Is it finally time to retire the brown smoky eye?

Every year, once fashion month comes to a close in <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/everything-to-do-and-see-at-art-basel-paris-2026-exhibitions-installations-pop-ups-guide">Paris</a>, attention shifts from next season’s collections back to the one we’re actually living in. The <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/spring-summer-2027-fashion-trends-milan-paris-runways">Spring/Summer 2027</a> shows wrapped earlier this month, and most of us have already moved on to more immediate concerns, like pulling wool coats out of storage and getting ready for the clocks to fall back on Nov. 1. It’s a busy stretch of the year, but one that comes with plenty to look forward to, from Thanksgiving on Nov. 26 to the start of the holiday season right after.
Makeup bags go through a similar shift this time of year. The bronzers and sheer glosses of summer get pushed aside for deeper shades, and this season, burgundy is leading the way. <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/selena-gomez-red-carpet-evolution-33rd-birthday">Selena Gomez</a> wore a matte burgundy lip to the Golden Globes earlier this year, courtesy of makeup artist <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/interview-hung-vanngo-celebrity-makeup-artist-marc-jacobs-eye-conic-multi-finish-eyeshadow-palette">Hung Vanngo</a> and the Creamy Matte Lipstick in New York Red from his eponymous line, a red with blue undertones.&nbsp;

Selena Gomez in Chanel at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards. Getty Images.

On the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/fall-winter-2026-fashion-campaigns-trends-photos-inspiration-looks-jackets-coats">Fall/Winter 2026</a> runways, oxblood lips appeared at Elie Saab, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/carven-announces-kai-nesselrath-as-design-director-paris-fashion-week-debut">Carven</a>, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/anthony-vaccarello-exits-saint-laurent-official-announcement-new-creative-director-next-move">Saint Laurent</a>, to name just a few, with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/pat-mcgrath-interview-quotes-louis-vuitton-collaboration-la-beaute-infrarouge-dune-collections">Pat McGrath</a> taking the shade at Saint Laurent so dark it nearly turned brown. Still, a dark lip is hardly new for fall. On Instagram, however, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/october-2026-beauty-edit-best-new-makeup-fragrance-skincare-hair-launches-medicube-dedcool-redken">beauty</a> creators have started pairing burgundy with blue, and the results have been filling our feeds for weeks.
In case you missed it, the two colors rarely appeared together on the runway this season. Oxblood stayed on the lips, while blue stayed on the eyes. Marc Jacobs, Gabe Gordon, and Eckhaus Latta sent out light blue lids in New York, and in London, Connor Ives, Richard Quinn, and Tolu Coker each opted for a single wash of cool blue-grey shadow. Zendaya also brought blue to the red carpet in April, matching a smoky blue eye to the electric-blue feathers on her strapless Schiaparelli gown at the New York premiere of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/all-of-zendayas-press-tour-looks-for-the-drama-movie-red-carpet-premieres-movie-summary">The Drama</a>.&nbsp;

Zendaya attends the premiere of her film The Drama. Getty Images.

It was on Instagram, however, that the two finally came together.
For longtime burgundy loyalists like myself, it’s a welcome change of pace. Sure, a wine lip and a brown smoky eye will always be a fall classic. But for those of us who have worn that exact combination season after season, swapping the brown for blue feels fresh. Burgundy has enough purple in it to sit close to blue on the color wheel, so cooler, wine-toned shades blend easily with icy and periwinkle blues. Browner shades, like brick or oxblood, create more contrast. So go ahead, pull out that blue eyeshadow you’ve barely touched. It’s finally having its moment.
Ahead, L’OFFICIEL rounds up the burgundy and blue makeup looks to try this fall, straight from Instagram.

<h2 dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">Burgundy and Blue Makeup: Red-Rimmed Eyes</h2>

Starting off strong with one of the most popular ways to wear the pairing: blue on the lids and burgundy along the waterline. Red near the eyes has long been considered a risk, since it can easily make the eyes look tired. Paired with blue, however, it looks deliberate.
The softest version came with an icy, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/lilac-makeup-beauty-trend-eyeshadow-blush-best-products-inspiration-runway-looks-zendaya-chase-infiniti-zara-larsson">lilac</a>-tinted blue shimmer across the lids and a raspberry-burgundy pencil along the lower waterline. Rosy-tinted brows matched the liner, and a soft, blurred peach lip kept the rest of the face simple. The caption, written in Korean, calls it a “color smoky,” meaning a smoky eye made with color instead of black.

Icy blue shimmer with a raspberry-burgundy waterline. Courtesy of Instagram/@amy_kev.

Another look took a bolder approach. Matte turquoise shadow covered the lids up to the crease, paired with deep red liner along the lower waterline and the outer edge of the upper lashes. The post’s second slide brought the same pairing to an outfit: pointed burgundy T-strap shoes worn over sky blue tights. The caption calls it “the most underrated color combo.”

Then there were the looks that used a brighter cherry red in place of burgundy. One placed a curved band of aqua shadow across each lid, with red liner along both the upper and lower lash lines and a bare, matte lip. Another paired graphic royal blue shadow with a white inner lid, red mascara, and rhinestones around the eyes. Both were brighter and more graphic, proof that the pairing doesn’t always have to lean dark.

Aqua eyeshadow with cherry red liner. Courtesy of Instagram/@pierremarc_.

Royal blue eyeshadow with red mascara and rhinestones. Courtesy of Instagram/@makeup.m_arie.

<h2 dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">Burgundy and Blue Makeup: Wine-Colored Wings</h2>

Burgundy winged liner was another favorite. Swapping black liner for burgundy keeps the shape of a classic wing but makes it softer, especially next to blue shadow.
In the most wearable version, baby blue shimmer covered the lids, with a thin wine wing and a matching line under the lower lashes. Coral blush, a brown-nude lip, and crimped waves with blue star-shaped clips gave it a slightly retro feel.&nbsp;

Baby blue shimmer with a wine-colored wing. Courtesy of Instagram/@macerv.makeup.

Another look extended the wing even further. A sharp burgundy line stretched out toward the temples over pale periwinkle shimmer, with silver glitter in the inner corners and a matte brick-red lip.

The most dramatic version drew burgundy liner up through the crease and out into an exaggerated wing, with turquoise shadow in the inner corners and along the lower lash line. A few drawn-on beauty marks completed the face.

Burgundy graphic liner with turquoise eyeshadow. Courtesy of Instagram/@stenss.

Perhaps most unexpected was a look that turned the wing into a graphic design. A burgundy-plum liner outlined a nearly white, icy blue shape on the lid, then continued toward the temple, followed by a line of painted dots along the brow bone. Drawn-on freckles, coral blush, and a glossy plum lip lined a shade darker finished the look.

<h2 dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">Burgundy and Blue Makeup: The Color Smoky</h2>

Some creators blended the two shades into one another instead of keeping them separate. Think of it as the “color smoky” from earlier, with burgundy taking the place of black.
One creator shared two versions. The first placed bright cornflower blue at the center of the lid, with burgundy at the inner and outer corners, a sharp black wing, and a glossy mauve-brown lip. The second was darker, with metallic indigo shimmer on the lids, a magenta-plum haze around them, blue mascara, and a small blue star drawn under the eye.

Cornflower blue eyeshadow framed in burgundy. Courtesy of Instagram/@bablonia.

Metallic indigo eyeshadow with a magenta-plum haze. Courtesy of Instagram/@bablonia.

Another look used burgundy shadow to outline an icy blue lid, blending it through the crease, up toward the end of the brow, and along the lower lash line. A glossy, lined oxblood lip and a matching burgundy manicure completed it.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">Burgundy and Blue Makeup: Split Between Eyes and Lips</h2>

Last but not least: the split look, which keeps blue on the eyes and burgundy on the lips. It’s the simplest way to try the trend, especially for anyone not ready for red liner or a burgundy wing.
The softer version paired a sheer, icy blue on the lids with dewy, freckled skin and a glossy brick-red lip applied with a doe-foot wand. On the other hand, the bolder version embraced the contrast in full force, with aqua shadow wrapped around the entire eye and a high-shine oxblood lip.

Sheer icy blue eyeshadow with a glossy brick-red lip. Courtesy of Instagram/@olgadann.

From soft washes of blue to full color smokies, there’s a version of the trend for every comfort level, and plenty of reasons to give the brown smoky eye a break until spring.

Icy, Graphic, and Smoky: The Burgundy and Blue Beauty Looks to Try This Fall

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