Mastering the color wheel will help you choose the most flattering eyeshadow for your eye color.
Last week, we discussed how to use eyeshadow to emphasize the shape and placement of your eyes. Choosing the right color for your eyes is just as important—and equally based on understanding how to create illusion. With eye shadow contouring, you can create the illusion of larger, brighter eyes. With careful coloring, you can create the illusion of a deeper, more intense iris color.
How to Wear Color:
-Keep it simple. Feature one or two different (non-neutral) colors.
-If you want to play it safe, create a flesh-toned canvas on your eyelid and only apply colored shadow to your lash line.
-Apply a single wash to the entire eyelid. Pastels and shimmery formulas work best with this method. Don’t forget to blend out any hard lines.
-Incorporate a single color into your everyday palette. For example, instead of blending dark brown onto the outer third of your eyelid, try a deep burgundy (flatters green, brown, and hazel eyes).
Color Rules:
Learning how to master my eye shadow as per the color wheel was a breakthrough moment for me. Here’s all you need to know: colors that compliment (rather than match) your eye color will intensify the natural hue of your iris. In most cases, colors that match your iris “compete” with its natural hue and aren’t flattering. (One exception to this rule is brown shadow on brown eyes.)
Blue eyes. Orange complements blue on the color wheel. Shadows with copper or peach tones emphasize the cool tones in your eye. If you have light blue eyes, you can try a navy blue to enhance your natural blue. Depending on your eyes and the shadow, this technique may be an exception to the color-matching rule.
Anju by Modern Minerals, a coppery loose shadow perfect for blue-eyed beauties.
Green eyes. Flatter green eyes with red-based hues like pink, purple, and warm browns. I use wine and rose gold tones to make their color stand out.
I love using pink, mauve, and rose gold to compliment my green eyes.
Brown eyes. If you have brown eyes, the world of eye shadow palettes is your oyster. Brown shadow intensifies brown irises while greens, purples, and pastel tones are flattering as well. Feel free to experiment.
Atlantis by Alima Pure, a pretty gold-green tone that would be lovely against brown eyes.
Hazel eyes. Hazel eyes often seem to shift from green to brown and have flecks of gold or amber. Hazel eyes may be flattered with blue, purple, and warm brown tones. (Be warned that blue eyeshadow may emphasize any grey in your complexion, like undereye circles.)
Summer of ’14, a loose powder by Everyday Minerals that would look dreamy with hazel eyes.
Choosing a Neutrals:
The rule here is simple. Warm neutrals flatter warm eye colors. (A neutral is warm if it has undertones of yellow.) Cool neutrals flatter cool eye colors. (A neutral is cool when it has a hint of blue.) Learn more about neutral eyeshadow here.
More Beauty Secrets: Using Eyeshadow to Emphasize Your Eyes
Photos: Mary Hood, Modern Minerals, Alima Pure, Everyday Minerals
