From Princess Diana to Dua Lipa, how to wear coloured lashes

After years of clean-girl skin and the quiet reign of black mascara, coloured lashes are back as an act of rebellion that doesn’t demand a new personality, a smoky eye or the kind of precision that turns winged liner into a high-stakes sport. Bold in concept, surprisingly polite in execution – one swipe is enough to look like you tried without looking like you’re trying. The runway helped make the case by treating lashes like an accessory on their own. At the spring/summer 2026 collections, Anna Sui leaned into a dreamy wash of blues, with Pat McGrath finishing the eyes with sky-blue lashes that made colour feel airy rather than theatrical. At Eckhaus Latta, Isamaya Ffrench went for ethereal, semi-transparent white lashes that caught the light against otherwise quiet skin, while at Collina Strada, that same lash language turned more mischievous, with pastel, feline-inspired lashes that made colour feel like a subtle statement. In a way, coloured mascara works precisely because it sits in that sweet spot between statement and short-cut: a quick, low-commitment way to experiment with pigment without having to build an entire look around it. The rest of the face can stay intentionally uncomplicated – the lashes do the talking. And culturally, the timing makes sense. We’re in an era that loves small, easily repeatable beauty gestures and a TikTok GRWM that doesn’t require a full-scale makeover. When Dua Lipa posted a carousel featuring turquoise lashes, the internet treated it like a wearable instruction. But burgundy has been the gateway drug, as the shade that lets you flirt with colour while still being subtle about it: dark enough to read as normal from a distance, warm enough to soften the whites of the eyes and make your lashes look slightly fuller. TikTok did what it does best and turned the shade into a chorus, and when Millie Bobby Brown described a burgundy formula as her favourite mascara for a date night, it effectively became a permission slip for anyone who’s been curious but cautious. There’s also a strong argument that we’ve been here before – specifically in the 1980s, when blue eye make-up wasn’t a quirky choice. Princess Diana’s signature is most often described as electric-blue liner hugging the waterline, but the colour story didn’t always stop there: beauty reporting has credited her with wearing a deep blue mascara, too, notably an Elizabeth Arden shade called Ocean Blue that later became something of a modern reference point as a pigment that sits close to a classic neutral but adds some playfulness to the look. That reads-almost-black idea is exactly how make-up artist Lindsay Kastuk recommends easing in. “I’d start with a deeper shade that feels close to black or brown since you’re already used to a darker shade,” she says. “Burgundy, brown, deep green are all great choices to start with. They will appear almost black from a distance but still give the pop of a different colour closer up.” And if you’re worried you’ll get it wrong, her answer is essentially: you’re overthinking it. “Sometimes we may feel a little scared to break out of our routines and go-to make-up looks, but it’s always fun to try something new,” she says. “Coloured mascara is a great way to mix it up a bit without making a huge change.” Once you’re comfortable, shade becomes less about rules and more about contrast. Burgundy and plum tend to make green and hazel eyes look brighter, while brown eyes can handle almost anything. Teal and cobalt pop especially well against deeper irises without tipping into cartoon territory, while blue eyes are where navy and deep brown shine because they echo without matching too much. The cheat code for wearable colour is layering, and it’s the technique make-up artists have been using for years to soften anything that risks looking too stark. Start with your usual black or brown, then sweep colour over the top so it reads as a tint rather than a full pigment shift; you get dimension, but it still feels like you. If you want it even subtler, concentrate colour on the tips, keep it to the outer corners like a whisper of a flick, or wear it on the lower lashes only so it peeks out when you blink. Of course, coloured mascara is also easier to wear now because the formulas have caught up. You can get a genuinely good burgundy at the chemist – Maybelline’s Sky High in Burgundy Haze is a common starter, and L’Oréal Paris Voluminous in Deep Burgundy has become internet-famous off the back of Millie Bobby Brown talking about it. For turquoise and electric blues, it tends to split into two lanes: playful, easy options like ColourPop’s BFF Mascara, and higher-impact pigments that really show up on the lash, like Half Magic Eyelectric and Shiseido Controlled Chaos. Luxury has leaned in too: Yves Saint Laurent Beauty Lash Clash and Chanel Le Volume in Blue Night do that deep, inky, almost-black effect. And if your lashes are naturally very dark and you want the colour to actually register, beauty editors and make-up artists often recommend a simple but effective step: a light-toned primer or base coat first, then colour on top, so the pigment has something to sit on.

From Princess Diana to Dua Lipa, how to wear coloured lashes

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Mascara is going beyond black and brown to embrace shades from subtle burgundy to bold blue, with stars like Millie Bobby Brown leading the flutter

Mascara is going beyond black and brown to embrace shades from subtle burgundy to bold blue, with stars like Millie Bobby Brown leading the flutter