As a brown-eyed girl, I can say it, I’ve always found my eye colour boring. Up until I was about 10-years-old I actually thought I had black eyes because they’re so, so dark, and I was so envious of my friends at school with their blue and green eyes. A girl I used to know even had these speckly amber eyes that were kind of mesmerising. So for as long as I can remember I’ve always yearned for an eye colour that was a bit more interesting (and hair colour, but that’s another issue). Part of the issue was that there just wasn’t any advice out there on what eyeshadows or looks might work for me. I would read countless articles about how to make blue eyes pop or green eyes more vivid but nothing really about brown eyes.
Fast forward a few years and I started playing with makeup properly. It was then that I realised that brown eyes are so neutral that pretty much every eye look worked for me! “I believe brown is one of the easiest eye colours to work with because they can literally go with anything,” says Joy Adenuga, celebrity makeup artist and founder of By Joy Adenuga brushes.
Blue shades can help your eyes stand out more.
Because of this versatility, I now have a rainbow of colours in my eyeshadow collection. And while I experiment a lot, there are a few hues that I always come back to, all of which fall into the metallic, shimmery spectrum. And Adenuga agrees, with metallic browns and bronze colours being the shades she reaches for most in her kit bag when working with brown-eyed beauties. But if you fancy something different and want a fun, bright-eyed look both Adenuga and beauty guru Huda Kattan state that purples and blues are the standout shades. “Jewel-toned shadow shades like purple and blue are the absolute best undertones to bring out the best in brown eyes. They complement and enhance brown eyes beautifully!” says Kattan.
All this info, and experience, means I feel fully qualified to report on this very important make-up matter. So, without further ado, scroll down to discover the best 15 eyeshadow palettes for us brown-eyed girls.
Green is always a winner.
There are so many eye-looks to dream about with this palette thanks to the selection of dusty pinks, roses and plums, which look so lovely with dark brown eyes.
If you have a light/olive skin tone, the shades in this palette will compliment your brown eyes perfectly.
Depending on your skin tone, layer the shimmer Regal over any of the orangey-brown mattes for a subtle colour pop. In general, all these rich shades and shimmers will suit brown eyes.
For amber eyes, the shimmery and iridescent blues and neutrals in this palette are stunning. A fun take on the classic that is The Naked Palette.
I have said this on record many, many times– this is my favourite and most-used palette that I own. The iridescent nudes and plummy mattes are perfect for brown eyes and all skin tones.
The colours in this palette are really punchy so luckily the pigment is strong. I’m especially obsessed with the shimmery lilac.
Don’t get me wrong this whole palette is stunning but my favourite square for brown eyes is the electric purple shade. It’s very pigmented and blends like butter.
While this palette lacks the shimmer and metallics that work so well on brown eyes, these brights, especially the blue and purple shades can really help your eyes stand out.
The shade Astral Amethyst Moon (bottom far right) is one of my favourite eyeshadow shades of all time.
If you have cool undertones to your skin, this is the ideal little palette for you. Mist has a shimmer, glitter and matte in a pretty pastel lilac.
Violet dreams are what this palette delivers. The pigment for all Juvia’s Place powder products is always packed with pigment.
Camelia is a compact palette with a selection of cool greige mauves– great for a cool-toned gentle smoky look for those with brown eyes.
I’m a huge fan of the midnight blue in this palette. It’s excellent for teaming with a slanted brush and doing a soft cat-eye look.
I love that each of the matte colours in this palette has a corresponding shimmer to elevate the look. The teal is a standout shade for brown eyes.
These shadows have a unique texture they are creamy to blend and you can build the intensity too. The sparkle is off the chart– one for the festive season for sure.
