Kim Kardashian’s 20 Most Legendary Makeup Moments Over the Years

For many years now, Kim Kardashian has been providing us with beauty inspo galore. With tons of collaborations and her own brand under her belt, the star and entrepreneur isn’t afraid to change up her looks and experiment, especially when it comes to makeup. She’s worked with tons of makeup artists we’ve come to know and love, like Mario Dedivanovic, Ash K. Holm, Claudia Betancur, and so many more, who have provided her with some truly iconic makeup moments over the years. From bold smoky eyes to her iconic nude lip, we love looking to Kardashian for ideas to implement in our own beauty routines. Ahead, see 20 of Kim Kardashian’s best makeup looks of all time, spanning from the ’90s to today.

MEET THE EXPERT

• Claudia Betancur is a L’Oréal Paris League of Experts makeup artist who has worked with Kim Kardashian as well as the likes of Camila Cabello, Eva Longoria, and Jennifer Lopez.

01of 20

Blushed Out

If Kardashian could only choose one makeup look to wear for the rest of time, we’d be willing to bet it would look something like this. She loves a nude pink lip, and paired with generous layers of mascara and a bright pop of pink blush, she looks ready for anything. We especially appreciate the bright under-eye moment, which makes her look vibrant and awake.

02of 20

Brown Smoky Eye

Kim K’s 2023 Met Gala look is one for the history books, and that’s in large part thanks to her stunning makeup. Mario Dedivanovic of Makeup By Mario did her makeup for the event, and the inclusion of brown eyeliner in her waterline was unexpected yet brilliant. “Her skin has a matte finish, with a baby pink blush and gradient lips to add volume,” adds celebrity makeup artist Claudia Betancur. It’s a stunning red carpet look—and one we don’t think we’ll ever stop thinking about.

03of 20

Bombshell

Did someone say bombshell? The combination of Kardashian’s bouncy waves and supermodel-esque makeup here is a match made in heaven. The star put her long lashes on display with simple bronze-toned eyeshadow, completing the look with fluffy brows and a glossy lip.

04of 20

Bronzed Glow

Kardashian stepped foot onto the carpet at the CFDA Awards with the ultimate bronzed makeup look. Paired with her slicked-back blonde ‘do, the makeup had its moment to shine, and we love the creative direction that Dedivanovic took. From the contour to the lengthy lashes and contrasting dark brows, the beauty icon looks incredible.

05of 20

Blonde Brows

If you’re thinking about bleaching your brows, this may be your sign. Kardashian snapped a photo to Instagram rocking the bleached brow look, and we’re in love. For this look, she added dramatic lashes and a pale nude lip, which we think looks amazing paired with the barely there brows.

06of 20

Bold Cut Crease

Kardashian rocked a bold cut crease thanks to the artistry of Nikki Wolff, and we love how she stepped outside of her typical comfort zone to embrace the statement. The negative space has a muted, light gray hue and is carved out with a dark gray crease and graphic black eyeliner. Paired with fluffy brows and bronzed skin, her eyes truly pop.

07of 20

Wet Makeup

2019’s Met Gala was full of some iconic makeup moments, but Kardashian’s was undeniably one of the night’s most memorable. Dedivanovic focused on creating a “wet” moment for the eyes, creating a piercing gaze in peachy tones. “Her skin was left matte, as usual, [which complemented her lips perfectly],” Betancur adds.

08of 20

Intense Black Smokey Eye

The year was 2018—and Kardashian stepped out with the most intense black smoky eye ever. She went for a soft goth look here, and the smoked-out black liner created a sultry vibe. We love how she kept the focus on her eyes, sticking with a bronzed matte complexion and nude lipstick.

09of 20

’90s-Inspired

Kardashian loves to rock plenty of mascara on both her upper and lower lashes, and we love how intense her eyes looked at the 2018 Met Gala. Taking inspiration from the Versace runways in 1997, Dedivanovic went for a ’90s-inspired glam look, focusing on thin brows, layered mascara, and the star’s signature nude lip.

10of 20

Shimmer Shadow

Kardashian doesn’t play around when it comes to the Met Gala, and her 2018 look—created as usual by Dedivanovic—is no exception. The fashion and beauty entrepreneur rocked shimmer eyeshadow with a bright white inner corner, completing the glam with a subtle glossy lip and matte base. “Her skin had a natural finish with minimal blush and contouring that blended seamlessly with her makeup,” Betancur tells us.

11of 20

Beachy Glam

Even though Kardashian almost always leans matte in her makeup looks, we think she still has a glow about her in this fresh look by Dedivanovic. With filled-in brows and clear lip gloss paired with beach waves, it almost looks like she’s on a warm-weather getaway. Chunky (in a good way) mascara and barely there winged liner create an effortlessly glam moment.

12of 20

Bold Under-Eye Liner

Kardashian played around with a lot of smoky eye looks back in 2016, and this moment is one of our favorites from the year. Her under-eyes feature maximum drama with a smudged, smoked-out bold liner. “Her eyes appear lifted, creating a smoky lift effect,” Betancur says. The star kept the rest of her skin matte as usual, resulting in a seamlessly contoured complexion.

13of 20

Thick Wing

It’s not every day that we see Kim Kardashian wear thick winged eyeliner, but we think she should go for it more often. She let the dramatic liner look shine against neutral eyeshadow and brushed brows, creating an incredibly wearable statement.

14of 20

Gold Shimmer

All that glitters is most definitely gold when it comes to this shimmery makeup look by Dedivanovic. Instead of focusing the shimmer on just her upper lid, he also applied eyeshadow to her lower lash line, which we think was a brilliant creative decision. A pale nude lip and matte complexion round this look out.

15of 20

Red Lip

Kardashian looks amazing in a bright red lip and a slicked-back hairstyle, and the look is giving off majorly powerful energy. For this look, Dedivanovic focused on layered mascara and understated complexion makeup, leaving the attention on her lips.

16of 20

Spider Lashes

Kardashian is known for her longer-than-life lashes, yet for this look she posted on Instagram in 2013, our attention remains focused on her eyes, even with an apple red lip. In true 2013 fashion, she even wore highlighter on her brow bone—further proof that she’s always on trend.

17of 20

Classic Hollywood

By wearing a bright red lip and full lashes, Kardashian channeled a classic Hollywood look in 2010. We love the pop of blush, which creates a glamorous, flushed glow against the star’s signature matte skin.

18of 20

Popping Inner Corner

Kardashian was ahead of the times in 2009 with an inner corner eyeshadow moment. She went for a bright, shimmery inner corner that popped against a brown smoky eye—and of course, we can’t forget to mention the glossy nude lip.

19of 20

Vampy Lip

“Although it’s a very natural and pretty look, it’s not as flawless, and there isn’t as much focus on her skin or contouring as we see in her current makeup,” Betancur tells Byrdie of Kardashian’s makeup look for the 2008 Teen Choice Awards. We love to see the icon’s natural beauty shine through in this makeup look, and we’re especially into the vampy lip she chose. Her natural lashes were on display, which created a youthful appearance perfect for the TCA.

20of 20

’90s Classic

Most of us cringe when looking back on our middle school makeup, but Kardashian foreshadowed her beauty icon status with this understated moment she wore in the ’90s. From the brick red lip to the minimal eye makeup and bold brows, the look makes a wearable statement and is incredibly easy to recreate.