Keke Palmer Is All In On 2000s Glam With This Extra-Intense Eyeshadow

Keke Palmer might be celebrated for her acting chops and comedic timing, but don’t forget for a moment that she’s a true multi-hyphenate — her music is some of the best out there. Fans agree that there’s no concert quite like one of Palmer’s shows, and she’s focusing on her songs with a slew of summer performances that truly have to be experienced in person. She kicked off the four-city run with a special stop in Stanford, CA with a whole new pop star-approved look to set the tone for the tour. Palmer’s smoky eye makeup, extra-long curls, and stud-covered leather ensemble are making it clear that the A-listers is entering a whole new era both musically and aesthetically.

Palmer teased just a bit of what her shows have to offer over on Instagram, posting a quick clip of her Stanford performance along with a snippet of her latest single. “Welcome to the Keke Palmer Experience,” she narrates before the video cuts to her on stage in all-out performer mode. The star is known for her ever-changing hairstyles and fashion-forward ensembles, but the majorly smoky eye makeup, a blend of midnight blacks and smoldering charcoals, isn’t a look she reaches for too often.

In fact, the intensity and drama of her eye makeup can’t help but call to mind the pop queens of the 2000s, for whom black smoky eye shadow was as de rigueur as a bedazzled flip phone. The look’s been famously worn by all-time legends like Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera, as well as other icons of the era including Pamela Anderson and Paris Hilton. In a fun twist, some clips of Palmer’s performance feature her dancing and singing into a headpiece-style mic, a fun callback to Y2K pop concerts.

The key to nailing Palmer’s look is all in the blending, which can take several minutes for every coat of eyeshadow layered on. Her makeup also features a tiny yet radiant pop of highlighter through the inner corners for a luminous, wide-awake effect — and it looks even brighter against the darker colors used. Finally, it’s all topped off by a seriously fluttery pair of lashes. What pop diva would dream of hitting the stage without some?