How do you decide which color eyeshadow looks good on you? How closely does it need to color-coordinate with the rest of your outfit?
What is it about blue eyeshadow? (especially light turquoise) I see it all the time but don’t understand why.
Do you think purple is too close to blue? I’ve been using purple because it almost always color-coordinates with my outfits, but I don’t want to look dumb because of it if it doesn’t go well with my complexion. Am I an idiot for even caring about this?
Nowadays it looks to me as though the trend is toward earth-toney eyeshadow. One woman I work with always wears metallic bronze. I think it looks fine on her face, though it sounds strange to describe it in words.
My complexion is medium olive. Italian. Unfortunately, I don’t look anything like Algerian chanteuse Souad Massi (I wish!), but my color is about the same as hers, if that gives you an idea. What color would look good on me? I haven’t worn any brown in a long time, but nowadays the earth-toney shades are mostly some sort of brown. There’s also shades of gray, but I can’t imagine putting gray on myself: I’m not Catholic anymore and it isn’t Ash Wednesday.
I like using three subtly different shades of the same color. To open up the appearance of my eyes, I use medium tone in the main middle area and inside corner. A little bit of a light hue just under the eyebrow arch, and the outer contours in a darker shade.
I have much the same colouring that you describe (I am a light to medium olive) and wear purple with abandon. I try to pick earthier purples as opposed to bluer ones. I think it looks fine. Personally I think blue eyeshadow is a Bad Bad thing - but that is just one brunette’s opinion.
I also have a collection of various pinks, from soft to earthy to shocking (for the occasional night out).
On most days though I opt for neutrals. Hey, it works.
Almay has a new product that is supposed to bring out your particular eye color. I haven’t tried it yet but I may give it a whirl.
I just came in here to suggest the Almay products! I saw them this weekend and they look like the shades I’ve seen recommended to play up one’s eye color. I couldn’t think which to get, though, because my eye color changes, though the default seems to be blue-green. I am a very pale pink person, though. Think redhead skin tone. You might want redder purples, though I choose bluer ones. Shades of brown, IMO, look good on almost everyone, as long as you choose the right shades.
I think this is what is usually recommended. As long as you like how it looks, it sounds good to me. I usually wear one shade with a darker shade smudged along the lash line. I am sure someone who knows better will come along to correct me. I also have thought of experimenting with eyeliner, but am unsure.
I bought my last round of eyeshadow from Bonne Bell. I like their shades. I’m wearing the “cafe classics” set on the top far left. I bought some blue eyeshadow not long ago, but it’s sat unused on the bathroom counter. I just can’t do it.
Oh, by the way, I love blue eyeshadow, but I am very pale, have light eyes, and don’t wear much or wear it often. No one has told me that it looks horrible, and I spend a lot of time with people who will not hesitate to tell you when you look bad, often bluntly.
I am pale, with brown hair and blue eyes, and the only color eyeshadow I’ve ever worn is light brown. It makes my eyes look more blue.
I hardly ever wear eyeshadow, though – or any makeup, really, except for the blemish-concealing kind. For me, eyeshadow is for formal events: brown eyeshadow, some grey eyeliner, and a little clear mascara is as dressed up as I get.
Johanna - we’ve discussed before that you and I have pretty much the same coloring. I do wear purples, but as someone else mentioned, go more toward plum (red) shades rather than periwinkles (blue) - you don’t want too much in bluish tones with an olive complexion; if it’s too light you look odd and “false”, if it’s too dark you’ll look like you’ve got a couple of shiners. I have some luck with emerald greens, too - again, steer clear of the bluish-greens, teals and turquoises. Think forest, not pistachio.
For “everyday” wear, I use two shades of brown. A dark matte brown in the crease of my eyelid, and a paler matte brown under the brow. It’s more adding contour than it is color, and results in a nice natural look on darker skin. To dress that up to go from “day-to-night,” I add a little pearly pale cream on the eyelid itself, and brush a pearly pale brown over the matte pale brown under the brows, and a trifle more eyeliner and mascara.
Personally I have a rule: never wear any color of makeup that doesn’t occur naturally on your face - although maybe not in the same place! For me, this eliminates any blues (I’m not counting iris color as occurring on your face), purples, greens, etc. It’s hard to go wrong with a smoky/shadowy sort of dark taupe, and if needed a very light shade of beige for immediately under the brow.
I have a personal peculiarity, in that I can’t wear any eyeshadow with a hint of red or pink in it, even a slighty pinkish cocoa brown. They all make me look as if I have an eye infection. Strange. I’ve seen pale pinks used very effectively by other people, mostly with autumn-ish coloration and brown or hazel eyes. I’m Hitler-youth coloring myself - very fair complexion, blue-grey eyes, and very blonde hair - so it doesn’t work for me.
Very pale blue eyeshadow can work on those fortunate few who have black hair and very, very light blue eyes (think Siberian Husky here), especially with black eyeliner. Otherwise I’d stay away from it.
Unless your eyeshadow dramatically changes the color of your eyes, I wouldn’t worry about coordinating eyeshadow with clothing color. And if, like me, you stick to subtle neutrals, this never matters anyway.
Go to MAC or makeup forever, they usually have the biggest selection of colours, and people to help you choose things which go together.
My current favourites are:
“Launey” by Stila and “Shroom” by Mac, both peachy, creamy golds, for highlighting.
Browns are “Mulch”, “Sable” and “Soba” by MAC- slightly different shades and amounts of shimmer, but basically brown.
Although I have olive toned skin, there is much more yellow in my skin than most people with similar complexions. I’m more “Japanese” in colouring than “Mediterranean” if that helps. Combined with very dark brown eyes, it means I can wear almost anything, as long as I stay away from yellows and oranges.
LifeOnWry-I wear a lot of turquoise, teal and bright green, and often eyeshadow to match. Green or blue with brown eyes can look fab-but subtley done or you look like a Studio 54 reject. My usual approach is to lightly line my top lids with “Steamy” by MAC, a sort of shimmery teal. I don’t think I look terrible, perhaps this could be due to me having more yellow skin than you?
Or maybe everyone else thinks I look awful and don’t want to tell me?
I’ve noticed that a lot of times, when you go to makeup counters like that, they have a tendency to put a LOT of makeup on. If you’re looking for something subtle, make sure they know.
If your blue-greens are more green than blue, or you’re wearing a navy or midnight blue as opposed to a baby blue, we’re probably not all that far from the same idea. Any pastel except for pink or cream looks like chalk on my skin. When I think turquoise or teal, it’s more pastel than what I think you’re describing.
Exactly. I am very pale (redhead), and I have only had my make-up done once ‘professionally’. Never again; it was horrid. You really need to tell them, even though they might not like it. I find that the ladies themselves at make-up counters are very overdone, which is never a very good advertisement, in my opinion.
Johanna, can I recommend you treat yourself to a Color Analyst? You can find one near you in the Yellow Pages. A session with a Color Analyst lasts one afternoon and will cost somewhere around 90 dollars.
Here is a brief overview of the sort of things you will get advised in. Besides advice what colors/nuances to wear in clothing, they’ll advise you what colors make-up suit you best, as well. Color-analysts sell make-up designed for specific colourings, (they make you up too; it’s fun!) but I find that armed with the knowledge of what color-type you are, buying make-up elsewhere becomes much easier, too.
The whole Color Analyzing-trend started with this book. If you have a bit of color-sense yourself, or have a friend who has, you can use the book to determine your color-type “color season” yourself. You might find the book in the library, too, but often the relevant pages have been ripped out. :rolleyes:
My personal opinion on make-up and clothing is that make-up should first and foremost bring out your face, and matching your clothing shoudl be a very, very distand second. But YMMV.
One rule of thumb is to not wear eyeshadow that is the same color (or close to the same color) as your eyes; that just makes your eyes look muddy. I know it’s true for me – I have hazel/green eyes, and if I wear green eyeshadow (even though it would look great with my skin), my eyes don’t stand out at all. It doesn’t matter if it’s sage green or forest green; it just looks yucky.
I have fairly deep-set eyes, so not a lot of color is visible. I wear shimmery (NOT glittery!) shades, to highlight my eyes – either a shimmery neutral, a pale purple, or a white. The purple does amazing things to my eyes – purple is one of green’s opposites on the color wheel, I think, so it really makes my eyes “pop.”
You might try going to the department store makeup counters and seeing if they’ll give you free samples to take home. Or, when they have giveaways (“Bonus Days” at the Clinique counter, for example – buy $19.50 worth of stuff and they’ll give you a bunch of goodies), go get them and see how those colors look on you. I think a number of drug stores now have makeup return policies, too – look into it.
Also, you might try experimenting with wearing a neutral eye shadow with a colored eyeliner. I first discovered the purple thing in an eyeliner, and it was great. That way, you get the effect of the color on your eyes, without the “woah, purple!” effect that some eye shadows can give.
I never match to my clothes…I just wear what brings my eyes out. I’m a green-eyed blonde, and I wear a pale rust shadow with very thin purple eyeliner and a touch of dusty purple eyeshadow at the outside corner of my eyes. Opposites on the color wheel tend to look good together. I also wear very thin GREEN eyeliner, but I tend to stay with peachy/rusty shadows.
My sister used to be a Mary Kay consultant, and she said brown was not the best color for blue eyes, but I think if you stay with lighter shades of neutrals, you really can’t go wrong.
I think I mentioned this in your thread about clothes, but purple is a great color for brown and green eyes. The ALMAY set for brown eyes has a light violet as the base color, with a plummy brown and a champagne color for highlighting. The eyeliner is a deep purple. It looks like a royal purple on the liner, but on it looks really good, and really makes my eyes pop.
I never match my make-up to my clothes, unless I’m wearing very bold make-up, which may look like too much with a really bright or busy outfit.
Hie thee to your closest MAC counter and tell them what you want. Even if that’s “I don’t know what I want”. I love the MAC people. I’m sort of retarded at makeup (although I have a lot of fun playing with it!) and they’re so helpful.
Okay, since we’re asking - I rarely wear makeup, but I’d like to wear mascara - it really does make my green, sort of almond-shaped eyes look good. But I’m an eye-rubber. My eyes often itch, and even when they don’t they’re dry and I rub them. I end up looking like a racoon (or is it raccoon?). What kind should I get? Also, do I have to wear eye-liner? I have lots of long lashes. Isn’t the mascara enough? I don’t have the talent or patience for eye shadow or any other makeup.
