Watercolor Makeup Is One of the Dreamiest Trends You’ll See This Spring 2025

Spring is almost here, and with the change in temperature, our makeup is due a refresh. One look that’s on the list of spring makeup trends is watercolor makeup, according to a top celebrity makeup artist.

“I’m seeing the rise of watercolor makeup,” notes global makeup artist Nikki Wolff, who counts Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, and Gracie Abrams among her celebrity clients.

What is watercolor makeup?

The name conjures pretty, pastel, watercolor paintings that capture dreamy landscapes or romantic portraits by blending sheer washes of color over a canvas, and the makeup equivalent follows a similar aesthetic. Wolff describes watercolor makeup as “soft, blurred pigments that look like they’ve melted into the skin. Instead of heavy layering, it’s all about diffused edges and sheer, ethereal blended color across eyes, lips, and cheeks. It’s a fresh take on wearing color that feels dreamy yet attainable.”

Why choose watercolor makeup?

Now that spring is about to hit, pops of pastel and cheery color are making their way back into our makeup bags. If you’re not a neon girl and you err on the more minimalist end of the spectrum, watercolor makeup introduces a daintier, more subtle way of incorporating pretty shades of pink, lilac, and baby blue.

How to wear watercolor makeup

Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite ways to wear watercolor makeup.

Lilac-wash eyes and glazed pink cheeks

Stained-glass blue eye shadow

Melted pink blush

Sheer cherry blush

Diffused cornflower-blue eye shadow

Tonal pastel

Draped pink eyes and cheeks

Lavender-haze eye shadow and flushed pink cheeks

Cloudy blue eyeshadow

Buttery pink blush

Glazed lilac eyes and cheeks

Blurred blue eyeshadow

Peaches and pinks