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Home

Great Beauty: Purple Eyeshadow

We don't know if it's our Prince obsession or the fact that purple looks so stunning on brown skin, but lately, we've been spotting a slew of celebs rocking purple eyeshadow. And we're not just talking straightforward Barney purple, either--the shadows run the gamut from pale lavender to neon ultraviolet. From Eve to Estelle, here are our favorite plum-pretty superstars.
By · July 8, 2010October 29, 2020
01
Purple Reign

Lala Vasquez’s matte purple eyeshadow is the perfect compliment to her green eyes.

02
Red Carpet Queen

Thandie Newton’s massive ’80s-inspired curls and ultraviolet lids made her the talk of the red carpet at a recent awards show.

03
Electric Avenue

Urban Decay Stardust Eyeshadow in Retrogade ($20, sephora.com) leaves an electric, glittery sheen on lids.

04
Drama Queen

For added drama, Eve added a swoop of winged liquid liner to her lightly shaded purple lids.

05
Lovely in Lilac

By lining her lids in jet black pencil, Tia Mowry adds definition to her delicate wash of lilac eyeshadow.

06
Violet Femme

Michelle Williams accented her top and bottom lids with a stunning, ultraviolet hue.

07
Dark Shadows

CoverGirl Eye Enhancers Kit in Purple Pop ($3.19, drugstore.com) is super-flattering on all brown skin tones.

08
Dazzling Diva

For the ultimate diva finishing touch, Jada Pinkett Smith adds mile-long lashes to her purple smokey eyes.

09
Pastel Pretty

Keke Palmer’s pastel lavender lids are the perfect daytime summer look.

10
Color Guard

Estelle’s pale lilac lids are a sexy contrast to her berry lip.

11
Glamour Girl

Nars Melusine Eyeshadow Duo ($33, amazon.com) comes with a pale, metallic lavender hue and a bold matte purple shade. Glamorous!

12
Mute Button

At the American Music Awards, Rihanna balanced her bold, cherry red locks with a muted, pastel violet eyeshadow.

13
Plum Dandy

Keri Hilson rocked the red carpet in an arresting pop of plum shadow.

14
Barely There

Tatyana Ali brightens her look with a metallic amethyst shadow — and leaves the rest of her face relatively bare.

15
Fierce Foursome

Tokidoki Cromatico Eyeshadow Palette in Adieu ($19, sephora.com) comes with silver, magenta-violet, amethyst and dark grayish-plum shadow shades.

16
Violet Vamp

Chanel Iman sports a bare face with an electric pop of violet eyeshadow—such a fresh, fun look for summer!

17
Beautiful Blend

Alicia Keys goes for high drama with a sexy blend of plum and midnight blue shimmer shadows.

18
Awesome Amethyst

Beyonce goes for a sultry, slightly muted look with a blend of plum and amethyst eyeshadows. So gorgeous with her honey-blonde locks!

19
Third Time’s a Charm

Maybelline Eyestudio Trio Cream Eyeshadow Set in Purple Possibilities ($5.19, drugstore.com) comes with gold, plum and shimmery lilac hues.

20
Purple Haze

Garcelle Beauvais’ smokey purple eyeshadow is the perfect compliment to her navy blouse. Such an unexpectedly brilliant pairing!

21
Hot Stuff

Naturi Naughton showcases her sweet, almond-shaped eyes with a smudge of neon ultraviolet eyeshadow. So not for the timid…

22
Summertime Chic

With her rose lipstick, major lashes and softly blended lilac eyeshadow, Ashanti is the epitome of summertime chic.

23
Smoke Signals

Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad in Smokey Purple ($5, drugstore.com) comes with four plum-perfect hues that make a gorgeous nighttime eye.

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