Exploring the Blue Eyeshadow Trend: A Journey Through Sex Work, Drag Culture, and Queer History

Dating back to the 1800s, blue eyeshadow has teetered between being seen as gaudy and glamorous, often depending on the viewer’s perspective. The elite, who historically dictated norms, were scandalized by sex workers and impersonators donning azure tones on their eyes. Conversely, for those on society’s periphery, blue eyeshadow emerged as an essential beauty item for those seeking to stand out.

“Blue eyeshadow carries a rich history within [the sex work] community, going back to the Victorian age,” states makeup artist Annie Johnson. “It embodies extreme femininity and is all about self-expression.”

Annie Johnson is a New York makeup artist whose artistry is showcased on Mikey Madison in the Oscar-winning film “Anora.”

Meatball is a Los Angeles-based drag performer and the host of the “Sloppy Seconds” podcast.

The Painted Ladies

Long before terms like “clean girl” and “old money” became popular on TikTok, the elite harnessed the visible absence of makeup to convey wealth, status, and class. Upper-class women during the Victorian era distanced themselves from the “painted ladies,” referring to brothel workers, by rejecting makeup altogether. The standard for “good girls” of that era was to achieve a pallid complexion free of blemishes, starkly contrasting with the “painted look,” which was labeled as scandalous.

Both social classes sought extreme fairness; wealthier women meticulously avoided sunlight and applied hazardous substances like arsenic and mercury to their skin for beauty. In contrast, sex workers and performers would utilize white enamels to mimic this ideal, pairing it with eye colours such as black, red, and blue to draw eyes their way.

The adoption of cosmetics would find its place in mainstream culture in the following century, with many women striving to replicate the glamorous looks of leading actresses of the day as cosmetics became more accessible and less risky to use. As the years unfolded, on-screen aesthetics grew increasingly dramatic, culminating in one of the most iconic representations of blue eyeshadow: Elizabeth Taylor in 1963’s “Cleopatra.”

That film, known for its exorbitant production costs, mirrored the opulence and intensity of its narrative through Taylor’s Cleopatra makeup. Her eyeshadow wasn’t just blue; it was richly pigmented and extended up to her brows, outlined with thick black liner and finished with shimmering glitter. This look not only influenced cinematic history but also inspired drag culture and the wider queer community.

Divine, the drag icon and muse to filmmaker John Waters, was profoundly inspired by Taylor’s look, incorporating bold blue eyeshadow into her own makeup in her dramatic role in the 1972 cult classic “Pink Flamingos.” Just as Divine took cues from Liz, countless generations of drag queens have honored Divine through their aesthetic.

“When I first started drag, Mimi Bobeck from ‘The Drew Carey Show’ influenced me a lot, and then I became enamoured with Divine. I always aspired to embody a blue garage door look,” Meatball, a Los Angeles drag queen, recalls. Reflecting on a chat with fellow queen Willam, Meatball adds, “[Willam] remarked, ‘Oh, blue eyeshadow is for real hookers and whores.’ That revelation struck a chord, and now it’s my go-to color.”

For Meatball, her blue eyeshadow choice not only pays tribute to Divine and Bobeck (who, in her own right, was performing drag), but it truly stands out against her entire makeup palette. In her experience using costume and stage makeup, blue was the quickest and most vibrant shade to work with. Furthermore, for queens performing multiple shows, blue doesn’t stain the skin like red, pink, or purple tones often do. “With blue, I can apply it rapidly, and it stays bright and true all day,” Meatball shares. “Other colors tend to fade or muddle as I sweat, but blue remains vibrant.”

Today, blue eyeshadow is receiving the mainstream recognition it deserves, while the original pioneers are finally acknowledged. Chappell Roan, a name that needs no introduction in 2025, has continually spotlighted her influences from drag and the painted ladies when discussing her avant-garde makeup. In Hulu’s series “Faces of Music,” she recreates the look from her “The Rise & Fall of a Midwest Princess” cover, stating, “Blue eyeshadow carries a stigma tied to sex workers, drag artists, and promiscuity — and that’s part of why I chose it. Everything I do is a defiant ‘f*ck you’ to the boxes society tries to place me in and a nod to those who paved the way.”

With each new blue liquid liner, shadow palette, or glitter that crosses our paths, it’s essential to remember that this trend runs deeper than just a present-day fad. Those on the fringes carved the path for blue eyeshadow to grace your favorite television characters (“Euphoria,” anyone?) and beloved content creators. It’s an unapologetic declaration of visibility, enabled by those whose contributions often remained overlooked.

“Blue eyeshadow is fascinating because it can be reinvented every few years,” Johnson observes. “It might resurface as a shimmer, a metallic, or revert to a vintage baby blue. I hope such extravagant looks inspire people to embrace their authentic selves as they walk down the street.”

Devon Preston is a social media manager and a contributor to PS Beauty. She discusses beauty as it intersects with gender identity, sexuality, disability, and race, as well as cultural phenomena ranging from vampires to scene queens to drag artists. Previously, she served as the executive editor for Inked and has written for Bust, Rebel Circus, Everyday Feminism, and others.