Did you know that when it comes to making your natural eye colour pop the key lies in the eyeshadow shade that you choose? Whether you’re a brown eyed girl, or a blue eyed beauty, we’ve unlocked the secrets of the colour wheel to get your eyes looking their best! Read on to find out how…
First things first, using a colour wheel, locate the complementary shade for your eyes. Simply put, this is the colour that sits opposite your natural eye colour on the wheel. Blue eyed? Your complementary colour is orange. Green or hazel? Red is your complementary colour. Brown? Lucky you! Brown isn’t on the colour wheel which means you can pretty much take your pick. We think earthy shades work best though. Ok, so now you’ve worked out the basics it’s time to experiment!
BLUE EYES
We know, we know, orange certainly isn’t the first colour that we think of when it comes to eyeshadow. When choosing your shade, it’s soft peaches and apricots that work best for a pretty daytime look. Smudge a shimmery peach like Wild About Beauty’s Powder Eyeshadow in Aine all over the lid then, taking an angled brush, run a soft champagne shade like Benefit’s Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit close to the lashline for a soft, feminine look.
For evening, get a little more dramatic with a metallic gold or copper-toned bronze; Benefit’s Longwear Powder Eyeshadow in Gilt-y Pleasure is perfect.
GREEN/HAZEL EYES
Not many of us would be bold enough to pull off a full-on red eyeshadow without it looking like a Halloween costume gone wrong, so think burgundy, deep pink and purple when choosing your shade. The colour of the moment – rose gold – is great for a daytime look, and can be jazzed up for date night with a slick of black eyeliner. Benefit’s Longwear Powder Eyeshadow in Nude Swings has a hint of shimmer which makes it a super pretty option for everyday.
Feeling brave? Try a purple smokey eye! Apply a violet-toned shadow all over the lid, we heart the rosette from the stila in the garden palette, then use a creamy eyeliner in a rich brown shade (the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Cocoa is A-MAZING to line the lashes and smudge out using a blending brush.
BROWN EYES
Ok, so technically brown doesn’t have a complementary shade on the colour wheel which means brown-eyed girls have their pick of the spectrum! For daytime, go for a matchy-matchy approach to colour. Eyeko’s Fat Eye Stick in Gilt is a beautiful metallic bronze that works great smudged all over the lid, or as a liner. Similarly the Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in My Two Cents, from their World Famous Neutrals Kit, is a rich brown shade that looks beautiful with just a slick of mascara.
For a more playful approach to colour, green is your go-to. Apply a soft, sage-toned green all over, line with a deep forest green colour and watch those brown eyes pop! The aptly named sage from the stila in the garden palette, and the juniper shade, are made for this look.
Here at Birchbox HQ we love experimenting with colour as much as we’re sure you do, and this technique is definitely just a guide to making the most of your eye colour. Feel free to mix things up as much (or as little!) as you like and let us know how you get on!
– Mica Kelly