Recently, I have been asked to share makeup tips for brown eyes. I still recall having to select my first set of eyeshadows from a cosmetics counter at a department store. It wasn’t mind-boggling or anything, but there were endless neutral palettes to choose from. I went with the ‘recommended’ palette because the sales person stressed that it was their best-seller. Was that the best choice for me? Well, I ended up using 2 out of the 4 colours in the palette and was not blown away by how it was supposed to make my eyes look.

What was missing in this equation? Well, certain eye colours look better with certain makeup shades. I overlooked that very important step in my purchase. Although I have always fancied brighter colours, I went with the ‘safe’ everyday choice. Things are very different now. I go with what works, rather than what I should be buying according to so and so.

In this article, you will find my recommendations for the best eye makeup for brown eyes. Did you know brown eyes represent more than 55% of the eye colour around the world? I personally have dark brown eyes and although I love wearing a variety of eye makeup colours, some colours do work much better for my eye colour.

So what is the best eye makeup for brown eyes you may ask? Eye shadows that are a contrast to brown eyes are most suited. For example, khaki green or sage is my go-to colour for brown eyes. It is a good neutral and yet it wakes up my eyes. Shades of blues and cooler purples or greys are also great and are good makeup options for brown eyes. Plums are also suitable but be sure to opt for cooler shades as opposed to a warmer shade to prevent looking like you have a bloodshot eye.

Can brown eyed people also wear brown eye shadow? Sure you can! Look for cooler shades of brown or taupe for your everyday look. Stay away from warm brown which can also make your eyes look unrested.

Below is a quick reference to recap the above recommendations:

Eyeliner for brown eyes – go for black, purple, blue, sage

Mascara for brown eyes – go for black, purple, blue, sage

Eyeshadows for brown eyes – go for sage, greens, purples and plums (cool shades), blue (all shades), grey (all shades), browns (cool shades), taupes, nudes (cool shades)

So before you invest in your next set of eyeshadow colours, and you have brown eyes, remember certain colours do work better for your eye colour.

Stay vibrant!

Sara Au Yeong