Last summer, neon was a huge trend when it came to swimwear and activewear. We saw no shortage of hot pink leggings, neon green bathing suits, and electric-toned minibags. But this year, the trend is sneaking beyond just clothing.
For summer 2021, neon shades (in every color of the rainbow) will be invading your makeup arsenal. From simple flickers of color to bold, structured looks, there’s a neon look for everyone. Ahead, discover our personal favorites of the season, from blurred-out neon lavender lids to Lizzo’s glittery electric blue liner.
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Simple Neon Green Liner
If you’re making your first foray into neon makeup (or just looking for a way to keep the trend on the subtle end of the spectrum), you can’t go wrong with classic neon green. To recreate this look as seen on Salem Mitchell, it’s as easy as just streaking on a gel liner in your desired hue, just along the upper lash line.
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Hot Pink Wing
Those looking for something a bit bolder or runway-inspired can recreate this look by makeup artist Patrick Ta in just about any shade of the neon rainbow (though we love the way hot pink looks against dark brows and baby pink lips, as pictured here). To create this structured look on your own, try mixing your eyeshadow of choice with a few drops of water to create a creamy consistency. Then dip a thin, angled brush into your concoction and outline your desired tip (we recommend using the edge of a business card to get the ultra-sharp lines you see here). Lastly, fill in using the same mixture of shadow and water, but with a regular eyeshadow brush to fill in the lines.
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Neon Sunset Eyes
While we love a swath of neon across the lash line or entire lid, there’s something particularly gorgeous about this half-moon detailing — it’s almost reminiscent of a summer sunset. To recreate the look, you’ll need an ultra finely-tipped liquid liner in the neon shade of your choice. (While your first instinct might be to reach for eyeshadow for this look since it’s above the eyelid, you’ll get a much more precise application with liquid liner.) Let the neon hues shine by keeping the rest of your makeup fairly minimal and neutral.
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Monochromatic Moment
While you can certainly pair your neon makeup look with a black or nude outfit, there’s nothing wrong with finishing the look with even more neon, as Kendall Jenner has done here. Try creating a simple eyeliner look (with the subtlest flick of a wing at the ends to draw the eye upwards) in the neon color of your choosing, then top things off with a monochromatic top and some chunky jewelry within the same color family.
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Neon Haze
Neon makeup certainly lends itself to quick, sharp lines and flashes of color, but you can also use neon hues to create soft, blurred-out looks, like this electric lavender seen on Olivia Munn. To recreate this look, you’ll want to use a sharp, angled eyeshadow brush to concentrate color heavily along both the upper and lower lash line to create some dimension. Then dip a dome-shaped blending brush into the same color and diffuse it across the lid and into the crease of the eye. As a final touch to awaken the eyes, add a pop of a slightly lighter shade of neon purple to the inner corners of the eyes.
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Electric Blue
While greens and yellows are what we more commonly think of as neon shades, blue is getting the neon treatment this season, too. For those that don’t want to cover their entire lids with neons, try creating whatever your typical eyeliner would look like with black or brown liner, then add an outline of electric blue for the subtlest of accents.
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Neon Ombre
Who says your lashes can’t get in on the neon trend? We love the way this neon look fades from a rich, royal purple on the lashes to a bright blue below the lower lashline. Try Lime Crime’s Nebula Mascara paired with Colourpop’s Sky Walking Eyeshadow Palette (plus some patience) to recreate the look.
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Yellow All-Over
Yellow is a staple of the neon family and one that brings to mind thoughts of warmth, brightness, and joy. These days, we could all use an extra dose of happiness, so we’re opting for looks that go a bit more heavy-handed on the yellow. We’re particularly loving this all-over lid look by Ryan Norville.
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Slime Green Lids
The glossy finish on this neon green shadow gives us slimy vibes (and we do mean that as a compliment). And the good news is, you don’t have to purchase a brand new liquid eyeshadow to get the effect. To recreate the same high-shine, lacquer-y finish as seen in this example on Katie Jane Hughes, just combine your eyeshadow of choice with a bit of a non-glittery long-wear lip gloss. (We recommend using an eyeshadow primer to extend the wear and prevent creasing.)
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Glitter Neon
If neon hues aren’t quite bold enough for you, try incorporating some glitter into the look. Here, Lizzo — the queen of taking beauty looks to the next level — is wearing double-winged liner topped off with a glittery blue liner in the crease of her lids. To prevent transfer (and to keep the lines looking as sharp as possible), we recommend using a liquid liner for the double wings and the blue arch. Try Marc Jacobs Beauty’s Highliner Liquid Liner, then top it off with some loose glitter (or a translucent glitter liner).
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