COMPLIMENTARY OPPOSITES - HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT COLOR EYESHADOW
In the image above I used warm coppers to bring out the golden tones in the model's brown eyes.
If you have warm brown eyes blues and purples will bring the color out, whereas browns will pull it back.
If you have deep deep brown eyes you can do anything, because the depth of that eye color will draw the viewer in.
If you have multiple flecks in your eyes, which is quite common, such as blue eyes with gold flecks, look to the opposite on the color wheel, which is your coppers and your burgundies.
Do you have trouble choosing eye shadows that make your eye color spark?
Do your eye shadows feel dull and boring? Or maybe you've always wanted your eyes to look exciting but when you try the looks you see in tutorials it never looks fantastic on you?
The key to your eye shadow looking fantastic is to understand the art of complimentary opposites. This is color theory for your eyes.
In order to draw attention to your eyes and make your eye color stand out you should avoid colors that match your own eye color - blue eyes avoid blue shadow, brown eyes avoid dull browns, green eyes stay away from greens. But more than that you need to choose eye shadow colors that are opposite your eye color on the color wheel.
In a nutshell, here's what you need to do:
BLUE EYES
If you have blue eyes and put on a blue shadow, you don't know what to look at, so it detracts from the blue eye. If you put a bronzey, warm color on it will make your eyes look bluer. Oranges, golds and warm bronzes look fantastic on blue eyes.
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| warm bronzey eyeshadow sparks megan Fox's blue eyes |
GREEN EYES
If you have green eyes use purples, burgundies, coppers, reds.
I often use red eye shadows paired with gold - it's one of my favorites. You get super drama without using a dark shadow (which can make an eye look small).
I often use red eye shadows paired with gold - it's one of my favorites. You get super drama without using a dark shadow (which can make an eye look small).
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| Green eyes, red eye shadow |
BROWN EYES
Just play with color - everything will look good!
If you have a golden brown eye coppery shades and purple shades will bring out that gold. Greens won't.
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| image from Luca Magazine photographed by Kelly Capelli Makeup Corinna Cooke |
In the image above I used warm coppers to bring out the golden tones in the model's brown eyes.
If you have warm brown eyes blues and purples will bring the color out, whereas browns will pull it back.
If you have deep deep brown eyes you can do anything, because the depth of that eye color will draw the viewer in.
 |
| Everything looks good on dark brown eyes |
If you have multiple flecks in your eyes, which is quite common, such as blue eyes with gold flecks, look to the opposite on the color wheel, which is your coppers and your burgundies.
If you have green eyes with gold flecks try purples, coppers and burgundies.
HAZEL EYES
Hazels are a mix of colors. They are either green and brown or green and blue.
If you want to accent the blue, use copper tones. If you want to bring out the green angle more toward reds, burgundies and purples.
If you have green and brown hazels then you want to pull out the green, because it's the most exciting color. Red based eyeshadows will do that for you, as will burgundies and purples.
Rather than being consumed with the latest fashion fad in eye makeup I always look at what suits my eye shape best and then style it with shadows that bring out the color.
