Color Theory: My Eyes & which Color?

Ever wander through aisles of eyeshadows in Sephora and wonder which color would look best on you? Do you spend painstaking time staring blankly at the wall of eyeshadows only to come home and find that the color you picked doesn't look good on you? Wonder no more! Here is a comprehensive list of colors that will look great, look yours up by iris color! Colors that are always out of the question are red and yellow, these two colors will make you look like you have pink-eye or jaundice, so regardless of your iris shade, stay away from these.


Brown-eyed beauties
If you're in this category, you're pretty lucky... not just because this is also my color, but because you can get away with wearing a lot of different options. Purple, violet and mauves are by far the best looking on this color because they just make your eyes stand out and have an understated elegance. As with all colors, don't choose something that is extremely saturated, or if you do, make sure you apply it little by little. Anyone can look like a clown even using the colors that are best suited for them if they go overboard with pigmentation. Another great alternative is metal colors - golds, coppers, bronzes, and even silver all look wonderful. If you want a warmer look, you would stick to the gold, copper and bronze, but if you want a smokey, colder look, opt for silver and pewter-tones. Green and blue can work, if done in the right way, otherwise they tend to look a little out of place and will bring out redness in your eye. Consider using green and blue eyeliner or opting for more washed-out versions of the colors, or maybe pairing up these shades with browns along the contour of your eye. If you contour your eye with the same color as your iris, you can pretty much pull off any of these colors. Very pale vanilla and ivory tones work well as highlighters. You should wear black or mauve mascara as the mauve is a naturally enhancing tone for brown eyes.


Striking hazel
Good on you, if you have this color, you must be pretty smug about yourself, and if you're not, you should be. This color is absolutely breathtaking and your makeup should reflect the beauty of it rather than detract from it. Don't use any colors that compete with the color of your eyes (so if you have a hint of a color and you can see it in your eye, do not use an eyeshadow that appears to be that color). Apricot and pink are great highlighting tones that bring out the light in your eyes. You can use light jewel-tones, champagne, mauve, and green colors to accentuate your eye color. Try to stay away from extremely black eye-liner because it will overpower your eyes and create stark contrast, you should use brown eye-liner and consider lining your eyes with mauve or green, as well. Dark brown and black mascara are the best choices for you, as they will make your eyes pop and make your lashes look like they go on for days!


Gorgeous green
Green eyes look vibrant and alive, they are the color of all things natural and support earthy-colored makeup. Various kinds of browns, such as chocolate, or wood tones enhance your eye color naturally. Your eyeshadow should be the background of the picture you are trying to paint with your eyes as the focal point. Choose colors that will not detract from the natural beauty of your color. Dark greens work well because they will not compete with your lighter-toned eyes, metallics such as copper or gold can look very elegant and sultry with your eyes. Apricots and taupes work well and will bring out the color in your eyes, as well as deeper purples and plumes to create a luxurious, glamour-filled look. You should wear dark brown eyeliner if you have vivid green eyes, but if the green is more subtle, you can opt for black to make the color pop. You can also choose to wear green eyeliner as a continuation of your natural eye hue. You can wear purple, dark brown or black mascara, this is really a matter of preference, you will look great in either. Highlight colors should be light apricots, champagne, and vanillas. You should stay away from blues because they will compete with your eye color and make your green eyes pale in comparison (because the eyeshadow is likely to be a more potent pigment than your eyes). You may look great or awful in pink, so I suggest trying a light frosty shade and if you think it looks good, then work your way to a more saturated pink.


Bodacious blues
Last, but definitely not least, the eye color that is considered the highest echelon of beauty, born of the nordic gods of olden times: blue eyes. Almost all hues of brown will complement blue eyes, except for copper because of the red-tones that will compete with your own color. You have very many options because a wide array of colors tend to look great on your eyes. All neutrals will look great, plumes and purples, and metallics will give you much opportunity to play with eyeshadows and combinations. You can wear blue eyeshadow to accentuate the color in your eyes, as long as if your eyes are greyish blue, you pick out the blues that tend to have that similar slate tone, but if your eyes are bright blue, you should wear colors that remind you of the ocean, such as aqua, sea-foam, and sky blues. You can wear eyeliner in purples, blues, brown and black, but try not to go for the blackest black because it can overpower your eyes. Try to stay away from green tones because it will compete with your eye color, detracting from the natural beauty of your eye color. You can highlight your eyes with gold, cream, vanilla, ivory and almost any of the lightest colors. Mascara can be worn in purple, blue, brown, dark brown, and black.