Beauty

The best makeup tips for blue eyes

Learn how to enhance and enrich your blue eyes with these makeup tips for shining baby blues.

by : Sarah Thompson- Aug 16th, 2013

In the world of beauty, sparkling blue eyes are a rare and delicate feature you are just plain lucky to have. However, enhancing blue eyes can often be a challenge due to your iris’s light pigmentation and the facial features that accompany brighter eye colours. “Common characteristics include
pale skin with pink undertones, freckles and blonde or red hair,” says Cody Alain, a Toronto-based hair and makeup artist for PageOne Management. Along with Alain, we reveal the best makeup tips and tricks to accentuate your baby blue eyes and make them stand out in a crowd below.

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Makeup tips: Blue eye mistakes
The most frequent mistake made by women with blue eyes is using the wrong makeup colours in an unflattering way. Be aware of which eye makeup products work to darken the entire eye, creating the illusion of tired eyes and fatigue. “When using colours like blue around the eyes you have to make sure the colour is strong enough to show up against the skin and not be mistaken for dark circles. That being said, concealer for underneath the eye is very important,” says Alain.

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Alain also suggests avoiding gaps between the rims of your eyes and your makeup line to create bright, flawless eyes. “When using darker shades such as greys and dark blues to make the lighter part of the iris brighter, make sure the colour is consistent with no gaps and the transition of colours from dark to light is blended,” says Alain. Use a large brush to buff out your shadow so there are no hard lines between highlights and lowlights.

The #1 way to enhance blue eyes on the next page…

Makeup tips: The best makeup colours for blue eyes
All colours considered, copper is the best shade to use if you have blue eyes. “Coppers contrast the blue eye colour. This look could be paired with a softer shade on the lips (try a peach tone) and bronzer for the complexion,” says Alain. Or, you can try a grey palette for a sultry evening look. “Use smoky greys to bring out the steely tones of blue eyes. This looks great with a bit more colour on the cheeks and lips to warm up the skin in either a soft pink or peach tone,” adds Alain.

If you’re willing to go for it, you can try a shade of blue as well—but be sure to amp up the contrast so your blue eyes don’t get lost behind the shadow. “A lot of people with blue eyes have a lighter iris with a darker ring around it. Using softer shades of blue will accentuate that darker ring around the iris,” says Alain.

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Makeup tips: Colours to avoid if you have blue eyes
If you have blue eyes, you want to bring them out naturally without overpowering their inherent beauty. “I wouldn’t say there’s necessarily any colour you couldn’t use if applied correctly, but I’d stay away from yellow as its too much colour. Red would be another very challenging colour as it is an extremely intense look,” says Alain.

Makeup tips: The #1 way to enhance blue eyes
You can perfect your eye shadow, lip colour and hair shade, but the #1 way to play up blue eyes is more simple than you think. “Making sure the whites of the eyes are clear and free of irritation so the colour pops, and concealing any darkness or blue undertones around the eye area are the best ways to enhance blue eyes,” says Alain. Lastly, you can work with your skin tone to further accentuate blue eyes. “With a more rosy complexion it’s important to even out skin tones to create a clean canvas so other colours aren’t competing with the chosen colour for blue eyes,” Alain recommends.