20 easy eye makeup looks that are so dramatic, you won't miss your lipstick

Lipstick, step aside. With protective face masks being the norm every time you get out of the house, playing up your eyes has never been more important now. Lipsticks will slip-slide under there, and even a bold contour look stands to get smudged (and half covered). If you look up #MaskMakeup on Instagram, you'll find bright colours and bold textures, and they're all-systems-go on the nose-up part of the face only. You could play it safe—a neutral smoky eye will never do you wrong—but if you have the time and the inclination to play with the shades in your eyeshadow palette that will never hit pan, this is the time to do it. “I’ve only been dreaming about using colour right now. Happy colours, pastels, pop hues, I want to try them all. Lilac to orange, yellow to powder blue. The quarantine has been so grey, I want to use colours that can brighten up your day," shared makeup artist Mitesh Rajani. 

But eye makeup can be intimidating—all those cut-creases, complicated blending and perfect cat-eyes can be hard to replicate if you're a newbie. Even if you're following a tutorial, all the steps can get difficult to follow. But what's harder is figuring out what you want to create on your lid space, especially with all the colours and textures there are on offer.  If you're nervous to try something new, look to makeup artist Jordan Liberty: “Makeup is wearable art. It’s a form of self expression. It’s transformative, and yet it’s so fleeting because it’s temporary. You can take it off, so it’s only a matter of trying,” he shared. 

We combed through Instagram to find the best eye makeup looks, from simple graphic eyeliner looks to bolder multi-coloured makeup across the lid. Check them out:

Also read:

5 cool eye makeup tricks for girls who wear glasses

6 pro-level eye makeup techniques you can master while you're at home

5 of Bollywood's favourite makeup artists on their favourite eye makeup trends to try with masks