10 Daring Eye Makeup Trends You Need to Try This Year

Rocking a fun eye makeup look is an easy way to express your personality and draw major attention to your pretty peepers. Whether you’ve got blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, or anything in between, those beauties deserve to be put on display, and the right makeup look can help you do that.

But, there’s only so many times you can wear a black cat eye or a brown smoky eye before you get bored with the routine. While these looks are classics—and there are a time and a place for them—sometimes, it’s exciting to take a risk and try something new.

Luckily, there are some pretty cool new eye makeup trends that are anything but standard. From surprisingly colored smoky eyes (who would’ve thought red eye shadow would’ve hit the big time?) to funky-shaped lashes (yes, spider fringe is IN!), we’ve got you covered with easy eye makeup tutorials. So, go ahead and make one of the following your new go-to makeup look for a night out!

1. Red Smoky Eye

Toss your brown and black shadows aside because this red smoky eye offers a completely different vibe that you’re going to love!

Get the look by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Apply eye shadow. Use a dark reddish shade and apply it to your upper lid from your lashes to crease. Then, apply the same color to your lower lash line with an angled brush.

Step 2: Diffuse the shadow. Take a smudge brush and diffuse the shadow on your upper and lower lids.

Step 3: Line your eyes. Use a creamy matte eyeliner pencil on your upper and lower lash line, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Matte-Matic Liner in Ultra Black. Then, use a metallic eggplant eyeliner on your lower lash line.

Step 4: Highlight. Apply highlighter to your brow bone and the inner corner of your eyes. A highlighter pencil offers the most convenience and precision.

Step 5: Pump up the volume. Coat your lashes with a volumzing mascara, like the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara.

2. Dotted Cat Eye

We’re obsessed with this totally mod update to the traditional feel of winged eyeliner.

Get the look by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Prep your lids. Use an eye makeup primer, like the L’Oréal Paris De-Crease Eyelid Primer to create a smooth canvas for makeup application.

Step 2: Create your winged flick. Use a felt-tipped eyeliner, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Paints Eyeliner in Black Party, to draw a line from the outer corner of your eye, stopping just past the crease.

Step 3: Draw another line. Start at the center of your upper lash line and draw a line that connects with the end of the line you created in Step 2.

Step 4: Trace the line. Start at the inner corner of your eye and trace all of your upper lash line.

Step 5: Fill in the gaps. Shade in any gaps so you have a bold winged cat eye.

Step 6: Draw dots. Use the same eyeliner to paint four, evenly-spaced dots along your lower lash line.

3. Spider Lashes

We might not be fans of the insects, but we do appreciate how much of a statement spider-esque lashes make. This look was super-popular in the ‘60s, and what’s old is now new again.

Get the look by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Create your cat eye. Just as in the look above, prep your lids with primer, and use a felt-tipped eyeliner to thickly line your upper lids and make a winged flick.

Step 2: Curl your lashes. Use an eyelash curler to achieve this.

Step 3: Apply a lengthening mascara. Try the L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Original Mascara.

Step 4: Use eyeliner on your bottom lashes. To finish off the spider look, use a pointed-tip liquid eyeliner and paint on your bottom lashes in downward strokes.

4. Under-Eye Grunge

Just like the spider lashes look that was so huge in the 1960s is trendy again, ‘90s grunge is also back in a big way. This denim-inspired look has just the right amount of rock ‘n roll edge.

Get the look by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Grab a dark metallic blue eye shadow. Apply the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24 HR Eye Shadow in Midnight Blue all over your eyelids and your lower lash line.

Step 2: Coat those lashes. Apply a waterproof mascara, like the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Feline Noir Waterproof Mascara, to your fringe.

Step 3: Get messy. Apply a dime-sized amount of cream-based makeup remover to a cotton ball and gently wipe it over your eyes. Rinse off the makeup remover, but keep your eyes smudgy to embrace the grunge.

5. Neon Orange Eyeliner

It’s true: Orange really is the new black. Ditch the basic black liner in favor of shockingly bright orange instead.

Step 1: Draw a thick line across your upper lash line. Use a tangerine-colored eye pencil or liquid liner to do this, and wing it out into a cat eye. Keep thickening the cat eye until you reach your desired level of intensity.

Step 2: Apply orange eye shadow to your lower lash line. Use a wet angled liner brush to paint the shadow on, and also dust the tips of your lower lashes with it.

6. Sunset-Inspired Smoky Eye

Who doesn’t enjoy watching the sunset in beautiful colors? This smoky eye is inspired by just that, utilizing pretty eye shadow shades of burgundy, orange, and yellow.

Get the look by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Prime your lids. Use an eye makeup primer to get started.

Step 2: Apply a burgundy eye shadow. Use an eye shadow brush to apply the shadow all over your lid, blending the color upward to the crease. Then, dust a light layer of the eye shadow along your lower lash line.

Step 3: Layer on orange and yellow eye shadows. Apply the orange eye shadow to your crease, blending it in with a fluffy eye shadow brush in side-to-side motions. Next, gently dust yellow eye shadow just above your crease, buffing it out.

Step 4: Draw a cat eye. Use your felt-tipped black liquid liner to create a winged flick. That sunset’s got nothing on you!

7. Brightly-Colored Lashes

As you can probably tell by now, we’re huge fans of color. Switch out your everyday mascara for one in a bold hue and your lashes are sure to make a serious impact.

Get the look by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Prime your lashes. Use a coat of the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Primer before you apply mascara.

Step 2: Get to coloring. Apply a brightly-colored mascara, such as the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara in Cobalt Blue to your top and bottom lashes. This shade is flattering on everyone!

8. Bold Blue Eye Shadow

Don’t be scared of blue! This shade gets a bad rap, but it doesn’t have to look childish if you apply it right.

Get the look by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Apply a white primer to your lids. This will seriously help the blue pop!

Step 2: Apply eye shadow to your lids. Use the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Paints Eye Shadow in BRB Blue or Aqua Aura, blending it upward past the crease.

Step 3: Apply eye shadow to your lower lash line. Focus on the outer half of your eye.

Step 4: Line your inner rims. Use a black pencil eyeliner to line your waterline. Talk about fierce!

9. Metallic Eye Accents

Glitter is the easiest way to jazz up any look. If you want to sparkle in the crowd, this one is definitely for you!

Get the look by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Prep your lids. Like we’ve said before, using an eye makeup primer can help to create the perfect base for applying shadow and liner.

Step 2: Dust your lids. Use a brown eye shadow from the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche La Palette Nude. Make sure to use just a little bit because you want this to look subtle.

Step 3. Add glitter. Using a glitter liquid liner, paint small dots along your lower lid, going past the outer corner, similar to the dotted cat eye.

10. White Eyeliner

Who says you can’t wear white after Labor Day? Break the rules and bust out white eyeliner, which looks great in winter and summer.

Get the look by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Prime your lids. Use a matte primer and blend it over your entire lid.

Step 2: Line your upper lashline with white eyeliner. Try the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Paints Eyeliner in White Party. Add a little bit of eyeliner to the lower corners of your eyes, too. Keep building the color until you get a stark white line.

Step 3: Top things off with mascara. Apply a volumizing formula, like the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara.