“
“Apply a neutral shade under the brow and an accent shade in the crease of your eye.iStockphoto/Thinkstock
Your fashion sense may make a statement, but your eyes do most of the talking. Beyond coating your lashes with mascara, you can make your peepers pop by applying eye shadows that complement the color of your eyes. For brown-eyed girls, the shadow choices are nearly limitless. Brown, including light brown, is the most neutral of all eye colors, so almost any color eye shadow color will look good. But how can you make it look great?
First things first, buy a good brush. A brush, as opposed to the sponge-type appliers that come with most eye shadows, will provide more even coverage. There are four areas where you can apply eye shadow. Just under the brow, you’ll use a neutral highlighter. You’ll use your darker accent color in the crease, a neutral on the lid, and then you may want to use a little of the darker accent in a thin line over your eyeliner.
When it comes to hue selection, "think opposites attract," says Carmindy, makeup artist on TLC’s "What Not to Wear." Find your eye color on a color wheel, then peruse the opposite side of the wheel for shadow shade possibilities. For brown eyes, Carmindy suggests navies and sapphires as your darker accent color in the crease, and possibly smudging a fine line of that same color over the brown or black liner on upper lashes with a little under the liner at the outer edge of lower lashes as well. You could also try purples and pinks and aqua and teal as accent colors for light brown eyes. If you’re feeling bold, choose a nearby green on the wheel.
For the lids, go with a more neutral color, but remember that beige isn’t the only neutral; some shades of champagne, pink, peach and even orange can act as neutrals. And if your brown eyes have gold flecks — true for many light brown eyes — look for eye shadows with some degree of gold shimmer for extra sparkle.
Not every color or hue will look good on everyone with light brown eyes. Your skin tone plays a huge role in how an eye shadow looks on your eyes. A muted pastel may look great on a light-skinned gal, but could go unnoticed on someone with darker skin. Likewise, while a dark purple in the eye crease of a woman with dark or tan skin may look exotic, it could make a fair-skinned woman look like she has a black eye! Note: Dark brown eye shadow is an OK choice but it won’t make light brown eyes pop the way colors do, and could even make eyes look a bit sunken.
It may take a little experimenting to find the right shades for you. But isn’t that the fun part?
Lots More Information
Related Articles
- Eye Makeup Tools Demystified
- Eyelash Strips vs. Individual Lashes: Which is right for me?
- How to Apply Single Eyelashes in 5 Steps
- Tips for a Bold Smoky Eye
- Makeup for Women of Color
Sources
- Facebook. "The Shopping Channel Fan Questions Answered!" (May 22, 2012) http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150326298820424
- MaryKay.com. "The Ultimate eyes." (May 24, 2012) http://www.marykay.com/content/whatsnew/tipsandtrends/beautyadvice/ultimateeyes.aspx
- RealColorWheel.com. "CYMK." (May 23, 2012) http://www.realcolorwheel.com/colorwheel.htm
- LaurenHutton.com. "Determine Your Skin Tone." (May 21, 2012) http://www.laurenhutton.com/find-you-skin-tone.php
