Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Eye makeup tips: choosing the best colors for you

As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Choosing the right eye cosmetics for your eye color will be the door opener to how others first see you. Remember, when someone first greets you, you want them to say, “Your eyes look great,” instead of “Where did you get that eye shadow? It’s pretty.” With the endless variety of eye shadow colors marketed by top cosmetic companies each season, knowing which colors look best on you can be a daunting task.

Here is a no-nonsense guide of eye colors and which ones will make you look your best for any occasion, no matter which the beholder is!

First Things First
No matter what your eye color is, before applying eye shadow, you need to start with applying foundation to your entire eye area, making sure to choose a shade of foundation lighter than your natural skin tone which will give an all-over natural look. Remember to apply foundation under the eye area to cover up any dark circles, puffiness or blemishes. Next, remember to fill in your eyebrows as well, choosing a neutral shade of eyebrow liner or shadow. Good neutral choices for eyebrows include soft red-brown and taupe. Try not to make the common mistake of choosing an eyebrow color darker than your actual eyebrow, since this can give a very unnatural look, causing your skin to look pale. Blend the eyebrow color beginning at the inner part of your eyebrow and extend the line to almost the side of your face. Blend with a small eye brush or your fingers.

If you have Blue Eyes:
The best colors for blue eyes to enhance any blue shade are brown, gray, taupe and rose. Brown shades are the most flattering palette for blue eyes simply because the brown contrasts with the blue eye color, bringing out every shade of blue in the eye. Other good choices for blue eyes include lavender, plum and purple. These colors work well with blue eyes, although they do not enhance the blue eyes like the brown colors will. For a hip look try fuschia, silver and turquoise, to brighten any shade of blue eyes. Tip: Avoid using blue eye shadow on blue eyes; artificial blue color next to the natural blue of the eye will only look more unnatural. When someone notices you for the first time, they will only see the blue eye shadow instead of your eyes!

If you have Green Eyes:
Green eyes can use similar shades that brown and hazel eyes use since flecks of green are found in both hazel and brown eyes. Shades of green can be used on green eyes as long as it is not an electric or bright shade of green, causing an unnatural look against the true color of the green eye. Best bets for green eyes include mocha and lavender. The lavender contrasts with the green, making your eyes more intense and dramatic. The warmer mocha color gives a natural look to compliment green eyes. For a hip look try light green and bright purple to give a finishing, modern look.

If you have Brown Eyes:
Since brown eyes have flecks of green, gold, copper and brown, the most flattering colors will be any colors within these families. People with brown or hazel eyes can wear almost any shade of eye shadow as long as it’s applied and blended correctly! Best bets for brown eyes include gold, green, bronze and copper. Other flattering shades include champagne (a bit of apricot with a soft pink), beige, khaki-green (the lighter shade adds highlight to enhance the green and brown flecks) and brown for a doe-eyed look. Hip favorites include hot pink, tangerine, royal blue and lime green (again, the contrast gives brown eyes a kick).

If you have Hazel Eyes:
As mentioned, hazel eyes can follow the same color choices for brown and green eyes. Best bets for hazel eyes are apricot, brown, pale yellow and dark green. Hip favorites include lime-green and gold to give an ultra modern look, enhancing the tiny brown and green flecks in hazel eyes.

Tried and True Favorites
No matter what color your eyes are, there are certain colors that will always compliment all eye colors. Base colors that look great on just about any eye color are charcoal, navy blue, chocolate and black. Another alternative would be to use these colors as eyeliners to compliment most eye shadows. A hip favorite on any eye color is any variety of a silver-sparkle shadow that will give an all-over modern, edgy look to eyes.

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