The Blue Eyeshadow Trend Through the Lens of Sex Workers, Drag, and Queer History

Since the 1800s, blue eyeshadow has walked a tightrope between tackiness and glamour, falling into one camp or the other depending on who you ask. The ruling class, who had controlled the writing of history for millennia, quite literally clutched their pearls at the ladies of the night and female impersonators painting their lids in shades of cerulean. But for those on the margins of society, blue eyeshadow has been a tried-and-true beauty staple for those who demand to be noticed. "Blue eyeshadow has such a history in [the sex work] realm, going back even to the Victorian era," says makeup . . .