Rhinestone Makeup Looks That Are Easy To Copy

From fashion shows to the red carpet to TV and film, rhinestone makeup as a trend is showing no signs of slowing down. Recreating rhinestone eye looks isn’t as difficult as you may think. Grab a skin-safe adhesive like eyelash glue, shiny crystal eye gems of your choice, a pair of sharp tweezers, and get ready to look magical!

An incredibly simple yet stunning makeup look is to place a single rhinestone at the center of the lower lash line. Gigi Hadid famously wore this at the 2023 Met Gala, adorning her eyes with two tiny pearl rhinestones with the help of her talented makeup artist, Patrick Ta. Copy the look by choosing any rhinestone of your choice. From afar, it might look like you’re wearing nothing at all. But get a little closer, and you’ll look subtly bewitching at every angle. If you want more, try dotting multiple gems along the lash line for a chic finish.

What’s the secret to getting rid of under eye bags? Concealing them with sparkling rhinestones, of course! There are endless possibilities when it comes to shape, size, and color. Go dark and dramatic like Lily Collins at the 2018 Met Gala for a spellbinding look that would be perfect around Halloween. Alternatively, try adding some undereye sparkles to your summer festival makeup! The key to undereye rhinestones is to mix up two or three different sizes. Add lashings of mascara to your top lashes to balance out the eye.

The celebs love this one! Recreate this look by placing shimmering crystal rhinestones in a subtle, whimsical halo effect around the eyes. To make things easier, try mapping out a pattern for your rhinestones first, with tiny dots using a pencil. Then, simply affix each gem, following your pattern. Play around with different sizes to keep things from looking too rigid. For a dreamy, ethereal finish, why not match the color of the crystals to your outfit?

Applying some sparkly gems to the inner corners of the eyes adds a beautiful brightening effect to an oft-ignored area of the face! If you’re a beginner, try dotting a single diamanté at each inner corner for an easy yet glamorous touch. For a more bedazzling effect, build the rhinestones in a symmetrical pattern. This look will especially suit those with wide-set eyes – you’ll have plenty of room to work with, and the rhinestones draw the eyes towards the bridge of the nose.

For a fun and feminine finish to your makeup, try lining the perimeters of your eyes with rhinestones. This technique might look intricate but it’s actually quite easy to execute. Start by applying your typical eye makeup look, like a smoky eye, then simply affix each gem one by one slowly around each eye, checking along the way for symmetry. The rest of your makeup can be muted to allow your eyes to shine! This makeup look is perfect for parties, nights out, festivals, and concerts.

If your style is a little edgier, it’s still possible to incorporate rhinestones into your makeup looks! Graphic liner packs a punch on its own, but the look is elevated by using shining gems as accents on top. There are many options here – follow the crisp edge of cut crease eye makeup or adorn your geometric graphic liner with some extra sparkle. The sharp lines make it easy to know where to apply each gem.

For a fluttery, magical, glittering gaze, choose to apply your gemstones to faux eyelashes instead of your lids. This one’s a little on the trickier side, but the payoff is worth it! If you're struggling, one option is to affix your gems to strip lashes before applying the lashes to the eyes. Or, if you want an even easier solution, you can buy pre-glued rhinestone strip lashes for a lazy girl hack.

This is a chic and sophisticated take on classic winged eyeliner – avoid looking basic by using rhinestones to draw your wing! Start with slightly larger gems around the eye and then switch to smaller gems for the “wing” effect. This will mimic the sharp, well-defined flick of eyeliner. Just make sure that both eyes look even and symmetrical! You can map out a pattern before diving in.

For a less out-there look that’s even simpler to achieve, try drawing your winged liner on first, before following with rhinestones along the upper lash line. This results in a captivating and mesmerizing finish! The “blink and you’ll miss it” subtlety  of the gems will have everyone doing a double-take.

There’s no reason that rhinestones need to be restricted to the eyes – branch out and experiment by dotting them around the brow bone for a showstopping finish. This one is a great idea if you have sensitive eyes, as the stones are placed further away. The fun, twinkling gems will accessorize your eyes perfectly. Go as big or as simple as you like – dot one rhinestone at the arch of each brow for a minimalistic approach, follow the tail of your brow, or mix it up with a playful pattern.

Finally, a sleek, elegant rhinestone makeup look is to simply dot a few well-positioned gems at the outer corner of the eye. You can do just one eye for a quirky finish, or both! Placing gems at the outer corners of the eyes will also be super flattering for close-set eyes, just as inner corner gems suit wide-set eyes. Get ready to sparkle!