Makeup trends the past few years can be described in one word: bold. Black winged eyeliner, thick false eyelashes and deep smoky eyeshadow have made up most of the looks. However, looks are changing in the wake of a trend making a comeback: bare eyelashes and eyeshadow. This diva-styled look is the complete turnaround from past trends and is attempting to shake up the norm.

“In real life, women rely on mascara to look automatically pulled together, but as it turns out, there are other ways to fake wide eyes without it,” according to a 2017 article in The Independent. 

One step to widen the appearance of the eyes is to add a simple swipe of mascara. However, like the title, the point of the style is to leave the lashes bare and to define the curvature of the eyelid.

This trend made its way onto the runways when designers wanted to focus on  skin and would add a pop of glitter to the lid to enhance the eye.

“At Prada’s spring show, makeup artist Pat McGrath paired naked lashes with traffic-stopping red lips,” according to 2013 YouBeauty article.

If going completely au-natural makes your lashes feel a little too naked, try curling them to widen your eyes and make them appear fuller. One wand swipe of clear mascara helps the curl stay in place, conditions the lashes and gives them a glossy, finished look. 

I love this look because it’s so different from “daring” makeup. Granted, my eyelashes are extremely blonde, so when I leave my mascara at home, I look like a naked mole rat. But this trend throws everything we know about makeup out the window and gives artists the chance to try a new hand at their makeup skills.

But why stop there? Pair your bare lashes and fun eyeshadow with a bold lip color to add a dose of playful drama to your look. 

Extend the Trend, written by contributor Abby Wisecarver, is a column dedicated to covering makeup trends in the beauty community. The column will be a weekly article offering commentary on makeup looks from the runway to the street. Extend the Trend is a fun, creative outlet that analyzes current and past makeup trends and makes an argument for what should continue or what should be thrown away like an old mascara tube.