Green & Lilac Are The Fairycore Makeup Color Combo Taking Over RN

Some celebrity couples seem so unexpected. There’s Kylie and Timmy, for one. Lana Del Rey and Jeremy Dufrene’s bayou wedding make them leading contenders too. My all-time fave duo is Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton. They seemed odd together, but you just knew they were up to all sorts of fun.

Currently, this same energy is happening in the makeup world. My beauty spidey senses started tingling when I saw shades of green and lilac popping up together on new eyeshadow palettes like those by Pat McGrath, Danessa Myricks, and Lisa Eldridge. These hues are also two out of the five colors in Pinterest’s 2025 predictions in the Pinterest Palette, aka shades inspired entirely by what pinners are searching, saving, and shopping on the platform. That’s a hard launch in my eyes.

“Green and lilac are hypnotic — they instantly transport me to a world of botanical fantasy and celestial glamour,” makeup artist Pat McGrath tells Bustle. She loves the daring but grounded vibe green brings, evoking power, transformation, and sensuality. “Lilac, on the other hand, is ethereal and emotional — a soft focus dream that feels futuristic and nostalgic all at once. Worn together, they’re a poetic paradox that feels both otherworldly and wearable.”

Makeup artist Donni Davy features variations of purple and green in all sorts of wonderful textures in her cosmetics brand, Half Magic Beauty. “I use color to enhance my moods. Lilac and lavender are dreamy and calming to me,” she shares. The head Euphoria makeup artist turns to green to add a wild, playful edge. Below, the two pros share their best tips on wearing this trending color duo all summer long.

1. Start Simple

For those who stick with neutral shades, an emerald or violet eye might seem like you’re in a Hunger Games cosplay as Effie Trinket. Begin by experimenting with one texture at a time. Brush soft washes of matte shades on the lid in different saturations. “I’m drawn to vibrant pastel shades because you don’t have to work hard to get color payoff. You can just pop a little on your eyelids with your finger,” says Davy.

Another option is to forgo a base color in lieu of a glittery eye. “I love shimmery and sparkly formulas because they are multidimensional on the eyelids,” says Davy. “For example, start with a sheer green shimmery eyeshadow applied as a wash over the lids. Once you’ve embraced the color, try lining your waterline with a dark green pencil for that high contrast, pop of definition.”

2. Combine Textures

Graduate to the next level by wearing both matte and shimmer together. “That’s when you get these multidimensional, mesmerizing eyes,” says McGrath.

Her modus operandi is to layer intensely pigmented mattes under ultra-reflective, finely-milled shimmers. Contrast is key. “Make warm chartreuse tones clash deliciously with cool lavenders to create tension, or apply suede-soft textures with creamy depth, then electrify them with multidimensional shimmer. This makes the look so modern,” she says.

3. Incorporate Into Your Go-To Looks

If you can rock a black winged liner or a neutral smoky eye, try those same techniques using green and lilac instead. Here are some ideas:

• Green graphic wing: Use a wet hunter green shadow as a liner for a vivid sculptural wing, advises McGrath. Pair that with bare lids and fluttery lashes.
• Watercolor wash: “Blend a shimmery lilac all over the lid and finish with a sparkly eyeshadow topper right in the center of your eyelids,” says Davy.
• Lilac halo: McGrath likes to wash a matte lilac all over the lid and into the crease, topped with a multidimensional shimmer in purple tones for a halo effect that’s soft yet surreal.
• Graphic inner corner pop: Davy suggests choosing a bright, light green eyeshadow, either matte or shimmery, and applying it on your inner eye corners for a playful but subtle pop.
• Color duochrome: Double down on shimmer. Apply a peachy shade across the lid and a khaki or chartreuse on the inner corners for what McGrath calls “a hypnotic duotone glow.”

• Ethereal smoky eye: Line your eyes with a black eyeshadow crayon. Use your finger or a small, dense fluffy brush to soften it and make it look smoky. “Use sheer sparkly eyeshadows, glitter liners, or eye paints in light green and/or lilac on top of the black eyeshadow crayon,” says Davy. “Finish with a black pencil in the waterline.”
• Under-eye drama: Smudge a plum metallic below the lower lash line, with just a wash of frosted champagne shadow on the lid, says McGrath, for an unexpected yet stunning look.

4. Wear Them Together

McGrath absolutely wants you to meld these two shades together. “Use green to frame and lilac to illuminate. Use green in the crease or as a liner for structure, and lilac as a wash or topper to bring light and dreaminess,” she says. Or, pair an iridescent lilac lid with a bold green lower lash line. “The unexpected collision of cool lilac and warm green creates this magical, wearable contrast that flatters all skin tones.”

For something more understated, Davy recommends lining your waterline with a dark green pencil and sweeping a lilac pigment over your lids.” If it’s fairycore you're after, she’s got your back, too. “Line your eyes with a dark green pencil or eyeshadow stick and smudge that out. Top it off with a lilac glitter liner and finish with a dark green pencil in your waterline.”

5. Mind The Rest Of Your Glam

If you’re headed to a festival or other fun outing, Davy suggests using the opportunity to experiment with colorful mascara. “You can find a classic cobalt blue in almost any drugstore. My favorite is Half Magic Beauty’s mascara in Violet Act, which is a muted purple. I love pairing this with a lilac eyeshadow,” she says. For McGrath, black mascara provides contrast and polish, but for the adventurous, a plum or emerald adds tonal depth.

The rest of the face should be simple and luminous. “When wearing more vibrant colors on the eyelids, most people feel comfortable with a blush shade that mimics their natural flush,” says Davy. She also recommends using a ‘your lips but better’ lip liner. “Overline your lips slightly, smudge the line out so it’s not hard, and finish with gloss, shimmer gloss, a velvet blur lip color, or even just balm.”

McGrath says you can go with a nude or bold pout. “If the eyes are soft lilac, a burgundy lip adds balance. If the eyes are graphic and green, go with a blotted rose or clear gloss for modernity.” This summer is riding high on weird couple energy, and the makeup world is no exception.