eyeshadow look #3: purple everything

If you want to really go all-in on the purple color scheme, pair a light shade of purple eyeshadow with a darker purple eyeliner, such as the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof, Up to 24HR Pencil Eyeliner in Purple. Simply swipe your light purple eyeshadow onto your eyelid, then trace along your upper and lower lash lines with the purple eyeliner—use a thick line here in order to really make the purple pop! Finish it off with some black mascara and you’re good to go.

purple eyeshadow look #4: iridescent shimmer

It’s true that many of our purple eyeshadow options do have a shimmery finish, but you can also lean into the shimmer-factor of your eye makeup look by dusting a violet-toned highlighter on top. It’s so easy and you basically end up with a custom eye shadow! Simply apply your shimmery purple eyeshadow of choice onto your upper eyelid, then lightly dust the L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Shimmerista Highlighting Powder in Moonlight on top—extending up all the way to your upper brow bone. A little black eyeliner and mascara will complete the look.

purple eyeshadow look #5: sunset eye

The sunset eye makeup look is trendier than ever—and we don’t think it’s going anywhere. Pairing vibrant orange with moody purples (just like a sunset) is a gorgeous eyeshadow look that anyone can rock. Because creating this eyeshadow look requires the right know-how, we’ve got a step-by-step breakdown on how to get the look. Check out our article, How to Create a Sunset Eye, for all the details.

HOW TO COMPLETE YOUR PURPLE EYE MAKEUP LOOK

If you’ve decided to sport purple eye shadow, keep the rest of your makeup look on the simple side. A safe bet: glowing skin and nude lipstick.

For your face: Create the appearance of even, radiant-looking skin with the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Glow Foundation and L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Glow Concealer. Smooth foundation on all over your face with a makeup blender, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender, and dot concealer on to any areas you’d like to camouflage or brighten, blending out with your fingers.

For your lips: Since you’re rocking something very colorful on your eyes, opt for a subdued lip color, like a matte nude. Gently scrub your lips to remove dead skin cells from the surface, then apply a lip primer to help create an even canvas. Glide the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Matte Lipstick in Matte-sterpiece over your lips and you’re ready to go.

Ready to try purple on your lips next? We’ve got a makeup tutorial just for you. Here’s How to Wear Violet Lipstick.