What experts warn about risks

Kim Kardashian turned heads at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty with a dramatic new look, including icy blue eyes. Fans quickly took to social media, wondering if the change was real. 

The stunning transformation came exactly ten years after her ex-husband, Kanye West, debuted a similar blue-eyed moment at the 2016 Met Gala.

For the night, Kim paired her temporary icy contacts with a striking golden Gucci gown by Demna, recently unveiled at Milan Fashion Week. 

Her smoky eye makeup, blending navy and black shades, perfectly complemented the frosty lenses, while a chic shoulder-length bob with effortless waves and a side part completed the ensemble. 

© Axelle/Bauer-Griffin

Gold platform heels from Pleaser, standing at eight inches, added the finishing touch. Kim was not alone at the afterparty. She was joined by sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner and her mother, Kris Jenner, making it a family affair of style and spectacle.

© Jamie McCarthy

The moment inevitably drew comparisons to Kanye’s blue-eyed debut at the Met Gala. Kim had previously experimented with colored contacts in 2018 to match a Versace dress, but this appearance seemed a direct homage to her ex’s trend-setting aesthetic.

© Taylor Hill

The trend of eye color transformation:

Changing eye color has become a booming trend on social media, particularly TikTok and Instagram, throughout 2024 and 2025. While colored contacts have long been the standard, surgical procedures are now gaining traction among influencers and celebrities seeking permanent changes.

One method leading the charge is keratopigmentation, or corneal tattooing. This laser technique creates a tunnel in the cornea where pigment is injected, allowing for dramatic transformations such as brown eyes to icy blue or honey tones. Clinics in New York, Miami, and Paris have made the procedure more accessible, with prices reaching up to $12,000 USD.

© Jutta Klee

Other permanent options include iris implants, an artificial silicone iris placed over the natural eye, and laser depigmentation, which removes melanin from brown eyes to reveal blue or gray beneath. Experts caution, however, that these approaches carry serious risks.

Medical warnings:

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the FDA have not approved these procedures for cosmetic purposes due to potential complications, including loss of vision or blindness, glaucoma from increased eye pressure, chronic inflammation and uveitis, and extreme light sensitivity

© Serg Myshkovsky

For these reasons, eye specialists strongly advise sticking to prescription-colored contacts as the only safe option to experiment with different looks.

“While permanent procedures are increasingly popular, the risks to the eye are irreversible and severe,” a Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials report notes.

Temporary glam is the way to go:

In Kim’s case, the icy blue hue was purely temporary. Confirmed sources revealed that she wore colored contacts for the Oscars afterparty to complement her golden Gucci ensemble. 

No permanent surgery was involved, keeping the bold statement fun, safe, and fully reversible. From social media trends to Hollywood afterparties, eye color has become the latest frontier of fashion experimentation, yet experts remain steadfast, the safest way to turn heads is still a simple, prescription-approved lens.