Low-Effort Eye Looks Are The Hottest Makeup Trend For Spring 2024
The time has come to retire the heavy-eye looks and replace them with much less makeup. For years, the makeup world has been obsessed with overdone eye makeup, like smoky eyes, cut creases, graphic eyeliner, and dramatic false lashes to top things off. Now, thanks to the popular clean girl aesthetic, it's all about the quick and low-effort eye looks, just in time for springtime no-makeup makeup days.
Low-effort eye looks aim for a natural appearance, almost as if the wearer has put little to no work into doing their eye makeup. Often, though, the lighter, more natural eye looks do put the work in and require at least a light coat of mascara and sometimes nude and brown eyeshadow. Because while you may take this trend literally and live your best bare-faced life, some people still want to enhance their best features with a little bit of effortless makeup — with Hailey Bieber and Olivia Rodrigo being at the forefront of this makeup movement.
Why are people going the less-is-more route? "It gives a refreshing, youthful look to the face for those wanting to lean into that effortless makeup look," founder of LYS Beauty Tisha Thompson told Who What Wear. There are at least five ways you can rock the low-effort eye look this spring and look like your most effortlessly beautiful self.
A hint of eyeliner
Although people tend to think of eyeliner as the cherry on top of a carefully crafted, full-glam eye look, this doesn't always need to be true. In fact, you should try wearing eyeliner with little to no mascara or eyeshadow.
For this subtle liner look, keep the rest of your face simple, adding hints of blush and bronzer for a natural flush. Then, take a pencil liner or a liner brush dipped in black or brown eyeshadow and trace a small wing over the lash line. Finally, smudge it out for a lightly smoky effect.
Light mascara
While some clean girl beauty lovers choose to skip the mascara step on light makeup days, the right subtle mascara will enhance your lashes and their natural length like nothing else will. Nowadays, most brands have their own version of natural-looking mascara.
Over your version of clean girl makeup, choose your most subtle lengthening or volumizing mascara (depending on your taste) and add just one coat per eye. And just a tip: To tie your low-effort eye look to the rest of your face, lightly apply the same blush you used on your cheeks to your eyelids.
Natural eyeshadow looks
Do not think that eyeshadow is banned from the low-key eye makeup trend. It's not. But when you do reach for eyeshadow, make sure you're sticking to nudes and browns. And if you feel like you're lacking color, use the trick above and apply a feather-light coating of your blush on your eyelids, as well.
In order to keep your eye makeup looking effortless and chic, apply your eyeshadow with a very light hand and use no more than two shades. Feel free to apply a little mascara to complete this look.
Colorful mascara
If you're the type of makeup-lover who can't live without their pop of color, in whatever form it may come, you can still partake in this neutral eye trend. That's what colored mascara is made for, after all.
On a clean-ish slate — blush and lip combo aside — apply a brightly colored mascara on your natural lashes. More than just lengthening and volumizing your lash hairs, this will provide that missing vibrancy and bring out the color in your eyes. Blue mascara is great for light-colored eyes, like blues and greens, and red or violet hues match brown-eyed gals.
Bare eyes and all smiles
The most low-effort you can get with this trend is embracing the all-natural look and going completely bare-faced. Or at least bare-eyed. If you're already on board with the clean girl aesthetic, this might be an easier step than you might think.
Try rocking your bare (and naturally stunning) eyes with your regular no-makeup makeup, complete with a light layer of cream blush, minimal concealer, and a rosy-pink lip with gloss on top. No eyeshadow or mascara is needed, but fluffing up your eyebrows with gel and curling your lashes are both perfectly fine.