What color eyeshadow should I wear with my eye color?

Posted in: Beauty Tips

One of my most frequently asked questions in makeup is: what color eyeshadow will suit my ______ colored eyes?

Generally speaking, both artists and makeup artists are knowledgeable about the color wheel, which displays several colors in a circle.  Complimentary colors are opposite of each other; for example, red’s complimentary color is green.

Typically, the following is advised:

  • Green eyes:  Purples, pinks, and reds
  • Blue eyes:  Oranges, coppers, golds
  • Hazel eyes:  Warm tones, bronzes, greens
  • Brown eyes:  Browns, bronzes, greens
  • Gray eyes:  Grays, cool tones, brown

Do you agree? Do you find that the colors that make your eyes “pop” are complimentary?  I have hazel eyes, and in that respect, both greens and bronzy colors do work well; depending on the hue, it will either bring out the green or the brown/gold flecks in my eyes.

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70 Responses to “What color eyeshadow should I wear with my eye color?”

  1. Elizabeth

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have brown eyes. I think that the best colors for me are browns, but I get so many compliments when I wear brownish reds and blues. So I dont know.

    • marissa

      Wednesday, August 19, 2009

      It may sound weird but my eyes have changed. I used to have brown eyes, but now they are hazel. However, I used to wear reds a lot and everybody loved red on me too. Maybe it has to do with the color of your hair. I don’t know about you, but mine is brownish-blonde.

      • Cheyanne

        Monday, September 7, 2009

        hey, i have blue gray eyes and I have dark brown hair and my roots r kinda reddish, wat make up should i use? pplz help! talk to me at sodahead.com/bumblebee
        plz!
        p.s. if u do tell me u read this.
        thanx!

    • Shelby

      Wednesday, November 4, 2009

      Hey Elizabeth…
      i have really dark brown eyes also.
      And my boyfriend thinks that a bronzeor goldish looks good.
      So take my advise…well his.
      sometimes it depenon your skin color.
      im pourtorican and bright colors like blue and red dont look as good on me.

  2. macaddict

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I use the complimentary color wheel as a basis/foundation but I find that there are no steadfast rules so I don’t rely on it too much. For example, my eyes are hazel (both green and soft brown) and so I can wear blue colors (when my eyes are browner) and pinks/purples when my eyes are greener. But, in general, I wear whatever color suits my style/personality in general. I am not big on the gold/bronzy colors, which, according to the wheel, I should wear.

  3. Ummilkhair

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have dark brown eyes, i hear that when i wear purples, it enchances my eyes. basically i rock whatever color i feel!

  4. lala

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    purple eyeshadow work well for brunettes :)

  5. maxine

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have medium brown eyes and I think purples and greys make them pop more than browns and greens.

    • Shelby

      Wednesday, November 4, 2009

      Hey Maxinee…
      is your last name Santiago?

  6. Jennifer

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    Yes! I have hazel eyes, and golden-bronze, brown, and yellow-based greens are the key to making my eyes look their best.

  7. Suz

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have green eyes and I find I’ve had the best results with purples thus far (granted, I only got into eyeshadows over the last year or so). Grays and silvers work well, too. I’ve tried reds and pinks, but maybe I just haven’t learned how to apply them right — I always end up looking like I’ve been on a crying jag…

    I’m out to conquer the blues next. :)

    • Tienna

      Sunday, June 28, 2009

      Yeah, I kno wwhat you mean. I watch A LOT of shows where they do makeup like What Not To Wear, Style Her Famous, and lots of other ones, so I know what colours look good on people. Pinks should never be worn unless you have LARGE black eyes or if you have a very soft brown eye. Even if you do wear pink, go for a metallic soft rose shade with a silver undertone to it to not look like a freak. :)

  8. Stacey

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    Coppers and oranges definitely make my blue/grey eyes stand out, but I find that blue/teal suits me really well too… and I don’t let that colour theory business stop me from wearing whatever I want!

    • Marta

      Wednesday, October 15, 2008

      I have blue eyes but I’ve never felt 100% about how I wear blue shadow … how do you do it?

      • Dals

        Thursday, October 16, 2008

        Hi Marta! I’m a pale blue-eyed Polish girl, and I also had issues with wearing blue shadow. Then I saw this Bebe ad that featured a blue-eyed model wearing blue shadow- and it looked gorgeous. I printed the ad and took it to MAC, and they helped me re-create the look. Here’s what I use, in order of application:

        Primer all over the eye lid
        Brow/ highlight: Vellum (or vanilla if you want less shimmer)
        Lid: Moon’s reflection
        Above Crease: Omega
        Outer Crease: Freshwater
        liner: Blacktrack fluidline for upper lashline, Omega shadow lower lashline the eye (applied with a 266 brush)
        Black mascara on upper and lower lashes

        That’s it! Be sure to blend those shadows well, or else the results will be cartoonish. For primer, I use Urban Decay’s primer potion.

        • Marta

          Monday, October 20, 2008

          OMG girl, that is awesome … I have always wanted to wear freshwater!! What an amazing colour combo – that’s it, I’m trying it :) Dziekuje Bardzo!

  9. Carleenp

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I always used to wear brown because it is supposed to work with blue eyes. And it looked fine. But lately I found that greens really light up my skin tone. In fact I would rather wear the green tones now!

  10. SnickerDoodle

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have green eyes, and I wear purple eyeshadow a lot, both because I like how it makes my eyes look and because I love purple! But I also wear green eyeshadow a lot, and will wear basically any color family on my eyes.

  11. miss smith

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    i feel the electra(silver) along with a smokey eye looks great with dark brown eyes..flesh tones are pretty but i get the most compliments with purple./green/silver either one of those

  12. bart

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have medium to dark brown eyes, and I always get the feeling that dark blue’s or purples ( mixed with some gray or black) seem to work for me. Even though it’s not completely according to the color theory

  13. Arness

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have caramel colored brown eyes with some green flecks, but not a true hazel. Bronzes, greens, blues and purples look great on my eyes. I think the reason they work is because I am so dark (NC50)and the contrast works well for me.

  14. Kella

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    Christine, I thought your eyes are brown! Brown eyes can rock so many colours bc they’re a neutral. I feel limited bc mine are crazy blue. Taupes look the best on me.

  15. Aprilrobin

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have gray eyes and I find that when I wear Purples, pinks, and reds my eyes really pop – but they actually start to look kind of a sea green color.

    • Erica

      Wednesday, October 14, 2009

      i have gray eyes with bits of green(weird combo. but its cool lookin)
      ive found that a coppery bronze looks REALLY awesome on me. my hair is a medium blonde color, so idk if thats y, but i do all sort of different things – experimentation!

  16. Jennifer

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have blue eyes but orange, copper and gold look awful on me. They are way to warm for my cool skin tone and make me look washed out. I find blues/greys, pinks and purples look far better.

    • Shea

      Thursday, October 16, 2008

      same here, orange and copper look terrible on me. and depending on the gold, it can look awesome or i can look sickly :/

  17. Gail

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I wish bronzes and coppers suited my blue eyes, but unfortunately, my cool tone skin makes the bronzes/coppers look awful. I literally look sick wearing most coppers/oranges. I find I look better with soft browns, lavendars, etc.

  18. Shortiee31

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I wear pretty much all the colours of the rainbow but I do find that greens and sometimes purples help my really dark brown eyes pop! x

  19. Kat

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I’m not an MA (yet) but I would have thought more than eye colour decideds what colours shold be worn for make-up, including skin tones, hair colours and the effect you are going for.

  20. Erin

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I find blues, greens and purples really make my medium brown eyes “pop.”

  21. Nepenthe

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I don’t agree, just because an eye colour is just one part of what someone looks like, skin colour and undertones play a role too.

    My eyes are a warm dark brown, and the most common ‘pop’ comments I get are when I wear purple. But, also teals, greens, bronze/copper/gold, red.. it’s all over the place.

  22. Peggy

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    Hmm, I have blue-green eyes, but I actually never use red/pink eyeshadow. I’ve found that coppers and purples suit me well.. and that’s also what you’ve got listed under blue and green! Awesome.

  23. aline

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    i have dark brown (almost black eyes)

    im lucky that most colors compliment my eyes nicely, like bronzes, browns, greens (olive)..

    but the color that really makes my eyes POP is vibrant, intense jewel tones purples… like violet pigment or shu ME purple 780 (my HG purple)

  24. Sash

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have Hazel/green eyes. Similar to urs, Christine! And, by God, I hate Pink and red eyeshadow on me.

    • marissa

      Wednesday, August 19, 2009

      lol, me too. I really like dark brown on me.

  25. geri

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I have dark brown almost black eyes and dark hair and I find that Purple, Turquoise, Blues and greens in shimmery and Jewel tones work best for me. Brown eyeshadow makes my eyes look rather flat and pink makes me look rather punched out.

  26. sasha

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    purple goes well with brown eyes (hence, i have brown eyes), it brings out my eye color. honestly, i think it doesn’t matter what color eyes we have but how we apply the shadow itself. i don’t like applying the same color eye shadow everyday…so i’m always playing with my eye shadow to create that certain look and i’ve never gone wrong with any color.

    but that’s just my opinion. lol :)

  27. Carla

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I agree with most of the brown eyed girls. My eye color POPS with purple and green or any jewel tone e/s. Browns tend to make me eyes muted

  28. claudine

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    i have blue eyes but bronzes make me look sick i look better with greys, dark blues and dark teals…weird

  29. kat

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    I think it has to do with skintone and hair colour, too. But I have bright blue eyes and oranges/golds really do look good on me (I have a warm, light skintone and reddish brown hair… so makes sense!)

  30. Chica

    Thursday, October 16, 2008

    Hmm, I half agree- I have brown eyes and I do get the most compliments when I wear bright greens or olive tones so that’s true but I find brown eyeshadow/brown eyes a really, really dull combo. Purples, greys & reds also make my eye colour pop :)

  31. Runway Makeup Tutorials

    Thursday, October 16, 2008

    In my experience, it’s not the color but the application that makes or breaks a look.

    In the end, the best color on you is the one YOU LIKE! :) So rock it with confidence whether it’s turquoise, lemon, or royal purple ;)

  32. The Rotund

    Thursday, October 16, 2008

    I have green eyes, and purples/reds/pinks DO really emphasize that. But I don’t feel like I HAVE to wear stuff that emphasizes my eye color for my makeup and face in general to rock. Of course, I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis either; I also wear glasses so emphasizing my eyes is sometimes moot because my glasses are pretty dramatic anyway. I am far more likely to pick an eye shadow color scheme based on what I’m wearing and what I’m in the mood to wear.

    So, yes, the color wheel and color theory is accurate but I don’t feel at all inclined to limit myself that way.

  33. Claire

    Thursday, October 16, 2008

    According to the recommendations in the blog story, no one should wear blue eye shadow?? Blue is recommended for brown eyes.

  34. lisa

    Thursday, October 16, 2008

    Purple goes great with brown eyes it should be under brown eyes!

  35. Mamainak

    Thursday, October 16, 2008

    I generally agree, except my green eyes look good with bright greens or greens with yellow undertones. Also, I think you missed out on blue for brown eyes…

  36. Heather

    Thursday, October 16, 2008

    Purple eyeshadow really makes my green eyes pop. I also really like wearing coppery shades too, they just look right
    with my eyes.

  37. Anna

    Friday, October 17, 2008

    i have really really dark brown eyes which are practically black. i find that electric and navy blue really look good with my eyes. but light colours don’t work for me. maybe cuz i have slightly tanned skin. dark purple and dark green work as well.

  38. Kristen

    Friday, October 17, 2008

    I have blue eyes but being fair skinned, I find that coppers and golds etc, do not suit me at all. I’ve tried many a time to pull it off but just can’t. I tend to pull of pinks, browns and greens more easily.

  39. Rouaa

    Sunday, October 19, 2008

    I actually don’t agree at all. Sure some of the things are right, but I think that we all look great in things and colors we are comfortable in because we wear them with confidence. :)

    I have very dark brown eyes and the example above shows that I “should” wear greens, browns and bronzes. But I actually like blues, greys, teal, turqoise and other colors. :)

    Like this EOTD I did this week (I have a theme going on called Mike’s Choice. My husband chooses MAC shadows and pigments for me to create my look with) and it’ve very blue. It make my eyes pop out more than what bronzes does sometimes. :)
    Here is the look: http://rouaa.blogg.se/beauty/images/2008/nymph2_19424293.jpg

    So I think that we all should wear the colors we love and feel good in. We don’t need limits in make-up! :)

  40. Hannah

    Sunday, October 19, 2008

    I have golden brown eyes, and I think they look awesome with purple or green. Blue & aqua looks good too!

  41. Saira

    Monday, October 20, 2008

    I have brown eyes and I find that shades such as purple, silver, gold, blues and especially green tend to work best with my eye colour. I do sometimes wear browns but I find that other contrasting colours tend to bring out the colours of my eyes much more.

  42. Gemma

    Sunday, October 26, 2008

    i have green and brow what colour shades should i wear

    • Christine

      Wednesday, October 29, 2008

      You can wear a lot of colors, but golds, bronzes, and even greens will work for you, Gemma.

  43. betty t

    Monday, November 3, 2008

    how should i wear my eye shadow if i am light brown?

    • Christine

      Thursday, November 6, 2008

      You can wear any color you want, Betty!

  44. kelly

    Thursday, November 6, 2008

    I have dark blue eyes and wear all colours. I especially like vivid colors, blue, greens, pinks…I am also very pale and find that I can get away with more bc of it. Browns are ok but I find I look washed out in neutrals.

  45. Gayle

    Friday, January 16, 2009

    I have olive eye color. Not green, not hazel…just plain olive.
    If I wear a lipstick in the red/orange range it looks best, but I can’t find the correct eyeshadow. My hair is dk. red with blond chunks and my skin is naturally a light tan color. I need help with the eyeshadow !!

  46. Emily

    Friday, February 20, 2009

    I have blue eyes, auburn hair (red/ brown) and really pale skin. I hate it when my eyes look grey, which in the winter they tend to, I want to make them appear as blue as possible!I find that brown eyeshadow does make my blue eyes stand out however the brown looks to dark against my pale skin and makes me look slightly ill! However i find that orange and pale gold works well! I’m bord of wearing these colours though so does any one else have any other ideas for what colours you think would suit me? please help…

  47. helen

    Monday, March 2, 2009

    I have blue eyes, wear glasses, fair coloured skin and brunette hair what make up goes well with that?

  48. Gwendela X]

    Friday, July 3, 2009

    I have found that I love browns/tans , blacks/greys, and very light metallic pinks on my light blue, practically grey eyes. I wear the browns/tans and blacks/greys when I feel like I really wanna stand out and I love to wear the light pink when I just don’t want 2 stand out. And I usually apply it across the crease, but not too far past that. Am I doing this rite? Am I using the rite colors?

  49. vanessa

    Monday, August 10, 2009

    ok so i have hazel eyes but they are more green than brown and im confused what color i should wear

  50. vanessa

    Monday, August 10, 2009

    oh and im very pale with dark brown hair

    • marissa

      Wednesday, August 19, 2009

      I have more green than brown in my (hazel)eyes too. I really like dark brown on me, but I am pretty tan and my hair is bronish-blonde. I wear glasses so you can’t really see my eye lashes but brown eyeshadow works well with an orangish pink lip gloss.

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