eye shadow

American  

Or eyeshadow

noun

1. a cosmetic coloring material applied to the eyelids.

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eye shadow British  

noun

1. a coloured cosmetic put around the eyes so as to enhance their colour or shape

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Etymology

Origin of eye shadow

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

“We started to see a lot more intensive makeup looks, with contouring and heavy eye shadow application.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 7, 2026

Sephora gave shoppers free rein to schmear on lipstick and play with eye shadow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025

For me, it was where I met friends after school, tried on eye shadow for the first time, and listened to DJs pumping out dance music.

From BBC • Aug. 15, 2025

They’ve even found their way into makeup; Hailey Bieber’s brand Rhode released a popular peptide-packed lip tint last year, and you can find them in mascara, eye shadow, blush … the list goes on.

From Slate • May 4, 2025

She wears frosted blue eye shadow and a lemon yellow suit.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri