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The best eyeshadow colors for your eye color

By Lookslate · Updated

The shades that flatter your eyes most usually contrast with the color of your iris: warm browns and peach for blue eyes, plum and mauve for green, bronze and olive for hazel, copper and gold for brown, chocolate and deep bronze for black, and taupe, mauve and silver for gray eyes.

How eye color and eyeshadow interact

Colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel make each other look more intense. That is why a shade that contrasts with your iris makes your eye color look brighter, while a shade that matches your iris can blend into it. Neutral browns work for everyone; contrasting shades are what make your eye color the focus.

The recommendations below are the same shade families that Lookslate shows in your result, based on the eye color you choose in the quiz.

Blue eyes

Lookslate recommends warm brown, bronze and peach.

  • warm brown
  • bronze
  • peach

Orange sits opposite blue on the color wheel, so warm shades with an orange base (copper-browns, bronze, peach) make blue eyes look brighter by contrast.

Day: a peach wash over the lid with warm brown in the crease. Evening: bronze on the lid and a deeper brown smudged along the lash line. Very cool, icy blues next to the eye can compete with the iris rather than brighten it.

Green eyes

Lookslate recommends plum, mauve and bronze.

  • plum
  • mauve
  • bronze

Red sits opposite green, and red-purple shades such as plum and mauve bring out the green in the iris. Bronze adds warmth without competing.

Day: mauve across the lid with a soft brown crease. Evening: plum along the lash line and outer corner, with bronze on the center of the lid.

Hazel eyes

Lookslate recommends bronze, olive and gold.

  • bronze
  • olive
  • gold

Hazel eyes mix green, gold and brown, and the shades you wear decide which one shows most. Olive and khaki pull out green flecks; gold and bronze bring out warmth.

Day: gold or bronze on the lid. Evening: an olive or khaki shade along the lash line with bronze blended above it.

Brown eyes

Lookslate recommends copper, gold and warm bronze.

  • copper
  • gold
  • warm bronze

Brown eyes work with almost any color, so the goal is brightness and depth. Metallic copper, gold and warm bronze reflect light and make brown eyes look lighter and warmer.

Day: a sheer copper or gold on the lid. Evening: warm bronze on the lid with a deep brown outer corner. Brown eyes also carry jewel tones such as plum or navy well.

Black eyes

Lookslate recommends chocolate brown, deep bronze and warm gold.

  • chocolate brown
  • deep bronze
  • warm gold

For very dark brown or black eyes, matte dark shades can blend into the iris. Chocolate brown adds soft definition, and metallic deep bronze and warm gold catch light so the eyes do not look flat.

Day: chocolate brown along the lash line with a gold sheen on the lid. Evening: deep bronze across the lid and a defined liner.

Gray eyes

Lookslate recommends taupe, mauve and soft silver.

  • taupe
  • mauve
  • soft silver

Gray eyes are cool and can reflect the colors around them. Taupe, mauve and soft silver keep that cool clarity, while too much warm orange can make them look duller.

Day: taupe across the lid. Evening: mauve in the crease and a soft silver shimmer on the center of the lid, with charcoal along the lash line.

Putting it into a look

Every look can be adapted to your eye color. For example, a Smokey Eye in plum works well for green eyes, and a Bronze Goddess lid flatters blue and brown eyes. Take the quiz to see a look on your own photo.

Frequently asked questions

What eyeshadow color makes blue eyes pop?

Warm shades with an orange base, such as copper-brown, bronze and peach. Orange is opposite blue on the color wheel, so it makes blue look brighter.

What eyeshadow colors suit green eyes?

Plum, mauve and other red-purple shades bring out green, and bronze adds warmth.

Do brown eyes go with every eyeshadow color?

Nearly every color works with brown eyes. Copper, gold and warm bronze add brightness, and jewel tones such as plum or navy look rich.

Looks to try

Soft Glam

Soft glam is a polished but gentle look: an even, luminous base, warm-brown and rose eyeshadow blended until no edge shows, fluttery lashes, diffused rosy blush and a satin pink-nude lip.

How to do Soft Glam makeup

All faces shown are AI-generated fictional models, not real people.

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