20 Ways to Wear the Holographic Makeup Trend—From Futuristic Foil to Iridescent Opal

Gigi Hadid wears warm-toned holographic eye makeup and voluminous wavy hair — @patrickta

Whether you walk into a rave, HomeGoods, or nail salon, one thing's for certain: You're bound to encounter something holographic. For those who don't know, holographic is the term used to describe anything designed with shimmering, iridescent colors; it has an almost ethereal quality that has both nostalgic and futuristic vibes (think: Zenon's wardrobe from the Disney Channel hit, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century). What began as a fashion, home decor, and nail art trend has now overflowed into the beauty world with holographic makeup looks popping up left and right.

While achieving a holographic makeup look isn't quite as simple as adding holographic desk accessories to your office or opting for a holo powder finish on your nails, it's not impossible. The trick is knowing which products to use and how to apply them. Ready to give it a whirl? Ahead. you'll find 20 holographic makeup looks worth recreating. You can reserve them for special occasions or incorporate them into your daily life for a little extra pizzazz.

01 of 20

Holographic Purple Lid look

Model with holographic purple eyeshadow, glossy lips, and blush — @nikki_makeup

Holographic items often have a semi-pastel quality to them. As such, you don't necessarily have to have holographic makeup to create an iridescent end look. So long as you apply shimmery pastel colors with care, you can mimic a holographic finish. Case in point: This purple lid look, which features three shades of shimmering purple shadow. To create the look, celebrity makeup artist Nikki Wolff used shimmering shades from the Natasha Denona Pastel Eyeshadow Palette ($69) and the LH Cosmetics Shimmer Saga Quad ($42).

02 of 20

Warm Holo Lids

Since holographic makeup is so bold in its own right, you don't even have to use it all over to create a head-turning look. Just look at this slick lid look that celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta created on Gigi Hadid. While he didn't reveal which products he used, to achieve an overall glossy finish, you can top off any eyeshadow with an eye gloss, like the Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix Eye, Cheek, & Lip Cream Pigment ($18) in clear.

03 of 20

Subtle Holo Lids

Model wears subtle neutral holographic eyeshadow and radiant complexion makeup — @nikki_makeup

You'll notice throughout this gallery that when it comes to holographic makeup looks, few makeup artists embrace the trend quite as much as Wolff. Here, she opted for a subtle holographic shimmer extending from the inner eyes out toward the wings, transforming from white to peach in the process.

04 of 20

Graphic Holo Statement Eye

Model with holographic eyeshadow and highlighter and statement graphic eyeliner — @nikki_makeup

Holographic makeup can be subtle or bold, depending on how you style it. Here, Wolff opted for the latter by encasing a holo lid look (which she created using the since-discontinued Danessa Myricks Beauty Infinite Light Palette) within a graphic black double-wing tip outline. But that's not all: She also used a holographic highlighter to really drive the look home.

05 of 20

Holographic Lilac Lips

Woman with monochromatic lilac makeup featuring matte eyeshadow and holographic lips — @roseandben

Beauty influencer Rose Siard is never one to shy away from bold colors and finishes—and she regularly fulfills follower requests. Here, she tested the viral Queen Cosmetics Hemp Infused Gloss ($14) in Aurora overtop the Urban Decay Vice Lip Bond Glossy Liquid Lipstick ($27) in Solo Player. The result is ethereally stunning.

06 of 20

Holographic Double Wings

Model with cobalt holographic double-winged eyeshadow and radiant highlighter — @nikki_makeup

While many (perhaps even most) holographic makeup looks are on the lighter, more pastel side of things, it's possible to achieve a shade-shifting end look with a darker color palette. Just look at this makeup masterpiece: Although Wolff didn't divulge the exact products used, it's safe to say you could recreate the look by starting with an intense black eyeliner (like the Valentino Twin Liner Gel and Liquid Eyeliner, $40) to create the thick wing and topping it off with holographic greenish-blue eyeshadow (like the shades Sixth Sense or Out of Body from the Danessa Myricks Beauty Lightwork Vol. IV: Transcendence Palette, $125).

07 of 20

A Starry Night Palette

Model with celestial holographic eyeshadow and glossy lips — @danessa_myricks

One look at this shimmery, shade-shifting lid look and we're picturing the dreamy swirls in Van Gogh's "Starry Night." To create the look, apply holographic blue, yellow, and green eyeshadows. Specifically, this makeup moment is yet another mastered with the Danessa Myricks Beauty Lightwork Vol. IV: Transcendence Palette.

08 of 20

Holographic Inner Eye Highlight

Model with holographic blue inner eye highlight, pale peach eyeshadow, and warm-toned blush — @danessa_myricks

Remember: You don't have to opt for an entirely holographic lid look to explore the trend for yourself. Here, you can see how something as simple as holographic mint inner eye highlights can completely transform an otherwise neutral makeup look.

09 of 20

Magenta Holo Lid Look

Close-up of eye with gold and magenta holographic eyeshadow — @danessa_myricks

While many holographic makeup looks employ cool purple, blue, and green tones, you can absolutely adapt warmer shades for the trend, too. To recreate this lid look, you'll need—you guessed it—the Danessa Myricks Beauty Lightwork Vol. IV: Transcendence Palette. Simply apply the Paradise shade in the shape of a wing tip and touch up the edges with a cotton swab dipped in micellar water. If you prefer working with loose powder shadows, the Karla Cosmetics Romance Opal Multi Chrome Loose Eyeshadow ($26) is very similar.

10 of 20

Holographic Highlight

For a monochrome holographic moment, take Wolff's lead and use the Karla Cosmetics Opal Multi Chrome Loose Eyeshadow ($26) in Insomnia on both the eyes and cheeks.

11 of 20

Holo Lids and Lips

Model with multicolored holographic eyeshadow and purple holographic lipstick — @nikki_makeup

This holographic lid and lip look is giving '90s vibes with its deep plum tones. To create a similar look, try using the Rituel de Fille Celestial Sphere Gelée Eye Gloss ($39) in Rosa and Andromeda. Best of all, if you take a gloss approach, you can just swipe it on with your fingers for a slightly grungier, more lived-in end look.

12 of 20

Holographic Statement Liner

Side view of model with radiant skin and holographic statement light blue eyeliner — @lilly_keys

While you might not be itching to rock a holographic highlighted jawline, here you can see how stunning even the simplest pale blue take on the trend can look. To create the look, celebrity makeup artist Lilly Keys used an undisclosed Danessa Myricks Beauty shade. (Can you tell that celebrity makeup artist Danessa Myricks—AKA the creator of Danessa Myricks Beauty—is pretty much the queen of holo?!)

13 of 20

Holographic Purple Eye Makeup

Myricks created this richly pigmented holographic lid look to tease her Lightwork Vol. IV: Transcendence Palette ahead of its launch back in September 2022. To take the look over the top, she finished it off with her brand's Colorfix Eye, Cheek, & Lip Cream Pigment ($18) in the shade Plum Wine.

14 of 20

Holographic Cut Crease

This holographic cut crease is one for the books. To create the look, Wolff used shades from the Beauty Bay New Mood Palette ($11) topped off with Karla Cosmetics' Opal Moonstone Multichrome Loose Eyeshadow ($26) in Moody Cow.

15 of 20

Holographic Cheeks and Lids

Model with pink holographic eyeshadow, highlighter, and blush — @nikki_makeup

Let this be your proof that holographic makeup doesn't have to be fully opaque or highly pigmented. Wolf created a sheer wash of holo color using the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerize Cream Eyeshadow ($34) in Amber Gold, topped off with shades It's You and Oh Hey Bouquet from the Morphe 9P Petal Passion Artistry Palette ($13).

16 of 20

Pastel Holo Lids

Katie Jane Hughes wears pastel holographic eye makeup and radiant skin — @katiejanehughes

For a subtle, shade-shifting pastel shimmer, copy celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes. To get the look, try using the ColourPop Cosmetics She's a Rainbow Shadow Palette ($40) or the Natasha Denona Pastel Eyeshadow Palette ($69).

17 of 20

Holographic Smoky Eye

This holographic smoky eye has nautical vibes that we can't get enough of. While the color of this lid look is multifaceted and shade-shifting, it's actually created using just one shade from the Danessa Myricks Beauty Lightwork III Experience Palette: Galaxy. Since that's sold out, though, you could create a similar look using the Danessa Myricks Beauty Twin Flames Liquid Eyeshadow ($26) in Soulmate or Rituel de Fille's Celestial Sphere Gelée Eye Gloss ($39) in Scarabaeus.

18 of 20

Holographic Peach Eyeshadow

Wolff may not have revealed the products used to create the lid look here, but that shouldn't stop you from trying to recreate it—truly, it's too good not to. For a similar sheer holographic peach lid look, use the Pat McGrath Labs ChromaLuxe Artistry Pigment Star Wars Edition ($32) in the shade Smuggler's Spice and lightly dab it with a tiny bit of the Violet Voss Eye Glitter Topper ($15) in the shade Infinity.

19 of 20

Holographic Purple and Blue Lids

Model with braided high pigtails and holographic purple and blue eye makeup — @patmcgrathreal

With the Pat McGrath Labs Mthrshp Mega: Celestial Nirvana ($62) palette, you'll be able to bring this dreamy holographic lid look to life, along with many others.

20 of 20

Sheer Holo Lids

Model with sheer holographic eyeshadow and graphic winged outline — @nikki_makeup

To keep your holographic makeup on the more refined side, contain a shimmery eyeshadow within a soft winged tip. The best way to mimic this type of outline is with a creamy pencil that's easy to smudge and touch up with micellar water.

Hailey Bieber's Dewy Foundation Trick Works Like a Charm