Fairy Dust Eyeshadow Is the Prettiest Way to Sparkle This Winter

If the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker was dancing into 2025, she’d probably be wearing a sheer sparkly eyeshadow along with her pretty pink tutu. ‘Tis the season to sparkle, after all! 

If you’ve noticed an uptick in glimmering, shimmering eyeshadows on your Instagram and TikTok FYP recently, there’s a reason for that. While sheer, ultra-sparkly shadows have been popular for a few years, the holiday season always calls for glitter. (Seriously, you can’t RSVP for a New Year’s Eve party without something sparkly on your person. It’s the rule.) But instead of loading your lids with chunky craft store glitter, try fairy dust eyeshadow instead! The trend is a more modern, shall-we-say demure way to sparkle all season.

“The fairy dust eyeshadow trend is perfect for the winter and holiday season,” says makeup artist Kasey Spickard. “This category of shadows are finely milled, high pigment-load shimmer shadows that give an intense twinkle or an almost ‘wet,’ slick look to the lids.” They come in so many festive colors, from icy platinum and frosty Queen Elsa blue to warm gold and flirty pink. (Paging the Sugar Plum Fairy!) Basically, after applying one, you’ll feel as ethereal and otherworldly as a gorgeous fairy flitting around an enchanted forest, and it’s a feeling you can get every single day—all in a swipe of shadow.

The product formula is key here; this isn’t a heavy, thick glitter but rather a soft wash of sparkle, made with micro-fine shimmer that picks up the light in the most beautiful way. As Spickard mentioned, many fairy dust eyeshadows are a super soft, almost wet formula that requires a little bit of TLC when handling, but once it’s on your lids, it lasts and lasts from your first glass of champagne to the New Year’s Eve ball drop. And yes, it looks as gorgeous on camera as it does IRL.

How to Get the Look

The beauty of the fairy dust eyeshadow look is that it truly couldn’t be easier to do. All it takes is a simple swipe of shimmer to elevate your everyday eye makeup, but you can also layer it with matte or cream shadows for a touch of sparkle, too. “To apply, use your finger and dip into the eyeshadow and apply directly to the eyelid,” Spickard recommends.

For more intensity, he advises wetting a flat brush with setting spray, then dipping it into the shadow and applying directly to the lid. A shimmery eye and red lip is a never-fail holiday look, as is a come-hither smoky eye with a touch of fairy dust glitter right in the center or at the corner of your eye. You can wear a tiny hint of sparkle on a Monday morning, then go full glitter for Friday night. (Pro tip: Play Addison Rae’s “Aquamarine” to get into that enchanted state of mind.) 

Many of our fave beauty brands have launched their own sparkly shadows, probably inspired by the viral smash success of Urban Decay’s 24/7 Moondust shadows; Spickard co-signs the shadows, saying they’re in “so many pro artist kits because they really lead the category.” (The Moondust shadows are so popular, Urban Decay spun them off into several different palettes, like the limited-edition Space Cowboy Glitter Eyeshadow Palette.)

Spickard also likes Bobbi Brown Luxe Shimmer Eyeshadows, which he says have a “high intensity twinkle that will give you the perfect fairy sparkle.” Makeup by Mario’s Moonlight Ethereal Eyes Palette includes a few fairy dust shadows, and Kylie Jenner recently launched her own take on the trend with the soft, more subtle four-piece Wet Shimmer Quad.

Patrick Ta Major Dimensions Eye Illusions Shadow Duos are a newer launch Spickard loves. “The pigment load on these shadows is incredible and will give you a megawatt sparkle,” he says. Of course, we can’t forget about Fenty Beauty’s Diamond Bomb All-Over Diamond Veil, which you can also mix into body lotion for full-body shimmer and shine, or Lush’s pink Fairy Dust Dusting Powder. The Sugar Plum Fairy would approve.