8 Bold Makeup Looks You Can *Actually* Pull Off—Promise

If the idea of wearing a bold makeup look feels intimidating, let us prove to you otherwise. Don’t get us wrong, we’ve been known to rock no-makeup makeup on the reg, but when you’re looking to switch things up, there’s nothing more exciting than a bold makeup look. Whether it’s for a special occasion, like a wedding, an event, or a birthday—or you just want to spice up a random Tuesday—we’re totally here for it.

But here’s the thing about finding a new look, the rabbit hole of bold makeup inspiration is infinite. So we did the hard work for you. We’ve rounded up eight bold makeup looks that anyone can pull off—seriously! Believing you look amazing in any makeup look is half the battle. So grab your most colorful eyeshadow palettes, your go-to liquid eyeliner, the brightest blush you own, and keep scrolling. Things are about to get bolder.

1. Major Lower Lashes

Actress Sophie Turner knows that sometimes the best bold makeup looks can be all about playing up one feature, like your eyelashes (or just your lower lashes in this case). To get the looks of spidery lower lashes, pack on a few coats of your favorite volumizing mascara over your lower lashes, being sure to drag the brush all the way from the roots of your lashes to the tips. This way you get both volume and length, which is key for this bold lower lash look. Try IT COSMETICS Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara Mini to get you loads of volume without any clumps.

2. Glowing Neon

If when you think about the neon makeup trend, you picture an ‘80s jazzercise class, think again. HBO Max’s Gossip Girl actress Whitney Peak combines one of our favorite color trends with the rhinestone makeup technique (Euphoria vibes, anyone?!), but you can also get this neon eyeliner look with zero embellishments. Lay down a neutral shadow base (we love the matte shades from TRESLÚCE BEAUTY Resilient Alma Eyeshadow Quad), then trace a bright hue along your lash line. Pro tip: Lay down a base of white before you go in with your neon color of choice. This way you’ll get the most vivid payoff.

3. Contoured Lip Liner

The biggest ‘90s makeup trends are back, and rapper Megan Thee Stallion is fully embracing one of our favorites: visible lip liner. Unlike most matching lip combos, to get this contrasting look, you’ll need a dark lip liner and a lighter lipstick, or even a gloss, like LOVE+CRAFT+BEAUTY Glare Gloss in Dream Pop. Outline your lips using a lip liner a few shades deeper than your lips (you can overline your lips if you want a fuller effect), lightly buff the line in using your fingers or a precision brush, then fill in the center with a lighter color. Bonus points if you pair your throwback makeup looks with a matching ‘90s hairstyle trend.

4. Modern Goth

There’s this old-school makeup “rule” that states you should either choose to play up your eyes or your lips but never both. Well, we’ve never loved rules anyway, and it looks like actress Shay Mitchell is right there with us. Her deep, goth-inspired bold makeup look is equal parts moody and pretty and pairs perfectly with her soft, face-framing waves. To get this look, stick to the burgundy shades in the SHAINA B MIAMI Miami Nights Pressed Pigment Palette and pair it with an equally moody dark lipstick.

5. Graphic Eyeliner

The graphic eyeliner trend emerged a few years ago, and we’re still not over it. Our current obsession: Emily in Paris actress Ashley Park’s negative space cat eye. Her look pairs a classic winged eyeliner with an edgy floating crease, and best of all, it’s surprisingly easy to recreate. Start with a basic cat-eye shape (use a long-lasting liquid liner, like IL MAKIAGE BLACK CARD - WATERPROOF LIQUID EYELINER, to avoid smudges), then starting at the outer edge of your wing, draw a line up and across your crease, stopping just over your pupil. Remember, a Q-tip and some makeup remover are your best friends when creating a precision eyeliner look.

6. Glitter Accents

Sorry, but we’ll never stop talking about our love of glitter. It doesn’t matter if it’s glitter nail art, glitter lipstick, or glitter eyeshadow, the more shimmer and shine, the better in our books. Model Winnie Harlow’s pastel purple inner corner pop is no exception. Work a deep brown into your crease and buff a matte black along your lash lines (KARMELA COSMETICS The Defiance Palette has all the neutrals you’ll need) to create a base before tapping a glitter in your inner corners. We prefer a liquid eyeshadow for this type of precision work to avoid messy glitter fallout.

7. Draped Blush

There are a few ‘80s beauty trends that can stay in the past—sorry, side ponytails—but then there are ‘80s makeup trends like bushy brows, vivid primary colors, and draped blush (seen here on actress Lucy Boynton) that we can’t get enough of. This highly placed blush is meant to sculpt the face and add dimension, almost like you would want from a contour. The key is to start small. Tap a bit of bright color, like VIOLET VOSS Radiant Blush in Make Me Blush, over your cheekbones, temples, and brow bones. Keep adding a bit more until you reach the opacity you want, then buff out the edges using a small fluffy brush until you can’t see any harsh lines.

8. Red Eyeshadow

We’re all for experimenting with color and practically consider purple eyeshadow and green eyeshadow neutrals, but there’s something about red eyeshadow looks that can be a little scary. That is, until we spotted this bold red winged eyeshadow on actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Her smoked out cat eye takes up most of her lid space, leaving a little room for a hint of crimson at her inner corners. It’s the perfect trick to pulling off an intimidating shade like red.

Feeling inspired and want to test out some new makeup looks? Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started with your very own IPSY Glam Bag. Already an Ipster? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and Twitter @IPSY.

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