Color Me Inspired—12 Trending Eyeliner Looks Every Cool Fashion Person Is Wearing Right Now

As someone who loves playing with makeup, I favor one product above all the rest: eyeliner. Whether you want to use neutral eyeliner to create a workday-appropriate fox eye or a bright color to create a graphic look, it's one of the most versatile makeup products out there. Eyeliner comes in just about every color under the sun, has many different formulations, and can be used in tons of ways.

Over the years, there have been plenty of eyeliner trends. We've seen cat eyes, tightliner, and more recently, iterations like siren eyes and doe eyes. There's no shortage of ideas for how to wear eyeliner, and the trends are constantly evolving.

If you've been looking for fresh eyeliner ideas to try as the seasons change, look no further. I've rounded up 12 out-of-this-world eyeliner ideas to try, ranging from outrageously fun to subtle and barely there. Keep reading for tons of inspiration to try during your next glam sesh.

The Best Eyeliner Looks of 2025

1. Throwback Tightlines

You don’t have to be a makeup savant to know that fully rimmed eyeliner is back in a big way in 2025. Though this trend might sound dated to the millennial crowd, Gen Z has welcomed this waterline-traced look with open arms—celebrities like Billie Eilish and Camila Cabello leading the pack of kohl-loving fans. Don’t want to go total dark side, though? No problem.

“A lot of people are afraid to use harsh colors in that area of the eye as there's the potential of it making your eye look smaller,” says celebrity makeup artist Dani Parkes. “I personally like to go in with either a dark or lighter brown eyeliner, depending on the client's eye color, and fill in the eye to add depth to the makeup look.” Whichever you choose, just make sure it’s waterproof.

2. Alt-Black Options

While black liners usually reign supreme, celebrity makeup artist Kasey Spickard has observed a shift to softer tones this year. “I've personally seen my clients moving away from black eyeliners and opting for dark, warm chocolate browns and burgundies,” says Spickard. “I love using MAC Costa Riche and One/Size Point Made eyeliner in Busty Brown to create winged eyeliner looks that create dimension without being that intense black that we've always seen.”

3. Swipe of White

Sticking with the waterline trend, Parkes recommends rimming your orbs with a white eyeliner to give the illusion of larger eyes. Though Alix Earle repopularized this eye-brightening technique on TikTok a few years back, this look has been alive and well in the makeup industry since the 1960s. “This was a trend of the past, and I’m happy people are embracing it again,” Parkes muses. “It gives a babydoll feel to the makeup look while also making the eyes look brighter and bigger.” However, you can also try statement liner with a white hue. Exhibit A: This re-creation-worthy glam on Charli XCX at the 2024 Brit Awards.

4. Classic Wing

You can never go wrong with a classic cat eye. Celebrity makeup artist Sloane Casper previously told Who What Wear that the easiest way to learn how to apply cat-eye liner is to use malleable formulas like creamy gel pencils and eyeliner pots. A simple flick is enough to take a neutral or bare eye shadow look into glam territory—pair it with nude lips like Selena Gomez did, or opt for a fire-engine red to really make a statement.

5. Floating Liner

Who said that the word “eyeliner” has to always be singular? Pluralize your look with an extra swipe (or two) above the lash line, over the crease of your eyelid, or under your bottom lashes for a Cher-inspired look that feels extra vintage. Extra points if you add definition with different colors, such as these contrasting black and white shades.

6. Graphic Liner

For the graphic liner–curious, try this sliced wing inspired by celebrity makeup artist Nadia Tayeh’s precise line work on Ashley Graham. To re-create, use a no-budge liquid eyeliner to apply a thick, sharp wing that nearly touches the brow bone. Let it dry for a few minutes before taking an angled cotton swab dipped in micellar water and slowly carving thin lines into the exaggerated wing, removing the makeup and cleaning up the edges of the wing as necessary.

7. Grunge Smoke

Blame it on the undeniable glamor of Sydney Sweeney’s Met Gala look or the popularity of man-repellent makeup, but grunge, smoky liners are here to stay in 2025. If precise cat eyes aren’t your forte, Parkes points out that blended, smoky liner can help emulate that angled shape in a purposefully undone way. “To achieve this kind of look, I'll map out my shape with a kohl liner like Victoria Beckham’s, buff it out, and then diffuse everything with a shadow palette like the Makeup by Mario The Original Eyeshadow palette,” Spickard explains.

8. Bejeweled Orbs

Whether you’re heading to a festival or simply want to dress up your eyes in a creative way, stick-on jewels are a great way to up your eyeliner’s ante. Form a line of rhinestones across your lash line or simply dot them around your eyes to create an ethereal, stage-worthy look in just a few seconds.

9. Sea Blue

Blue eyeliner may feel like a calling card from the ’80s, but I can’t stop dressing my eyes in this deep-sea shade in 2025. Inspired by the recent fisherman aesthetic trend, the style world’s eyes happen to be cast upon the horizon line—so you might as well do your glam to match. Try blending powder-blue eye shadows onto your lids for a delicate wash of color or pack on the pigment with a royal-blue eyeliner. (I also recommend navy for an everyday-appropriate black-eyeliner alternative.)

10. Siren Eyes

Inspired by the supermodels that ruled the ’90s (think Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington), this liner-swept, smoky-eye trend is back and better than ever in 2025. Toting fans like Emily Ratajkowski, Bella Hadid, and Zendaya, this look requires pigmented black, gray, or navy eyeliners that are easy to blend for a smoky, seductive effect. Trace your liner from the inner corners to the outer into a dramatic flick before blending out the wing and tightlining your waterline. It’s no wonder they call this alluring look the “siren” of eyeliner trends.

11. Metallic Liner

“As we go into the summer months, makeup looks tend to get more playful and fun. I've seen metallic color-shifting liners showing up on TikTok and product launches,” muses Spickard. As seen on Charli XCX, reflective, metallic eye looks are all the rage for a Brat summer (sorry, had to). “My tip with these is to lay down a black eyeliner first and then go over it with your metallic liner to really get the best impact,” Spickard adds. “I've been using Maybelline Aurora Flip for a fun pop of color while still defining the eye.”

12. Cherry Blossom Flick

It’s no secret that anything Hailey Bieber does, wears, or launches tends to dominate the trend cycle, so her baby-pink wing feels like the ultimate eyeliner trend final boss in 2025. Embody her cherry blossom eyeliner flick by tracing a light pink liner across your lash line with careful precision, tapering the line upward in a graceful dismount from your outer corners.

How to Do a Simple Eyeliner Look

According to the pros, there are a few tips worth following when creating any eyeliner look.

• Apply First: Parkes recommends applying your eyeliner first, before any face makeup. This way, in case you get teary from prodding your eyelid with a pencil, you won’t fudge anything below.
• Start Simple: “I start my eyeliner by lining the top lid first before attempting your wing,” says Spickard. “This gets your hand and brain warmed up for the main event, which is your wing.”
• Look Away: “I always say to look in the opposite direction from where you’re applying the liner,” Parkes explains. “I have very sensitive eyes, so I find this trick helps me become less teary-eyed.”
• Tightline: “Whenever I do an eyeliner look, whether black or brown, I always tightline the top lash line with a gel eyeliner,” Spickard adds. “This helps the lashes appear much more full and luscious.”

How Do You Do a Wing?

Before attempting a razor-sharp wing, remember to start with a simple swipe along the top lash. “To sketch out your wing, look straight ahead in the mirror and draw your baseline upward or outward depending on the shape you want. Then draw your top line back and connect it to your lid liner,” says Spickard.

After filling in any blank spaces, the MUA recommends using an angled Q-tip dipped in micellar water to sharpen up the lines you’ve sketched. “For the extra snatch, I take a flat concealer brush and my brightening concealer shade and follow along beneath the liner,” Spickard instructs—the secret sauce for that “extra-sharp, lifted look.”

What Type of Eyeliner Is Best for Older Eyes?

In general, the best eyeliners for older women are creamy, easy to blend, and smudge-proof. “For mature eyes, I like a softer, more diffused eyeliner look rather than something sharp and graphic,” says Spickard. Using a waterproof, longwear formula is key when working with mature skin, according to dermatologists and makeup artists. “I like to use a gel pencil along the lash line and buff it out with a small pencil eye shadow brush to create definition, but nothing too harsh. Finishing with mascara on the bottom lashes, too, can help create definition and make the eye appear larger.”