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Back in the early ’00s, Almay captivated beauty lovers when it launched eye color-specific eyeshadow compacts. The affordable eye trios—named the Intense i-Color collection—were sold in four colorways fitting for blue, green, hazel, and brown eyes. And 20 years later, we’re still captivated by the concept of matching our makeup to our eye color. (Almay continues to make it easy with its reimagined i-Color Shadow Palettes, $14 each, which now feature five shades instead of three.)
With so many incredible eye shadow formulas on the market, it helps to know which colors work best for each eye color so that you can experiment. While green, brown, and blue eyes are pretty straightforward, the shade-shifting nature of hazel eyes can seemingly complicate the process—but it doesn’t have to. We chatted with pro makeup artists Bruce Grayson, Jo Baker, and Mat Wullf to find the best eye makeup for hazel eyes. Keep reading for eye looks that will leave them green (and brown) with envy.
Meet the Expert
- Bruce Grayson is an Emmy-winning makeup artist and the head makeup artist for the Academy Awards.
- Jo Baker is a celebrity makeup artist and the founder of Bakeup Beauty.
- Mat Wulff is a professional makeup artist and Ulta Beauty Pro Team member.
01 of 17
The World Is Your Oyster
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Actor Adriyan Rae has mesmerizing hazel eyes with hints of green and gold—and here, you can see how subtle peachy rose-gold eyeshadow accentuates them. But, as Grayson reminds us, pretty much anything goes with this eye color. "When it comes to eyeshadow looks for hazel eyes, the world of color, liners, and lashes is your oyster—in other words, there are endless choices, all of which will make the torrent of colors that comprise hazel eyes pop like fireworks," he says. It's all about finding the best shades to bring out your unique hazel hue.
02 of 17
Dreamy Lilac Lids
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Baker says hazel eyes can pull off so many different eyeshadow looks because of how much the color can vary—not just from person to person, but even throughout the day. As many hazel-eyed folks will tell you, certain outfit colors can change how their irises appear. According to Baker, eyeshadow can cause the same phenomenon.
A shade that pairs beautifully with both green and brown eyes, however, is purple. So if you’re feeling bold, consider copying Rihanna’s dreamy lilac lid look, above. You can recreate it using the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Cool Neutrals Snap Shadows Mix & Match Eyeshadow Palette ($30).
03 of 17
Metallic Rose Gold Lids
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Wulff is a big fan of warm, smoky lids on hazel eyes. Here, he went with a metallic rose gold with smoky maroon accents. He created the look using the Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in Pillow Talk Dreams ($55) and Pillow Talk Eye Liner ($29). To DIY, he suggests using the Charlotte Tilbury Eye Smudger Brush ($36) and the Eye Blender Brush ($36). “I also used my ring finger for the shimmer on the lid,” he adds.
04 of 17
Copper Lids
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Copper and gold tones look lovely on hazel eyes thanks to how they complement the gold flecks in the reflective iris color. “The light metallic brown that makes up copper eyeshadow magnifies all the magnificent specs of color [in] hazel eyes,” Grayson explains. “The gold is just an extra layer of oomph to top off the magic.”
When applying warm metallic shadows, Grayson suggests blending copper across the entire lid. Then, add “Black tight line liner on top with a bit of a wing, line the bottom tight to the waterline, and place the gold on the inner corner of the eye to draw attention to your beautifully hazel-colored eyes,” he says.
Grayson’s favorite palette to create this look is the Pat McGrath Labs Mothership V: Bronze Seduction Eyeshadow Palette ($128). Then, he likes to dab on some of the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow in Amber Gold (FKA “Bette,” $35) to complete the lid look.
05 of 17
Gilded Gold Lids
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One of Wulff’s favorite gold hazel eye looks is this stunning shift on Zendaya. To recreate it, he suggests using the MAC Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette Future Flame ($55), blending with the MAC 224 ($36) and 217 ($30) Brushes for a seamless transition.
06 of 17
Dramatic Rhinestone Lids
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Baker is the queen of bold red carpet lid looks and one of her clients just so happens to have hazel eyes. Above, note how she used cool taupe tones and charcoal gray rhinestones to make Grace Gaustad's eyes pop. "[The shades make her eyes] read more warm and amber," Baker explains.
07 of 17
Shimmery Neutral Lids
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Grayson says you can never go wrong with earth tones when accentuating hazel eyes. "I love the simplicity of using either a matte mauve, taupe, beige, or brown eyeshadow or layering them all together on hazel eyes with just a touch of mascara," he tells us. "Why? Because it draws all attention to your crazy, beautiful, multicolored iris. Enough said."
To illustrate the look, we present the inimitable Tyra Banks and her gorgeous shimmer-shift earthy eye makeup. For a similar look, Grayson suggests the Natasha Denona Biba Eyeshadow Palette ($129) paired with the Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara ($32).
08 of 17
Eye-Popping Pink Halo Lids
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Craving a pop of vivid color? Lily Collins proves that even fluorescent pink lids work with hazel eyes. The NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette in I Know That’s Bright ($9) would be great for recreating this red carpet-ready statement eye.
09 of 17
Pale Pink Lids
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Wulff used the Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in Pillow Talk and MAC’s Brush Black Liquid Liner ($24) to create this gorgeous pale bubblegum pink lid look, which makes hazel eyes appear especially bright. As with his rose gold hazel lid look, he perfected the application with the Charlotte Tilbury Eye Blender Brush and his ring finger for fine inner-eye shimmer application.
10 of 17
Matte Turquoise Lids
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Grayson suggests embracing cooler blue and green hues if you’re looking to eschew the warm and earthy options. “I love using an olive-green shadow across the lid, then a shimmering bronze or matte brown pencil to line [the] eyes, and pop on a pair of Ardell Wispies as a showstopper,” he says. Another option? Thick turquoise liner (like Nicole Ari Parker’s, above) that almost doubles as eyeshadow. Try the Stila Stay All Day ArtiStix Graphic Liner in Jitterbug ($24) for a similar effect.
11 of 17
Rich Emerald Green Lids
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Another green lid look we can’t stop staring at? Lucy Hale’s rich emerald halo eye. The ColourPop Just My Luck Shadow Palette ($14) has nine highly pigmented shades to help bring the look to life.
12 of 17
Matte Nude Lids
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Another foolproof shadow shade for hazel eyes is a matte nude—whatever that means for your skin tone. For this warm smoky lid look, Wulff applied shadows from the Too Faced Born This Way Sunset Stripped Complexion-Inspired Eye Shadow Palette ($52) using the MAC 224 and MAC 217 Brushes and topped it off with the Natasha Denona Macro Tech Eyeliner Crayon in Black ($27).
13 of 17
Earth Tones Aplenty
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When accentuating hazel eyes, Baker says not to be afraid to play with the whole eye area to warm up the lids. "On Natasha, I've created an eye-opening look using warm amber bronze tones which make the whole eye area come to life," she explains. "Playing with cool and warm tones [is so impactful] on how hazel eyes can be perceived."
14 of 17
Subtle Peachy-Nude Lids
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Olivia Munn shows us how to lean into pretty pink shades while keeping things more subtle and in line with a no-makeup makeup look. Get your hands on the Rare Beauty Give Yourself Grace Discovery Eyeshadow Palette ($29) to DIY the look.
15 of 17
Statement Charcoal Shimmer
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As gorgeous as colorful eye makeup can be—whether bold or earthy—Grayson says that colorless shades will make hazel eyes pop the most. “The best way to feature hazel eyes is to let that brilliant, unique color speak for itself by using shadow with the absence of color,” he explains. “Grey or charcoal eyeshadow draws all the attention to the center of the eyes. Use it with a waterline dark eyeliner pencil in black or coal, and double up with multiple passes of volumizing mascara.” Try the Natasha Denona Glam Eyeshadow Palette ($69) with a few swipes of the Lancôme Monsieur Big Volumizing Mascara ($30) to get the look.
16 of 17
Soft Smoky Wing Tip
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Looking for an easy and eye-catching going-out hazel lid look? A soft charcoal shadow wing will do the trick. The Huda Beauty Empowered Eyeshadow Palette ($69) has just the colors to recreate the look above—just be sure to blend with care to perfect the blurred effect.
17 of 17
Hint of Taupe
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While all-over lid application can open up the eyes, it can also look a bit too formal for everyday, out-and-about errand makeup. Opt for a hint of taupe for a more low-key hazel lid look (like Nicole Richie did here).
