Wanna make your eyes pop?

It’s all about the shadow (and the colour wheel!)

So I don’t want to get all techy or makeup instructor-y on you, the truth is, to be the best MSA you can be, you must understand the colour wheel. 

It’s not as boring as it seems – we are, after all… artists no?
Colours create mood, attract attention and make statements.
With colour you can create the impression of power, the mood of seduction, the emotion of sadness, the radiance of joy!

You have heard of having the blues? Being red with rage, or green with envy – colour theory!

Understanding the relationship between colours and how they contrast with each other will give you a hand reference in colour combinations.

Colours can be analogous (side by side on the wheel) or complementary (opposite each other). They can be either cool (blues, greens, purples) or warm (reds, oranges, yellows) – and understanding how these colours work together will help with the looks you are creating.

For example, using analogous eyeshadow colours to create an eye look will create a very visually pleasing look because they are from the same family of colour and can be used for depth and highlighting. Using contrasting, bold and sometimes uncomfortable complementary eyeshadow colours together can create more of an edgier avant garde look.  

One of the more common questions I am asked is “What eyeshadow colours would look best on me?” and let’s face it, we all want to know what colours will being out our best features, make our eyes sparkle! 

So, let’s break it down….

Effectively, you want to choose a colour opposite your eye colour because that contrasting hue will draw attention to your eyes. Also any eye shadow with texture, like a metallic or shimmery shadow will help mimic flecks of colour in your eye! Cool right?

For example – I have very pale blue eyes, if you look at the colour wheel, the opposite colour to light blue is red. Now if we break the down into eyeshadow colours from outside in – you would have a terracotta red, burnt orange, bronze and gold. If I match any of these colours of shadow on my lids, my very pale blue eyes become very prominent.   

So, with this in mind…. Check out which eyeshadow colours will make your eyes pop!

  Brown Eyes

Probably the most versatile eye colour in terms of eyeshadow. Any colour will suit a brown eye, however if you really want your brown eyes to pop, go for greys, charcoals, silvers or black in the crease for intensity. Bronzes and golds will create a natural or nude style and moss greens can seem like they lighten the colour of your eye.  My favourite on a brown eye though, is a hint of purple! The coolness of an amethyst will give a brown eye the most stunning lift!

Blue Eyes

Anything in the ‘orange” family will complement the blue eye. Terracotta, burnt oranges, bronzes, golds, coppers and corals. However do not discount the cooler colours on your cool baby blues – blues, silvers, turquoise, even purples add an amazing intensity to help create a stunning look.

Green or Hazel Eyes

Burgundys and wine colours look amazing on green eyes, as do golds, purples and greys. As with blue eyes, don’t discount using greens on your eyelids just because your eye colour happens to be green! Experiment with different shades – khaki green creates a gorgeous dramatic look in the crease of a green eye! 

Grey Eyes

This eye colour is one of the rarest, however the eyeshadow possibilities are endless because grey eyes are essentially a combination of grey, blue and green with a little yellow around the iris.

Browns, coppers, peaches and coral will make grey eyes appear more blue. Red browns, pinks, wines, plums and purples will make grey eyes appear more green and to make your eyes appear a lighter grey, stick with grey scale tones such as sliver, grey and charcoal.

Know which colours flatter your eye colour is certainly the first step in making your eyes shine – however, makeup is creativity and half the fun is practicing!

So experiment with colour and different types of shadows, creams, gels and pigments and find your favourite look!
H.