The Beauty Beat: Blue eyeshadows are back

What came first? The blue eyeshadow trend or Kim Kardashian West’s latest beauty collaboration with her friend and make-up artist Mario Dedivanovic. We might never know, but it’s true that blue lids have made a comeback, with or without the help of the reality TV star.

The particular shade that everyone’s eyes have been on is a rich, shimmery cobalt blue — as seen with the Libra shade from the KKW x Mario palette and the Blitz Blue shade from Pat McGrath Labs’ Mothership I: Subliminal Palette. Fun fact: Instagram account Diet Prada threw a little shade by pointing out that the blue eyeshadow in Kardashian West’s palette is strikingly similar to the one in McGrath’s and in the same position. Coincidence? That’s one more thing we may never know.

What we do know, however, is that we want all the blue eyeshadows — from those deep cobalts, to fresh teals and midnight tones. Here are our top eyeshadow picks that will help you get your azure fix on any budget.

Budget blues

Misslyn Eye Mazing Eyeshadow Set No 59 Omg No Selfie Please: If you can ignore the unnecessarily long name of this product, you’ve got a winner on your hands. There are three eyeshadows — two of them blue and both quite wearable. It comes for the price of a fast food lunch, so even if you end up hating the blue eyeshadow trend and want to dump this in the trash, you won’t have major buyer’s remorse. (Dh29 at Virgin Megastore.)

Essence Midnight Masquerade Effect Eyeshadow in Keep Your Midnight Secret: I actually like this product’s name, and this shade of eyeshadow. It is indeed a midnight blue with a pretty shimmer effect to it. Because of how dark it is, it might be a little intimidating to wear, so start out by smudging it onto the lash line as an eyeliner first and then see how it goes. (Dh17 on noon.com)

Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Coconut: This shade has nothing to do with coconuts, but I’m nuts for it. It’s a beautiful peacock teal that looks extra special on darker skin tones. The cool thing about Colourpop’s eyeshadow formula is how pigmented, soft and creamy they are. They’re best applied with the finger, and then lightly blended out with a brush. (Dh18 on colourpop.com)

Royal blue

Nars Outremer eyeshadow: Would I wear this shade, which is described as a matte vivid blue? No. Do I want to own this shade? Yes. It’s so bright it’s almost hard to look at, which is half the appeal of this eyeshadow. (Dh135 at Sephora.)

Mac Cosmetics Moon’s Reflection: Good ol’ Mac Cosmetics is a great place to check out a wide range of high-quality blue eyeshadows. You’re sure to find a colour that suits you. This one is an ethereal light blue with white pearly shimmer, which is probably the most wearable blue out of the lot; great for daytime and not too scary to try. (Dh100 from Mac Cosmetics.)

Zoeva Opulence Eyeshadow Palette: While buying the whole 10-shade palette would count as a splurge — that’s why it’s in this section — you’re actually paying a tiny amount for that one pan of royal blue shadow. It helps that Zoeva eyeshadows are stunning and easy to wear. The rest of the colours in this palette are also quite pretty, with shimmery golds, neutrals and purples. (Dh116 from Sephora.)