Frosty Silver, Baby Blue, and Cherry Red—Cool-Toned Makeup Is the (Unexpected) Star of the Summer


Each season has a stereotypical color palette. It's why we tend to associate pastels with springtime, harvest-esque colors with fall, and dark, moody ones with winter. As for summer, it has historically centered around warm, sun-kissed colors—think lively peach, bright coral, and glistening gold. The beauty landscape reflects this. People usually reach for gold-flecked body shimmers, peachy lip products, and coral-hued nail polish as temperatures rise.
This year, though, the internet is flipping the script and saying "no thanks" to those traditional warm-toned colors. People are favoring cool-toned makeup looks (and products) instead. Countless makeup artists and content creators—even celebs!—are sharing cool-toned makeup looks on social media (shout-out to Dua Lipa and her cool-toned, turquoise mascara!).
According to Pinterest's Summer 2025 Trend Report, cool-toned makeup is being searched at an all-time high. "Summer cool-toned makeup" is up 376%, whereas blue and red eye shadow searches are up around 1000% respectively.
So, what's this all about? Why has cool-toned makeup become, well, so cool for summer? I reached out to two top makeup artists to answer this question and gather all the cool-toned makeup inspo I could possibly get. Keep scrolling!
Dua Lipa posted this picture of her applying turquoise mascara on Instagram.
What Makes a Color Cool vs. Warm?
Whether a color is considered warm or cool comes down to our perception and association with it. For example, silver, plum, and sky blue are traditionally considered cool colors, whereas most shades of brown, gold, and yellow are traditionally considered warm colors. It's worth noting that the same color can be warm or cool depending on the shade. Take red, for instance. Brick red is considered warm, whereas cherry red is often considered cool.
Many of us use cool-toned products every day without realizing it—whether it's a gray-toned contour stick, a stony shade of eye shadow, or a baby-pink blush. Take it from David Razzano, makeup artist and Sephora beauty director. "Personally, I have always been obsessed with cool taupe shades and gray eye shadows. There is something classic and chic about a softly contoured eye, incorporating cool tones. It harkens back to classic vintage beauty. I also always love a cool-toned baby-pink powder blush, which is often overlooked these days. The magic of a romantic wash of baby pink on the cheeks is always stunning."
This cool-toned makeup look, created by Razanno, is stunning. The powder blue and baby-pink combo is so good.
Why Are Cool-Toned Colors Trending RN?
"I think a big reason cool-toned makeup is having its renaissance is due to the oversaturation of warm-toned makeup, which we've seen for over a decade," Razzano says. "It's only natural for the cycle of trends to sway back towards the opposite spectrum. The return of '90s makeup and Y2K makeup has also furthered the return of cool tones in beauty, as that period was primarily all centered on these shades—from the '90s matte grays, cold browns, and plums to the 2000s silver frosted eye shadows and baby-pink sparkly lips."
Kelli Anne Sewell, celebrity makeup artist and founder of the Makeup by Kelli Anne tutorial app, seconds this, saying, "Cool-toned makeup will forever be a little more edgy and pays homage to the '90s supermodel glam." Also, since facial shadows are naturally cool-toned, she says using them can generally make the face (particularly the eyes and cheekbones) look more sculpted.
Sewell created this stunning makeup look on her client, Alix Earle. It's proof that "cool-toned" can also mean "neutral."
Do Cool-Toned Colors Work for All Skin Tones?
"Everyone can do cool-tone looks," Sewell says. You don't have to use bold colors, either. Neutral colors like taupe, brown, and black can all be cool-toned. Try using a cool-toned contour stick or eye shadow to embrace an edgy, sculpted look. "It's the art of creating shadows on the face," she says. "It's fun to experiment, create, and try something new."
Razzano agrees, saying there's one key thing to keep in mind when shading eyes. "Just like when we contour our face, regardless of the skin tone, we look for a neutral-to-cool product to mimic the natural shadow, because all shadows are neutral/cool," he says. "Anyone looking to create natural-looking sculpted eyes will get a better effect with neutral, cool tones."
Generally speaking, though, Razanno thinks cool-toned makeup often gets a bad rap. "The era of warm-toned makeup fueled a misconception that someone with deep skin tone or warm undertones should avoid cool-toned makeup, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Deep skin tones look magical with silvery tones on the eyes and cool tones on the lips; it actually enhances the beauty of their complexion. Also, I love to use a blue eye shadow on someone with warm skin tones, as the contrast creates a gorgeous aspect of the look."
At the end of the day, makeup is supposed to be expressive, artistic, and experimental, so it's worth playing around with cool-toned products to see what happens. You just might find your new favorite look.
Here's an example of just how "magical" silvery tones look on deep skin tones. Razzano also created this look.
The Best Cool-Toned Makeup Products
Both makeup artists recommend this eye shadow palette. "This is a perfect palette, filled with neutral and cool-toned shadows that can be used on any skin tone to create natural and dramatic eye looks with ease," Razanno says.
Sewell seconds that. "I typically use the Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette (The Neutrals), which has a completely cool color story, meaning all shades in the palette have a cool undertone," she says. "This palette works on all skin tones because of the ranges and tones of the shadow."
"The Huda Beauty: Icy Nude Eyeshadow Palette is incredibly gorgeous, and perfect for creating modern icy eye looks," Razanno says. "Think of those early 2000s cool-toned silvers and frosted shimmers paired with stunning matte tones! I've found myself using this palette a lot lately!"
"Danessa Myricks Beauty: ColorFix Multi-Use Eye Cheek and Lip Pigment in the shade Oasis is the perfect pastel blue," Razanno says. "I love to use it alone as a wash of color over the eye. It creates a striking pop of color that looks amazing on every skin shade. And if you're feeling adventurous, it can also be used as a liquid liner to create a runway-ready pastel-blue liner look!"
As previously mentioned, cherry red is considered a cool color, and this juicy gloss is one of my favorite ways to wear it. Fenty Beauty's Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer + Plumper in the shade Hot Cherry is a cushiony, moisturizing lip gloss and plumper hybrid. It deposits the most stunning sheer wash of color.
Associate Beauty Editor, Alyssa Brascia, wears the About-Face Matte Fluid Eye Paint in Scream of Consciousness.
Razanno's next recommendation is this cool, baby-pink blush. "Tower 28 Beauty: GetSet Blur + Set Matte Powder Blush in the shade Malibu Cooler is a stunning, cool baby-pink blush that gives a delicate wash of pink to the cheeks in a gorgeous tone," he says. "Due to its rich pigmentation, it will look fantastic on deep and fair skin tones. The formula also blurs the skin for a filtered look."
Many contour products are too warm-toned to do the trick. That's why Sewell recommends Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Liquid Contour line, which she says has "accurate" undertones that look natural on the skin. "[They] have nice gray undertones to create shadows on the face," she says.
Plum, lavender, and lilac are all cool-toned shades of purple. Razanno recommends embracing the latter via this blush, saying it's "A beautiful, wearable lilac blush that melts onto the skin and creates a soft veil of color. This cool-toned purple lilac is an easy, no-risk way to bump up your blush game!" I agree.

Kaitlyn McLintock is a Beauty Editor atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing . She has 10 years of experience in the editorial industry, having previously written for other industry-leading publications, like Byrdie, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Bustle, and others. She covers all things beauty and wellness-related, but she has a special passion for creating skincare content (whether that's writing about an innovative in-office treatment, researching the benefits of a certain ingredient, or testing Wholesale Replica Bag and greatest at-home skin device). Having lived in Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas, she has since relocated back to her home state, Michigan. When she's not writing, researching, or testing beauty products, she's working through an ever-growing book collection or swimming in the Great Lakes.
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