If there is a single eyeshadow every woman should own, it’s a brown eyeshadow. No makeup bag is complete without one.
I didn’t grow up knowing this, and my mama never taught me. But, after tons of research, talking to makeup artists, and lots of trial and error…I learned why a neutral brown palette is so awesome.
Imagine owning one eyeshadow that is so flattering, you know you always look your best.
Prepare to learn everything there is to know about the versatility of brown eyeshadow, and all the benefits for you!
Brown Eyeshadow is a Must Because:
1. It’s a neutral color that complements all skin tones. Your perfect shade of brown is always current and appropriate.
2. It’s universally flattering no matter your age. Brown hues are often the most classic and timeless.
3. Brown eyeshadow can be natural or sultry – providing great versatility
4. It’s a multi-purpose makeup product. Brown eyeshadow can be used on the lids, in the crease, on the eyebrows (*this is important, we’ll talk about it later), or as
eyeliner.
5. It’s the cornerstone of any makeup look. Shades of brown are perfect for both daytime, neutral looks and for evening smoky eyes.
2. What color is your skin? And I’m not talking about figuring out if you’re “warm or cool” toned – which for some of us is tricky to figure out. Instead, think to yourself, “Am I super pale? Fair skinned? Tan or olive? Am I dark or super dark?
3. Should I be wearing matte or shimmer-based products? As our eyelids change with our maturity level, so should our eyeshadow. Brown shimmery shadow with lots of frost or glitter, reflect light and draw attention to lines. That’s not to say that a sassy woman in her 60’s cannot wear a little shimmer, but that color is best placed on the brow bone (under the arch of the eyebrow) and in the inner corner of the eye. This lightens the look without drawing attention to the places that have lovely laugh lines.
But just remember, brown matte eyeshadow is flattering and lovely no matter your age. Brown matte eyeshadow brings out your inner earth goddess and brings subtle luminosity to your gaze.
Blending brown matte eyeshadow and brown shimmery eyeshadow creates dimension within your eyes. Neutral shimmery eyeshadow in lighter tones bring the perfect highlight under your brow bone. The same goes for the inner corner of the eye. Champagne or Iced Mocha are good examples.
Combine shimmers with a brown matte eyeshadow such as: Brownie Points, Yes You Canyon or Espresso for a smashing sultry eye.
To instantly enhance the color of your eyes, eye makeup is the perfect solution. For those with brown eyes, there is a wide array of colored eyeshadows to choose from since almost any color works with them. Believe it or not, even brown eyes have various shades, and some even have speckled flakes of other colors mixed in.
From metallics to purples,try these eyeshadows to make your brown eyes pop.
Metallics: Metallic eyeshadows will emphasize the natural sparkle in your eyes. Various shades of metallics will pick up the different specks in your eyes to highlight them.
Bronze-Browns: You may not realize it, but brown eyeshadow can actually enhance and intensify your brown eyes. It doesn’t even matter if the eyeshadow is the same color as your eyes.
Silvers/Greens: Brown is a warm color. Using cooler tones, such as silver, on your brown eyes can make them stand out. Additionally, green eyeshadow, particularly teal, goes great with brown eyes.
Purples: One of the best colors to contrast with your brown eyes is purple. Other than neutral eyeshadows, purple is very flattering. Using a purple eyeshadow with a blue tint will also contrast the brown in your eyes.
Eyebrows, ladies… eyebrows! They define your face, lift your eyes, and polish your look. I love eyebrows, they are the easiest way to take your makeup look from zero to 20 in under two minutes!!
I have bushy eyebrows; others have sparse brows. Either way, we need to define the brow that we were blessed with.
A lovely girl once told me that eyebrows are sisters NOT twins – embrace it! They will never be identical, and that’s ok.
After tweezing a little, brown matte eyeshadow is the perfect way to create definition without drawing a harsh line.
Tweeze the rogue hairs in between your two sisters. The inner edge of your brows should line up with the inner edge of your eye. Next, find your natural arch (it will usually line up with the outer edge of your iris). Tweeze all the hairs below your natural arch and out toward the outer edge. Next, clean up stray hairs above the outer corners of your brows. Always pluck hairs in same direction that they are growing, with one quick motion.
Eyebrows, ladies…eyebrows! They define your face, lift your eyes, and polish your look.
Once you’re all cleaned up, use a small eyeshadow brush with stiff, small bristles (like our angled eyeliner brush). Load your brush with a very small amount of the brown matte eyeshadow. Find the area of your brow that is the thinnest and start there.
With small strokes, going in the same direction as your hair growth, begin to fill in lightly. Once that area is filled in appropriately, and you’re pleased with the intensity of the color, then finish the rest of the brow. With this technique you can fill in the most important spots, using the right intensity of color without darkening your entire brow too much.
If you are new to filling in your eyebrows, you’ll want to see for yourself what an impact a defined, polished brow can make. Do your entire eye makeup look first without touching your brows. Look straight in the mirror. Then attack one of your brows from start to finish. Look straight in the mirror and notice the striking difference!
It can be difficult to choose the right shade of eyeshadow, especially if you don’t wear makeup very often. Not to mention the thousands of colors, shades, and hues available can make the process frustrating and overwhelming. Luckily, you can use your skin tone, eye color, and even hair color as the foundation to find the perfect eyeshadow to complete your overall look.
Brunettes: You want an eyeshadow that is slightly lighter than your natural hair color (Brownie Points or Espresso)
Gingers: You want a taupe or reddish brown (Sugar & Spice)
Blondes: You want a color that is slightly darker than your natural eyebrow color (Yes You Canyon)
Silver Foxes: You’ll want slate, gray, or taupes depending on the color your brows have taken on. *Remember you want your brows to stand out, so picking a slightly darker shade than the silver hair is important (Clean Slate, Taken For Granite, Yes You Canyon, or Brownie Points)
Let's take a glance at three different looks using brown-toned neutrals...
Lips: I double-purposed my lipstick too! Strawberry Lips was applied lightly to the lips and the cheeks. This coordinates the look and cuts down on time!
Check out the close up photos below. 
I used four shadows: Iced Mocha, Yes You Canyon, Twinkle Taupe, and Bronze Bombshell by Red Apple Lipstick.
Iced Mocha is a light, shimmery neutral which I used on the inner corner and brow bone for highlight and instant lift.
Yes You Canyon is a matte terra cotta color, used on the outer 2/3 of the lid and up into the crease.
Twinkle Taupe is a darker, shimmery brown which I multi-purposed in the following ways:
Bronze Bombshell is a shimmery copper color, which was applied wet below the lower lashes for a pop of color and to enhance my eye color.
Lips: Strawberry Lips Lipstick with Cabernet Kiss Gloss
Examine the detailed pictures below.
I used 5 eyeshadows: Champagne, Dirty Girl, Vamp, Espresso, and Brownie Points by Red Apple Lipstick
Champagne is a shimmery neutral that I used in the inner corner and brow bone for highlight – always!
Dirty Girl is a matte mushroom-based brown. Pack this on to the entire lid, in and above the crease.Don’t worry about being too precise, that’s the beauty of a smoky eye, we will blend and smoke it out later.
Vamp is a slightly shimmery purple-based brown. I blended this on the outer 2/3 of the lid and into the outer crease. I then used a thin brush to line underneath the lower lashes. Use Vamp to make a thicker line and smudge it out with a Q-tip.
Espresso is a matte dark coffee brown eyeshadow. I used it wet as an eyeliner on both upper and lower lashlines.
Brownie Points is the same matte light brown shadow that I always use to fill in my eyebrows with a small brush. Filling in your brows always defines and polishes the look.
Lips: Barely Pink Lip Pencil – fill in entire lip, then apply Honey Badger gloss on top.
By using RAL brown mineral eyeshadows wet, you can create many different color intensities. Brown matte eyeshadows will take on a deeper more luscious hue, while the brown shimmery eyeshadows will intensify their undertones.
Run your RAL wet/dry eyeshadow brush under water slightly and shake off the excess to ensure that the bristles have separated from the water. Dip into the eyeshadow of your choice and apply. To test the difference in intensity first, before applying directly to your lid, apply the color to the inside of your wrist.
Use this technique with the darker brown eyeshadows (brownie points, espresso, and vamp) to create an eyeliner. Using an eyeshadow as eyeliner allows you to get either a sharp defined line, or a smudged, more natural look that can be perfectly coordinated with the rest of your eye makeup!
All Red Apple eyeshadows are mineral-based eyeshadows. So, that means not only are they awesome in quality, BUT each color can be worn in a variety of ways.
This seems so obvious but begs to be spotlighted. RAL brown mineral eyeshadows can be worn light and natural or full bodied depending on the amount you apply.
The key here is not to swirl the brush a million times into your eyeshadow, but rather BUILD the intensity.
Compare building the intensity in your eyeshadow to cooking. If you add too much seasoning at first, you can’t go back and remove it. Instead you should start light, and build. Pick up a little color on your brush and slowly and thoughtfully begin to work it into your crease or eyelid. Look straight into the mirror. Do you like it? Do you want more? Then go for it, add a little more to the brush, and apply in the same place.
This will allow you amp up the intensity but keep total control.
