26 Plant-Inspired Eyeshadow Combinations to Try
A reader recently suggested (but insisted they didn’t want credit, so thank you dear reader!) using plants as inspiration for color stories, and here I am with some! These are inspired by the plants and trees we added to our home as well as ones I considered (or wished I could consider), but it’s a process determining what will thrive/survive through Arizona heat! We recently completed updating the front and backyard, which included quite a few plant and tree additions. Some of the types of flowering plants that do particularly well in the Arizona heat are lantanas and bougainvilleas, which are now all over my front and backyard. ?
In the above photo, there’s a close-up of a blossom on the Hong Kong Orchid tree, Rosenka bougainvillea with Purple Potion lantana and a Blue Glow Agave, Pink Pearl (I think, they’re not… well-identified at local nurseries) bougainvillea with Purple Potion lantana and a Blue Glow Agave, and Purple Queen bougainvillea with Rose Sunshine lantana and a Blue Glow Agave.
About This Series
Each look idea is centered around a “quad” of four shades with the expectation that one might bring in the appropriate brow bone or additional transitional shade based on skin tone. I know that I tend to use more like five or six shades in a typical look, but I think that four is a happy medium to give a good idea of the “core” color scheme of a look while giving you the ability to lighten/darken as desired. I have listed the colors in this order: inner lid, middle of lid, outer lid/crease, and crease/above crease.
You might see combinations that seem slightly repeated but placement will vary (e.g. a halo placement where the lightest and more shimmery shade is placed on the center) as placement can also create a different effect/look! You might also want to consider incorporating your favorite matte/shimmer shades (as applicable) to increase the versatility of certain palettes. Consider these ideas a jumping off point!
Lantana
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
ColourPop Lilac You a Lot
Natasha Denona Love
Bougainvillea
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Natasha Denona Love
ColourPop Ooh La La
Natasha Denona Sunset
Aubade (126K), Morgana (131DC), Panjin (132CM), Horizon (127CM)
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Succulents
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Natasha Denona Metropolis
Claret (274M), Rhizome (273CM), Jubilee (271M), Symbol (272CP)
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Awake, Levy, Rover, Cool Brown
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Bamboo
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Natasha Denona Metropolis
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Sydney Grace Eyeshadows
Trees
What a great idea for a post! Thank you to your reader for the idea and thank you to you for compiling such wonderful color stories. I am inspired!
Good suggestion, reader and fabulous ‘bring them to life’ in eyeshadows, Christine. Your yard must be glorious.
Well, hopefully by fall! 😉
My favorite flower inspired look comes from the purple iris—-a bright yellow on my lid, orange in the crease, and a purple liner. Viseart Petit Pro Soleil provides the yellow and the purple (or I use the UD pencil in Psychedelic Sister). I pull the orange from whatever warm neutral palette is handy.
What a gorgeous combo!
I love this idea! Such pretty looks.
Mother Nature has the most extensive collection of colour combinations at her disposal. This is a fun post and I’ve saved a couple to try out ?
This is my favorite color series you’ve done yet.
Thanks, Rachel!
Same! Would love more nature-inspired color stories, Christine!
A lovely idea. Garden-based eye looks…for some reason that seems more appealing to me than just “playing around.”
What a great idea! I look to nature when pairing outfits (especially when I have a piece In my closet that doesn’t seem to go with anything) and when decorating but it never occurred to me to do the same when I have shadows that I like but I don’t see a way to use them or can’t figure out an overall color story (usually with greens and some oranges). The pairings you showed are gorgeous and I will definitely try some of them and look for my own when I walk in the morning.
Woohoo! Glad to help 🙂
This was such a beautiful and inspiring post. I want to try so many of your ideas out ???
Stunning Christine – inspired by you, I am starting to use shades from different palettes to give me the kind of colour stories I like in my eyeshadows.
From this collection, I love Ferdinand Argave – with the blue green combination I actually wore yesterday with Madness and Damaged from UD Vice 2.
Golden Goddess – the gold and olive shades – I used Cleo from City Colour and the olives from Tisse D’ Automne
Giant Timber – a new combination I will try with the medium brown taupe and the teal – I have Sandstorm from City Colour and Max Volume from bareMinerals for the teal.
I tend to use 3 shades at a time and vary the third shade from either very light to a darker shade depending on the combinations.
Thank you so much for these inspirations Christine.
Wonderful idea!
Very good idea and thanks for sharing (especially “whoever” the is 😉 )!