The Evolution of Eyeliner–From Rekha's 80s Smokey Liner to Kylie Jenner's Matte Wings

Lopa K

19th August, 2024
Eyeliner Makeup Trends

It seems like there’s always a new, trendy way to wear eyeliner – whether that’s a double wing, neon shades or eyeliner dotted with rhinestones. But what goes around always comes back around, and 2024 has been bringing us fresh eyeliner styles and new trends that reimagine classic liner looks from the past. This got us thinking about the eyeliner trends of past decades. Did they ditch dramatic wings for smokey eyes in the 90s? Was kajal a thing in the 80s? To satisfy our curiosity, we decided to explore the evolution of eyeliner by tracing the styles worn by the icons of each era.

In this article

Tracing The Evolution of The Eyeliner

Not feeling the brown, soft wings of the season? We’re giving you a lesson in eyeliner history from the 1980s to present day that we hope will provide plenty of inspiration.

  • 80s’ Smokey Liner

    In the 80s, the dramatic but monotonous eyeliner styles of the previous decades took a backseat in favour of a grittier look. Fashion icons like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper wore smudgy, bold eyeliner to complement their bright and neon eyeshadow looks.

    And this trend wasn't just popular in the West—it's a classic Rekha look too. What we love about her eye makeup is that she adds a dash of white to her waterline which instantly makes her eyes pop.

  • The 90s’ Clean Girl Look

    If there is one thing we know about the makeup trends cycle is that it always alternates between two extremes. Think bushy brows of the 80s versus ultra-thin eyebrows of the 90s. So, it is not surprising that today’s Clean Girl aesthetic was also preferred in the 90s.

    From Juhi Chawla and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Madhuri Dixit, the kohl-rimmed eyes stayed, but it was much cleaner and more precise. Sometimes, you’d even see a small flick of a winged liner, but the key was to keep it neat and tidy with minimal to no eyeshadow.

  • 2000s’ Grunge Kajal

    The 2000s saw the return of grunge eyeliner, but this time with a twist. Instead of the neon colours, we saw more nude eyeshadows which would come into full force in the next decade for the natural makeup trend.

    But for this decade, shimmers and frosted eye shadows were a favourite. So, think Kareena Kapoor Khan or Rani Mukerji with smoked-out kajal for their statement makeup. But these divas more than made up for the lack of winged liner with frosted eyeshadows that defined the Y2K makeup look.

  • 2010s’ Matte Wings

    The 2010s fashion scene is giving us major war flashbacks with its blue-toned Instagram filters, Tumblr aesthetics, and Coachella flower crowns. All the glitter, shine, and dewy finishes from previous years were ditched in favour of matte makeup. Kylie Jenner and Selena Gomez led the way with bold, dark, super dramatic wings. Sure, graphic liners made a comeback as well but it was all about pairing nude eye makeup with classic matte eyeliner. Even a smokey eye felt incomplete without long black wings to finish the look.

  • 2020s’ Glam Liner

    HBO’s Euphoria completely changed the makeup game for Gen-Z. We have now gone from the heavy matte and beige colours of the 2010s to everything rhinestones, shimmer, colour and edgy eyeliner that's come to define the 2020s.

    Today’s approach to eyeliner is more playful and experimental than ever before—so if you haven’t jumped on the eyeliner bandwagon yet, now’s the perfect time to get in on the fun.

    And that’s all the iconic eyeliner trends that dominated these last few decades. Go ahead and try them out the next time you want to switch up your look.

Topics covered
  • EYELINER STYLES
  • MAKEUP HISTORY
  • WINGED EYELINER
  • EYELINER TRENDS
  • SMOKEY EYES