The Best Eyeshadows to Make Your Green Eyes Look Even More Gorg

Makeup Tips & Tricks for Green Eyes

1. Colors matter!

When choosing makeup to help your green eyes pop, incorporate a little bit of color theory. “The eyeshadow shades I like using with green eyes are all the shades that contrast with the iris based on the chromatic theory," says makeup artist Pascale Poma, "Meaning the colors are opposites on the color wheel [aka complementary colors].”

2. Know your contrasts.

Makeup artist Lindsay Kastuk (who has green eyes herself) says, “Anything with a red undertone is fantastic. Red eyeshadows (if you’re bold), red-based purples like maroon or burgundy, browns with a red undertone, or rose golds are great as well! If you want a really dark look, black eye makeupis always a great option for light eyes, as the contrast really makes them stand out.” 

3. When in doubt, opt for red eyeshadow looks.

Given its contrast to green, red colors make some of the best eyeshadows for green eyes. Poma actually favors shades in the red family for her and clients. “I love using eyeshadows that are composed of red, like violets, purples, eggplants, lilacs, cranberries, mauves, or pinks," adds Poma.

4. Cooler-toned green eyes? Go for blue eyeshadow looks. 

The beauty of having green eyes is that the eye color can also give off a cooler undertone as opposed to a warm undertone. “Cooler toned green eyes appear greener with possible hints of blue,” explains makeup artist Christopher Trotman. “For cool-toned green eyes, I always suggest going for blue or teal eyeshadow shades for a perfect way to make the eyes pop.” 

The Best Eyeshadow Colors for Green Eyes

1. Red

Given what we know about the color wheel, opting for a red eyeshadow is guaranteed to make your eye color look as bright and vivid as can be. “If you’re bold and daring, a flat-out red would be very fun,” says Kastuk, who also recommends colors like burgundy, wine, and auburn for more everyday wear.

Try these red eye makeup picks:

DOSE OF COLORS Block Party Eyeshadow in Sizzle

This smooth, medium-dark red shade gives off a warm tone and has the sparkling finish of your dreams. With just one swipe of this velvety-rich shade, it’ll instantly compliment your green eyes, effortlessly catch the light, and captivate every onlooker. 

SUGARPILL Love + Pressed Eyeshadow

“This is my go-to red shadow,” Kastuk tells us. A straightforward, super-bright, matte red pigment that’s the perfect crimson hue for green eyes and any skin tone (basically the M·A·C Russian Red of eyeshadows). Pack it on to go bold, or apply a thin layer and sheer it out for something more subtle. “Reds will sometimes blend out pinkish if you are on the fairer side, which can be very pretty and add to your look,” says Kastuk.

ESTATE COSMETICS Eye Shade in Smash

Easily blend-able, buildable, and smooth like butter, this brick-red eyeshadow gives green eyes a sultry look that’s customizable for any occasion. If you aren't sure about applying this all over your lid solo, try blending it with gold, or using the eyeshadow in your crease and along your lower lash line.

2. Purple

“Purples are wonderful for green eyes and really make this eye color pop,” says Kastuk. Because purple eyeshadows have naturally built-in red undertones, they complement green eyes gorgeously. Kastuk loves purple shimmers, metallics, light lavenders, deep purples hues, and smoked-out purple liner for green eyes.

Try these purple eye makeup picks:

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Norvina Pro Pigment Palette Vol. 5

This palette is a makeup artist's dream. With 25 professional pigments and shades in oversized pans, this palette offers limitless artistry and looks. From vibrant mattes to stunning multi-dimensional sparkles, the highly pigmented colors cater to any desired style. “It is a purple paradise. The palette has several textures, tones, and ranges of purple shadows you can mix and match for a gorgeous look to complement your green eyes,” says Trotman. The versatile shade range and finishes allow for you to effortlessly create soft to artistic looks with dimension, making it the perfect palette for unleashing your creativity.

GLOSSIER Lidstar in Lily

“This is a cream eyeshadow, so it is great for a quick look. You can apply a tiny bit and blend it out to keep it low-maintenance,” says Kastuk. This shimmering lilac-lavender shade leaves behind a thin veil of color that blends easily, doesn’t crease, and lasts for the long haul. 

URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Psychedelic Sister

“This color is great for creating a colorful liner look or smoking out! Just apply on your lid like you would a liner and blend it with a small, dense brush (like a pencil brush),” Kastuk recommends. This vibrant purple shade starts off creamy and dries to a stay-put (and waterproof!) metallic finish. 

HUDA BEAUTY Haze Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Purple

Feeling playful? Bring some fun into your everyday beauty routine with this vibrant eyeshadow palette. Packed with a mix of purple-hued shimmers and neutral matte textures, these nine colors will all work a treat on anyone with green eyes. “I love everything about these shades! Wonderful for someone with green eyes! Definitely a go-to,” one Ipster says.

3. Burgundy

Burgundy eyeshadow? Yes! You might be thinking this seems a bit bold for already striking green eyes but burgundy is nothing but a spin on green eyes and their two favorite colors, red and pink. Burgundy, a fine, deep red wine color, feels warm and is the perfect color to use throughout the fall and winter. Try these burgundy shades this holiday season—they’ll be the perfect companion to your green eyes.

NATASHA DEONA Retro Eyeshadow Palette

“NATASHA DENONA’s retro eyeshadow palette is the perfect palette for all things burgundy,” says Trotman. This midi-sized palette boasts 15 enchanting burgundy and mauve shades, including a captivating range of gray-brown, taupe, dusty rose, and vintage pink. “The textures are great, easy to blend, and highly pigmented, making it ideal for beginners because a little goes a long way,” explains Trotman. The stunning variety of burgundy hues is a must-have for creating endless captivating eye looks.

ILIA Liquid Powder Eye Tint in Baroque

These ILIA eyeshadows are as amazing as they sound - a liquid matte eyeshadow with a doe foot applicator. You can easily create an entire makeup look with just a single swipe. A little goes a long way with this product, it’s also the ideal eyeshadow to play around with and experiment because of how it layers.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Eyeshadow in Fig Glitter

Want to hop on the burgundy eyeshadow trend but matte isn’t your thing? No worries! Try this glitter option from Makeup Forever. It’s super pigmented and holds well if you use an eyeshadow primer. Use a little on your waterline for a day look or go for a full on smokey eye for an evening out.

4. Gold

“Gold is a pretty standard and beautiful color to use on any eyelid,” says Kastuk. She also recommends finding one with a reddish undertone (like rose gold) to really make green eyes pop. Plus, gold shades can help bring out the gold and brown flecks in green eyes too.

Try these gold eye makeup picks:

VICTORIA BECKHAM BEAUTY Lid Lustre in Tea Rose

This glittery rose gold shadow lives up to its name. It's super luxe, laced with flecks of gold and violet pearls, and made with 60% pearlescent pigments that give off a gorgeous, wet-shine finish. “These apply the best with your finger,” Kastuk adds.

ORYZA Nude Shimmer & Contour Eyeshadow

This quad of versatile warm nudes to metallic rose golds is the perfect palette for all your day to date night looks. We’re obsessed with the soft, buttery feel of these gold-toned beauties that look stunning blended together or worn solo. “Lasts allllllll day long!! Such beautiful shades. They all look great together,” one happy Ipster raves.

IBY BEAUTY Lush Eyeshadow in Cinnamon Roll

If you’re looking for that one all-flattering gold eyeshadow to add to your collection, look no further. This shimmery metallic copper eyeshadow is made with blendable powder pigments, moisturizing vitamin E, and rosehip seed oil that helps soften lids and glows like it's golden hour, every hour.

5. Black 

Looking to add some drama to your look? When it comes to making green eyes the center of attention, no shade does it better than black. “A good black eyeshadow is always gorgeous on green eyes because the contrast makes them stand out so much,” according to Kastuk. Accentuate yours with a black smoked-out eye or jet black cat-eye that’ll really make those green eyes sparkle. 

Try these black eye makeuppicks:

M.A.C. COSMETICS Eyeshadow in Carbon

Consider this the G.O.A.T. of black eyeshadows. The pigment in this pan can only be described in one word: intense. Use it for a dramatic smokey eye, a mono-toned lid, or along your upper and lower lash lines to put an instant spotlight on green eyes. 

NYX Epic Ink Eyeliner in Black

Wing it, smudge it, smoke it, define it—anything goes with this high-impact waterproof eyeliner. It’s made with a super-smooth felt tip that lets you create seamless lines with ease (even if you’re a cat-eye newbie).

6. Pink

Matching your blush and eyeshadow is 100% a 2022 beauty trend,and pink is the perfect way to pull it off. The shade complements green eyes like a gem, and comes in a wide variety of tones that look beautiful worn alone or blended together.

Try these pink eye makeup picks:

JUVIA’S PLACE The Sweet Pinks Eyeshadow Palette

Can’t decide which bright shade of pink you want? This glorious palette has a vibrant mix of matte or glitter fuchsia, shimmery pinks, bright coral, and rosy petal pinks that are intense enough for all skin tones and pair well with nudes if you want to tone them down. 

CHARLOTTE TILBURY Pillowtalk Luxury Palette

Green-eyed beauties will have an infinite amount of eye makeup combinations to choose from when using this palette packed with nude-pink shadows. Enriched with pearl pigments, these silky-smooth shadows shimmer beautifully and go on like a dream. Blend these together for a neutral smokey eye, or apply one color on its own for a wearable pop of color.

PHASE ZERO Satin Pressed Powder Eyeshadow in Velvet

This perfect plum color has a really cool trick—while it looks quite dark in the pan, Ipsters report that it initially goes on more as a nude pink. Leave it just like that for a natural eye, or apply a few additional layers for something deeper. You can also try layering this with a dark brown eyeshadow to create a rich, smoky eye. "I love this shade," writes one Ipster with hazel eyes. "It lasts a long time and it brightens my eyes right up."

7. Yellow

It’s not uncommon to spot specks of yellow, copper, and gold in a green-eyed gaze. Just smooth on a yellow shadow (you can go bold and bright or sheer and shimmery) to lure out these hues and make your eyes look truly lit from within.

Try these yellow eye makeup picks:

PAT McGRATH LABS Eyedols™ Eyeshadow in Enraptured

When you want your eyes to glisten like there's no tomorrow, you'll want to reach for a shadow from PAT McGRATH. Known for stunning, ultra-glittery shades, this brand is perfect for those nights when you really want to show off those green eyes. This shimmery yellow pigment goes on like velvet and blends beautifully. It's a showstopping shade when applied dry, but if you really want to take it up a notch, apply it wet to make it look extra vibrant.

COLOURPOP Uh-Huh Honey Shadow Palette

Play around with a mix of vibrant and more subdued colors with this monochromatic yellow palette. With a mix of matte and shimmer shades, there are just about a million different eye looks you can create with these pressed, highly pigmented shadows. 

8. Neutrals 

Looking for a subtle way to give your green eyes the attention they deserve? Neutral shades with warm tones like soft browns, dark browns, taupes, tans, and khakis make the perfect complement, letting the beauty of green eyes speak for themselves. Whether your eyes are bright and light or dark and olive-y, a neutral eyeshadow with a natural look can help enhance all the pretty colors that make up green eyes. 

Try these neutral eye makeup picks:

PATRICK TA Major Dimension II Rose Eyeshadow Palette

Here's your daily go-to for alluring eye looks. This palette offers a versatile collection of rose-toned neutral shades, blending warm, cool, and neutral tones in a mix of matte, satin, and pearlescent finishes. "The bottom row of shades, in particular, consists of matte neutral tones that are perfect for enhancing green eyes. The versatility of this palette extends to its ability to easily transition your look from day to night," says Trotman. Elevate your makeup routine with this must-have palette that effortlessly combines beauty and functionality.

GLOSSIER Skywash Sheer Matte Lid Tint in Pebble

Looking for a low-key way to illuminate green eyes? This cool gray-toned taupe has super subtle pink undertones, so you'll still get the benefits of that complementary color magic without too much vibrancy. Bonus: This liquid-to-powder eyeshadow seamlessly melts into the skin, creating a soft, diffused look—perfect for whenever you want just a touch of color.

THRIVE CAUSEMETICS Focus Eyeshadow Palette 3

Here you’ll find a neutral creme, glowy terracotta, deep cocoa, and warm khaki that check all the boxes to give green eyes a glow-up. Each shade in this palette is made of finely milled pigments that deliver a long-lasting, crease-free matte finish you’ll love to wear on repeat. 

SHADES BY SHAN The Neutral Edition 9 Pan Eyeshadow Palette

From bold mattes to eye-catching shimmers, these nine neutral shades magically illuminate and add depth to any eye color at the same time. Use the colors solo for something simple, or layer a few for a smoky look. You’ve got everything you need for your lid, crease, and lower lash line. Consider it a one-stop shop for some of your prettiest eye looks ever.

P.S. Want to know what eyeshadow shades will look amazing on other eye colors, too? Check out our guide to the best eyeshadow shades for brown eyes and the best eyeshadow shades for blue eyes.

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