Do you have brown eyes? If so, then you know finding the best eyeshadow color for brown eyes can be a challenge. With so many different shades and hues available, it can be hard to know which ones will look best on you. In this blog post, we will discuss the best eyeshadow colors for brown eyes. We will also provide tips on how to apply these shades for maximum impact!

Have you ever wondered, "Do different eye colors look better with certain eyeshadow shades?" Well the answer is YES. And if you have brown eyes, you're on the right page.

While there are no set rules or restrictions when it comes to makeup I do have some very helpful guides and guidelines that can make choosing eyeshadow color for your brown eyes easier. These are particularly helpful when you're just getting started.

So, back to the question asked. Yes, there are certain eyeshadow shades that complement each eye color and help make them stand out. We will be sharing a series of articles dedicated to each eye color, a guide to help find the best eyeshadows for your specific eye color. This article is specifically for our brown eyed beauties because we are starting with the most popular eye color there is- brown eyes.  

What are the Best Eyeshadow Colors for Brown Eyes? The Short Answer 

The short answer is brown eye eyeshadow looks are easiest with earth tones like green, gold, and bronze. These colors are best suited to brown eyes because they complement the natural golden flecks found in this eye color.

Brown eyes can be made to look even more vibrant by using a darker shade of green as your lid color and a lighter shade for crease work or other details. If you have dark skin tone then using an olive green color as your lid shade will bring out the green flecks in your eyes even more.

Gold and bronze colors can also be used to create a sultry, smoky eye look. Try using a gold shadow as an all-over lid color, with a darker brown shade in the crease. This will give you a glamorous look without being too heavy on the eyes.

You can also use a combo of the best eyeshadow colors for brown eyes to create a smoky, sexy look by using a dark shade of green or bronze as an all-over lid color with lighter shades in the crease and corners of your eye area. This will give you an instant smokey eye effect that is perfect for a night out on the town!

But just like everything, there's way more to the story, so read on and we'll get specific.

Can a Color Wheel Help You Choose The Best Eyeshadow Color for Brown Eyes?  

A color wheel will help you find the best eyeshadows that complement and make brown eyes pop, even makeup artists use this.

In case you are not familiar with a color wheel, it is a circular chart that has the primary colors (red, yellow, blue), secondary colors (colors you get when mixing primary colors together), and tertiary colors (the colors on the sides of the secondary colors). 

A color wheel is a great tool to use when choosing eyeshadow shades because it can help you find complementary colors, which will on opposite sides of each other on the wheel. So, what colors are complementary to brown? This may seem like a trick question because if you look at a color wheel, you see that the color brown is not on there. Now you might be thinking, “well how am I supposed to figure out what colors will compliment my brown eyes?”  

Since the color brown is a neutral shade, brown eyes will look great with just about any eyeshadow color. However, to help make your particular brown eyes pop, you'll focus on the undertones of your brown eyes. Once you discover your eye undertones, or hue, the color wheel comes in handy.

You will need to look in a mirror in a well-lighted area to examine those beautiful brown peepers.  

Best Eyeshadow Color For Dark Brown Eyes 

Rich dark brown eyes (lucky you!) will usually have red undertones. If you look at the color wheel, you'll see the color on the opposite side of red, or straight across, is green. This means that green eyeshadows will be the ones to help those red hues in brown eyes pop out and make the eyes stand out the best.   

Here are some great RAL eyeshadow shade suggestions that will look amazing on dark brown eyes:  

Olive This Color- a dark, muted, earthy green eyeshadow with a soft light golden metallic sheen. Wear lightly all over the lid, apply it heavier on the outer corner, or blend softly into the crease.  

Sage Rage- a matte, medium, muted, earthy, khaki green eyeshadow. Great for applying all over the lid and using it to blend in the crease.  

Siren- a bright, shimmering greenish-blue eyeshadow whose color falls somewhere between teal, sea foam green, and turquoise. Apply lightly on the lid, as an accent for the outer corners or one of our favorite ways to wear it is under the lower lash line as an unexpected pop of color  

Mermaid Lagoon- a medium, tropical water blue eyeshadow with a slight green tint and beautiful shimmer. It can be applied (as a light wash or heavier for a bolder pop of color) on the lid, under the lower lash line, or as an accent for the outer corners.  

Dirty Girl- a medium, mushroom, earthy, khaki taupe with shimmer. You can apply this lightly as a lid color or heavier for the outer corner and crease.    

Best Eyeshadow Color For Light Brown Eyes  

On the other hand, lighter to light shades of brown eyes will have more golden or yellow undertones to them. Think of those who are often described as having honey brown eyes. On the color wheel, the color yellow is directly across from the color purple. To make these beautiful golden tones pop, purple shades are the way to go.   

The following RAL eyeshadows are some great shade options that will help light brown eyes pop:  

Violet Vixen- a slightly muted lavender purple eyeshadow with a metallic sheen and slight pinkish undertone. Apply it lightly onto your lids, use it as an accent color for the outer corners, crease or for the lower lash line.  

Violet Vintage- a muted, soft, grayish purple eyeshadow that leans towards being taupe with a faint shimmer. Use it to apply all over the lids, as a transition color or blend it into the creases.  

Vamp- a deep red color that reminds of aged red wine.  

Tutu Cute- a light, soft, pastel pink eyeshadow with a hint of purple and the slightest bit of shimmer. Works great applied all over the lid and you can even sweep the excess up to the brow bone to softly highlight.  

Minx- a medium taupe eyeshadow with a blend of gray, brown, and an ever so slight tint of a rosy, purple plum color. Apply it lightly all over the lid and heavier for the outer corner and crease.  

Plum’s Up!- a plum taupe shade that would look especially amazing as a crease color or eyelid color for green, hazel, and brown eyes.  

Using Brown & Neutral Eyeshadows With Brown Eyes

Now that I've covered easy and amazing eyeshadow colors that are best for brown eyes, what if you don't want "colorful" like green or purple colors?

That is no problem at all. A lot of women don't like or are not comfortable wearing too colorful eyeshadow. There are more beautiful and amazing ways to make your brown eyes pop.  

Brown eyes ALWAYS look amazing with neutral eyeshadows, even with brown neutral shades of eyeshadow. Using shimmery/satin eyeshadow formulas is another great way to make brown eyes pop when using brown and neutral shadows. I've also used both lighter and darker shades in a single eye makeup look, and its beautiful!  

*Tip: When trying to make the eyes pop, use shimmery shades on the lids as well as lighter shades. This will help draw attention to your eyes and lighter shades, whether matte or shimmery when applied on the lids or the center of them, can give the illusion of bigger and brighter eyes.  

There is one important thing to keep in mind when using brown eyeshadow shades on brown eyes. For your brown eyes to stand out, make sure that the shade of brown you apply to the lids is a shade that is either darker or lighter than your eye color. If you use a shade of brown that is close or similar to your natural brown eye color, it will blend in rather than stand out.  

Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Brown Eyes

Red Apple Lipstick has curated some amazing eyeshadow palettes for specific eye colors in mind, including 2 palettes for brown eyes. Both eyeshadow palettes are made up of neutrals and browns, so perfect for anyone especially for those who do not want anything too colorful. Both are also great whether you have dark or light brown eyes: Shimmer Eye Shadow Palette for Brown Eyes & Matte Eye Shadow Palette for Brown Eyes  

There is also The New Mattes eyeshadow palette which is made up of 9 new all-neutral matte shades. These are perfect for any eye color in general but look beautiful on brown eyes. They are especially perfect for anyone who is not quite comfortable with bold colors because these are neutral shades that still provide a subtle hint of color.  

The following are just some additional brown/neutral RAL eyeshadows that are great for brown eyes, you can always take a look at the complete selection of eyeshadows available here.  

Bronze Bombshell- a warm and deeply pigmented medium bronze eyeshadow with a golden sheen.    

Brownie Points- a matte, medium brown with a warm undertone.  

Champagne- a light golden frosty taupe.  

Chocolate Martini- a rich, dark chocolate brown with golden bronze shimmer.  

Down to Earth- a rich medium terra-cotta copper with a beautiful golden sheen.  

Golden Ticket- beautiful shimmering gold.  

Iced Mocha- a light, frosted taupe eyeshadow with a slight tint of a dusty rose mauve.  

Like U Latte- a soft, light, rosy caramel tan with a slight shimmer.  

Lucky Penny- a medium yellow copper with a stunning metallic finish.  

Sand Castle- a light, nude peach with golden shimmer.

Sugar & Spice- a matte, medium, warm, spicy, brown eyeshadow with a reddish-orange undertone.  

Twinkle Taupe- a medium, dusty, brown taupe eye shadow with a faint bronze sheen.  

Yes You Canyon- a matte, medium reddish brown tan eyeshadow.  

Eye Shadow Pop of Color for Brown Eyes

What if you like the idea of color but are not quite comfortable doing a more colorful look? You can always ease yourself into color by just adding a pop of it to a neutral eye look.   

Here's a great way to add to a pop of color to brown eyeshadow looks. Apply either a green or a purple eyeshadow, whichever is the one that will complement your particular brown eye shade, on the bottom lash line. Doing this will give you just a touch of color without being too much and will help you get comfortable wearing anything else other than neutrals.   

Another option is to add a pop of color that will complement your eye color as eyeliner. You can start by doing a more natural/neutral eye makeup look and then using a green or purple eyeshadow to line the eyes instead of the usual black liner. Simply use an angled liner brush to apply. Try doing either a subtle or a more dramatic winged liner.   

Hopefully you find this series of articles extremely helpful and serves as a guide when trying to figure out what eyeshadow colors are best for your eyes. Stay tuned for other eye colors. Please let us know what you think in the comments below.  

Frequently Asked Questions:  

What eyeshadow colors make brown eyes pop?  

Depending on the undertones of the brown eye color, shades of green and purple colors are the best ones to make them pop.  

What shade of eyeshadow is best for brown eyes?  

Brown eyes look great with almost any eyeshadow shade, they can pull off any color beautifully. However, greens and purples are the best flattering eyeshadow colors for brown eyes. Greens will help dark brown eyes that have reddish undertones pop, while purples will do so for lighter brown eyes with yellow or gold undertones.