How To Choose an Eyeliner For Your Eye Color

The right shade of eyeliner has the power to make your eyes even more mesmerizing than they already are. It’s all about finding complementary colors that play up your natural eye color and make them pop. 

Using the concept of color theory, we’ve created the ultimate guide on how to find the best eyeliner for your eye color. It’s the tried-and-true expert method for creating eye-catching makeup looks. 

Choosing Complementary Colors

Let’s talk about color theory. Colors that are opposite of each other on the color wheel are considered complementary. They enhance each other. Think: purple and yellow, blue and orange, and red and green. When paired together, these colors create a striking contrast that instantly draws you in.

Makeup artists are experts at color theory, especially when it comes to the eyes. 

Brown Eyes

Because brown eyes are neutral, they’re notoriously able to pull off a variety of eyeliner colors. You can’t go wrong with jewel tones like emerald green, dark purple, and rich berry shades. But if you want to get even more specific, you can use color theory to find your own unique match.

Take a look at your eyes, and identify the more dominant color. If you have brown eyes with a golden-orange hue, reach for eyeliner colors that are opposite the orange shades in the color wheel: blue and blue-green. Alternatively, if your eyes lean towards a lighter brown with hints of yellow, play with purple tones.

Green and Hazel Eyes

Green lies across from red and red-purple on the color wheel, so green eyes shine in shades of deep berry, wine, magenta, rust, burgundy, and deep, warm-toned browns. 

There’s a bit more nuance with hazel eyes. Again, it all comes down to the dominant color you see in your eyes—or the color that you’re trying to bring out. To highlight the green tones in hazel eyes, follow the green eye recommendations above by adding red and warm purple eyeliners to your makeup kit. For hazel eyes with more of a yellow tint, you can also try a warm purple (such as magenta), as well as a cooler purple shade (such as violet). 

Blue Eyes

Bring an extra glimmer to your baby blues by experimenting with sophisticated shades in the orange color world. Warm browns and deep rust eyeliners are stunning on blue eyes. For a touch of shimmer, warm metallic shades like copper and bronze are an especially beautiful choice.

Gray Eyes

Gray eyes are gorgeous and rare, often featuring a grayish-blue or green tint. Make everyone look by using complementary colors that bring out the dominant underlying hue.

If you have gray eyes that lean more blue, add contrast by using bronze, copper, warm brown, or rust eyeliner. If you have a green tint, you can try wearing wine, magenta, deep berry, or a rich warm brown. Both gray-blue and green-blue eyes stand out in royal blue or cool purple eyeliner, which show off their cooler side. 

Whether you choose to follow color theory or not, it’s fun to expand your collection of eyeliner colors by exploring new shades that make your eyes shine.