Eyeshadow – a cosmetic used to make your eyes stand out, add depth and dimension, complement eye color, and more – but when did we start wearing eyeshadow? One of the earliest examples of the use of eyeshadow in the ancient world can be found in ancient Egypt. A substance is known as “kohl” was used to accentuate the eyes of royalty. Before long the trend spread to Rome and Greece where women began to wear eyeshadow for the sake of beauty. Eventually, eyeshadow spread to India and Babylon where it was largely worn by high-class women due to its high price. From smoky to light, to shimmery and more – keep reading to find out about the evolution of eyeshadow from the last century!

1920s

During the 1920s the kohl’d eye was still in style and worn by many women around the world. In addition to the history of eyeshadow, this smoky trend was also inspired by Hollywood “it” girls like Clara Bow and Greta Garbo who were icons at the time. Colors were not common, although when worn they were dark tones of green or blue.

1930s

In this decade, women tended to play around more with eyeshadow and used it to create dimension and a bigger lid. Evening looks were created using a shimmer shadow covering the lid and a darker shadow to create the illusion of having bigger eyes. Florence Nightingale Graham, who went by the business name Elizabeth Arden, and built the massive cosmetics empire in the United States first introduced color harmony – matching eyeshadow colors to your outfit.

1940s

It is said that in the 1940s wearing makeup was seen as part of the war effort to boost morale for the troops – what do you think of this? Women still followed the color harmony and often matched their eyeshadow to the color of their evening dresses. Another trend that came about was balancing out eyeshadow with lip color – if you were wearing a bold lip then a more subtle eyeshadow would be worn and vice versa

1950s

The end of the Second World War brought new affluence for cosmetic advertisers as they began to use models for more upscale advertising. Doe-looking eyes were on-trend and defined eye shapes were popular. Colors like silver and copper were also prominent in this era.

1960s

Vibrant colors were on-trend during this groovy era! With the counterculture of hippies booming in the 60s and their bold and bright looks, colors such as blue, green, purple, and pink were popular and often worn covering the entire eyelid along with bright or funky clothing. Influential figures like Twiggy created iconic looks using black shadow to define her crease, along with a bright color on the lid. Lastly, the London emporium ‘Biba’ introduced eye shadows in several colors with pigment for deeper skin tones. 

1970s

The Disco Decade is here, and everyone is wearing bright colors – even on their eyelids! The fluorescent or neon trend was booming, and many wore similar shadow shades to match their bright and flamboyant looks. Eyeshadow looks are also often paired with bright red lipstick.

1980s

Electric blue eyeshadow is a look that defines the decade. With pop icons like Madonna defining the industry, many women interpreted and re-did her looks. In the 80s, may also experiment with different bright and bold colors covering the lid at once.

1990s

Grunge and punk rock become influential and also interpreted in the beauty industry through moody and deep-colored looks like greys, dark purples, deep blues, and more. More neutral tones are readapted and worn with both daytimes as well as evening looks.

2000s

Frosty eyeshadows like whites, silvers, and light blues were on-trend with icons like Britney Spears and Christina Aguila flaunting these seemingly winter-inspired looks. These were prominent for a majority of the 2000s but shifted to more extravagant looks with the rise of social media towards the end of the decade.

2010s

Eyeshadow looks are eclectic and embracing every form in this decade. With influential makeup-up artists taking over social media, makeup has become an art form. From inspiration from every decade to SFX makeup imitating famous television characters, and new trends like the halo and cut crease becoming popular – the eyeshadow game has gone through a revolutionary change.