A lot of people will tell you different things about what eye shadow color you should wear, but it doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t have to buy every color to finally find the right one. STOP FOLLOWING THE TRENDS!!!
Choosing the best eye shadow for yourself has NOTHING to do with make up at all. If you’re wearing shades of grey/silver (we all love our 50 Shades), or black, and you have blue eyes, you are doing nothing to enhance your eyes. In fact, it might even look worse. The same goes for anyone with green eyes.
So, how should you pick? There is actually a very clear formula people tend to forget—it’s called the color wheel! Now you can call yourself artsy every time you put on make up.
What you need to know: Complementary Colors are colors that are directly across from one another on the color wheel (below). Complementary colors are opposites that, when put side by side, enhance the color of both. When you put them next to each other it makes the colors pop.
How to use the color wheel for make up: If you look at green on the color wheel you will see that its complement is red. Who wants to wear red eye shadow?…please just don’t even think about it.
Question: Red is the complement of green, so what eye shadow do we wear?
Answer: Try to find a color close to red that is acceptable to wear as an eye shadow. In this case, since most people have olive eyes, not bright green! Shoot for a color that’s a deep red-violet or plum color, so that your eye color is the main focus, not the shadow.
Complements on the color wheel:
Blue eyes: Orange
Green: Maroon
Brown: Navy
Eye shadow color options to complement your eyes:
Blue: gold, copper, browns, rose gold, beige (if you insist).
***For daytime if you can find completely matte shades (no shimmer whatsoever), those are great because the brown/copper tones look best. Plus, it is not an obvious amount of make up for the daytime because they blend in well with the natural shadows in your eyes.
Your picks:
· Urban Decay: Buck (matte brown, slightly bronze), Half-Baked (gold and shimmery but not glittery), Smog (Brown with shimmer), Darkhorse (Deep brown). These colors are all included in the original “Naked” palette.
Green: rust, purple, violet, plum, wine, mauve
Your picks:
· Urban Decay: Toasted (Mauve with a slight shimmer), Hustle (purple muted with a brownish tint), Roach (deep burgundy metallic brown), Psychedelic Sister (deep amethyst shimmer), Rockstar, Bordello, and ACDC.
· Plum or purple eye liners
· Nars Duo Eyeshadow in Brousse
Brown: Navy. Be careful of using blue eye shadow. It may be the complement for brown, but, well….it’s blue eye shadow. Thank god that died in the 80s. If you are using navy or dark blues, use them to line eyes or to do a smokey eye.
· Laura Mercier: Eye Colour in Deep Night
· Nars Duo Eyeshadow in Mandchourie (golden infused denim/ rich navy)
· Navy liner is a great option for you.