PHOTO: COURTESY katiejanehughes via instagram
I was introduced to halo cut crease eyeshadow about a year and a half ago when internet celebrities and Instagram influencers were just beginning to figure out what “halo eyes” exactly were. My friend Reagan and I were hanging out one day in her dorm room, and she asked to do my makeup. She told me, “I want to try a halo eye on you,” and I replied “Huh? What in the world does that mean?”See, it sounds pretty and is in reality. But, you tell me what you envision when you don’t know what it is. I couldn’t even imagine it.
What Is A Halo Cut Crease?
If we’re talking about appearances, think of an early Renaissance painting of an angel. The halo appears around the head of the divine presence in them, surrounded by soft yellows intended to resemble emanating light. That is the effect a halo cut crease has! It is gorgeous and sweet, yet bold and eccentric. I appreciate the artistic aspect of the trend.
While they are a bit difficult to apply to look like an Instagram makeup artist (MUA), halo eyeshadow is not hard to do on a whim if you wanted to give it a try! When doing a halo cut crease, you primarily apply a base color like a soft brown, apply the accent color like a red tone to both the outer and inner corners, apply the crease color and blend out, and then apply the highlight to the center of the eyelid. It creates an angelic or other-worldly feel, hence the name “halo.” To this day, it is one of my favorite eyeshadow looks.
Halo Eyeshadow Inspiration
It can be hard to get inspired when being artistic, but these lovely ladies can help get your creative juices flowing! These are just some of my favorite halo eyes looks, but don’t be afraid to create your own!
Instagram MUA Laila Tahri (@lailatahri) does a beautiful expression of the halo cut crease, although she does spread the highlight over most of her eyelid. She takes darker browns on the crease and edges of her lids and accents them with a gorgeous golden highlight, creating a halo-like appearance. How pretty!
MUA Missa Rankine (@makemeupmissa on Instagram) has a much bolder take on the halo eyeshadow trend, and I am in love! *insert heart eye emoji here* I am a big believer that reds and pinks should absolutely be worn together, and this lovely lady meets that belief to a tee! The highlight in the center of the halo is striking against the robust flavor of the red and the flush of pink. Yes, queen!
MUA Poly (@beautybypol on Instagram) has a gorgeous take on the halo cut crease look! Her sensuous sunset purples and golds are incredible, and look at that perfect blending! I have to give this girl major props because this perfection takes lots of practice. It. Is. Gorgeous.
Makeup artist Kat Rey used the Urban Decay “Game of Thrones” collection to complete this gorgeous halo cut crease look. The Cinderella-esque blue and silvery highlight is insane, and a definite nod to Daenerys Targaryen! Dracarys.
Halo Eyeshadow According To Celebrity Makeup Artists
Celebrity makeup artists are all about the trending looks, and Charlotte Tilbury and Katie Jane Hughes are no different!
Charlotte Tilbury is well-known for her makeup artistry on celebrities like Miranda Kerr, Cindy Crawford, Sabrina Dhowre, Amal Clooney and more! Her halo crease look is far from a traditional portrayal, but beautiful nonetheless. She uses warm, reddish-brown hues to accent the golden highlight, courtesy of her makeup collection. She dabs the gold on with the tip of her finger, directly on top of the warm brown-reds. Talk about a golden hour!
Katie Jane Hughes is well-known for her love of dewy skin and simple, yet pretty eye looks. Her talents have been shown off by celebrities like Ashley Graham and Rose Huntington-Whitley many times over. Her take on halo eyes is dewy and beautiful, just like her! She uses an extremely well-blended dark brown hue layered with a golden highlight on top. Extending the halo to her under-eye makes her look one of my favorites.
Halo Eyeshadow How To Videos
Kathleen Lights is one of my favorite Youtube makeup artists, and I love her how-to video explaining how to apply a halo cut crease! Her eyelids are perfect for the look because she has enormous eyes. The dark black color she used focuses on the very edges of her eyes, and she smoothly blends out the gold eyeshadow (apparently gold is trendy for the halo, again going back to early Renaissance art!). She layers the black with a warmer brown tone to create what she calls “a gradient effect.” She’s definitely got our seal of approval!
Jaclyn Hill is a Tampa-based Youtuber known around the world for her gorgeous makeup looks. I am o-b-s-e-s-s-e-d with her take on the halo eye. She does it a bit smokier than most, and it works incredibly for her! She starts out defining her crease with a reddish tone and applies the deeper brown color on her inner and outer edges. She is careful to blend over and over to ensure the halo is smoothly applied. She layers it with darker maroon color and layers a silvery highlight. We love it!
Thuy Le is an incredibly talented MUA. Her Instagram page is filled to the brim with gorgeous, trendy makeup looks. Her take on halo eyeshadow is incredible. The way the highlight sparkles gives me life, and I particularly love the extension of the halo to her lower lashline. Work it, girl!
Best Blending Tools For Halo Eyeshadow Look
It is essential to have the proper tools when pursuing any art. For example, how can a painter create their best art without perfectly pigmented paints and sturdy brushes?
In particular, when blending out eyeshadow, it is preferable to use the best type of makeup brushes available. Here are some fantastic options and where to find them.
Anastasia Beverly Hills is famous for their eye products, and their brushes are definitely some of the best. Their Brush A23 Large Tapered blending brush is ideal for covering more of the eye in less time, with thorough blending ability. With 4.3-star ratings, you really can’t go wrong!
PHOTO: COURTESY ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS
Get it at Ulta here.
$25 at time of publication.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Eye Blender brush is an incredible option for blending tools. Its price-tag may be slightly higher than most, but it is definitely worth it! 4.8-star ratings are ones for the books. The fine bristles make the application and blending easy as pie!
PHOTO: COURTESY CHARLOTTE TILBURY
Get it at Sephora here.
$34 at time of publication.
Best Eye Makeup For A Halo Eyeshadow Look
Pigment is of the utmost importance when it comes to choosing eyeshadow for your halo eyeshadow looks and so are highlighters. The shadow must be bold and blend out easily. The highlight must be vibrant and glistening. Here are some of the best choices for highlighter and eyeshadow to create the best halo eye look ever!
Juvia’s Place is an eyeshadow brand which makeup artists swear by. I remember during Ulta’s 25 Days of Beauty last year when the palettes sold out in seconds. They have incredible pigment and gorgeous color choices. The Warrior palette is ideal for the dark colors of the halo eye edges.
PHOTO: COURTESY ULTA
Get it at Ulta here.
$20 at time of publication.
The NAKED Heat palette by Urban Decay in a gorgeous combination of reds and browns made explicitly for blending. The colors are creamy and beautiful, and it’s no wonder the palette has a 4.8-star rating!
PHOTO: COURTESY ULTA
Get it at Ulta here.
$54 at time of publication.
To create the highlighter halo, the Stila Shimmer and Glow (also Glitter and Glow) Liquid eyeshadows are the best of the best. I personally am obsessed with this product, and it makes any highlight pop. You can put it on your cheeks or eyelids, or pretty much anywhere else you may want a highlight.
PHOTO: COURTESY ULTA
Get it at Ulta here (and here).
$24 at time of publication
Colourpop is definitely a more budget-friendly option for makeup, but their highlighters and eyeshadows are killer and creamy as heck. This golden beauty of an eyeshadow is a perfect choice for your halo eye or for accenting your cheekbones!
PHOTO: COURTESY COLOurPOP
Get it at Colourpop here.
$6 at time of publication
What Do We Think Of Halo Eyeshadow?
We think this trend is impressive and enormously underrated. The look is one of my favorites in the last few years, and we love attempting the look on ourselves! While it is trendy, I wish it was even more popular! I can’t wait to see the progression of the trend; what do you think will be next for the halo eye?
