Frosty Silver, Baby Blue, and Cherry Red—Cool-Toned Makeup Is the (Unexpected) Star of the Summer

July 17, 2025 / Swedan Margen /

Each season has a stereotypical color palette. It’s why we tend to associate pastels with springtime, harvest-esque colors with fall, and dark, moody ones with winter. As for summer, it has historically centered around warm, sun-kissed colors—think lively peach, bright coral, and glistening gold. The beauty landscape reflects this. People usually reach for gold-flecked body shimmers, peachy lip products, and coral-hued nail polish as temperatures rise.

This year, though, the internet is flipping the script and saying “no thanks” to those traditional warm-toned colors. People are favoring cool-toned makeup looks (and products) instead. Countless makeup artists and content creators—even celebs!—are sharing cool-toned makeup looks on social media (shout-out to Dua Lipa and her cool-toned, turquoise mascara!).

According to Pinterest’s Summer 2025 Trend Report, cool-toned makeup is being searched at an all-time high. “Summer cool-toned makeup” is up 376%, whereas blue and red eye shadow searches are up around 1000% respectively.

So, what’s this all about? Why has cool-toned makeup become, well, so cool for summer? I reached out to two top makeup artists to answer this question and gather all the cool-toned makeup inspo I could possibly get. Keep scrolling!

Dua Lipa posted this picture of her applying turquoise mascara on Instagram.

What Makes a Color Cool vs. Warm?

Whether a color is considered warm or cool comes down to our perception and association with it. For example, silver, plum, and sky blue are traditionally considered cool colors, whereas most shades of brown, gold, and yellow are traditionally considered warm colors. It’s worth noting that the same color can be warm or cool depending on the shade. Take red, for instance. Brick red is considered warm, whereas cherry red is often considered cool.

Many of us use cool-toned products every day without realizing it—whether it’s a gray-toned contour stick, a stony shade of eye shadow, or a baby-pink blush. Take it from David Razzano, makeup artist and Sephora beauty director. “Personally, I have always been obsessed with cool taupe shades and gray eye shadows. There is something classic and chic about a softly contoured eye, incorporating cool tones. It harkens back to classic vintage beauty. I also always love a cool-toned baby-pink powder blush, which is often overlooked these days. The magic of a romantic wash of baby pink on the cheeks is always stunning.”

This cool-toned makeup look, created by Razanno, is stunning. The powder blue and baby-pink combo is so good.

“I think a big reason cool-toned makeup is having its renaissance is due to the oversaturation of warm-toned makeup, which we’ve seen for over a decade,” Razzano says. “It’s only natural for the cycle of trends to sway back towards the opposite spectrum. The return of ’90s makeup and Y2K makeup has also furthered the return of cool tones in beauty, as that period was primarily all centered on these shades—from the ’90s matte grays, cold browns, and plums to the 2000s silver frosted eye shadows and baby-pink sparkly lips.”