How to Avoid Making Four Mistakes When Choosing Eye Shadow Colors

Eye make up colors can add a whole new dimension to your face; accenting the natural color of your eyes and making them appear larger and brighter. Unfortunately, many people choose an eye shadow shade that’s incompatible with their basic eye color. The result is a look that’s less than fabulous. Wearing the wrong eye can sometimes be worse than wearing no eye make up at all. Need some guidance on how to choose the right eye make up colors? Here are some mistakes many women make when choosing eye make up colors and how to correct them.

Mistake one: Choosing eye shadow based on color preferences.

One mistake women make when choosing eye make up colors is they choose a shadow based on their personal color preferences. Because they like the color blue, they are naturally drawn to blue eye shadow shades. Although it may feel good to buy a color you like, your favorite color won’t necessarily be an asset when worn on your eyelids. Curb the desire to buy an eye shadow color on your color preferences.

Mistake two: Choosing eye shadow colors based on your outfit.

This is another commonly made mistake. Matching your eye shadow shade to what you wear does nothing to enhance the natural color of your eyes. Plus, being too “matchy matchy” looks trite and boring. Just because you’re wearing an olive green outfit doesn’t mean you have to wear green eye shadow. Try to keep what you’re wearing out of the decision making process when you choose an eye shadow color.

Mistake three: Going with the latest trends.

Even if the hottest trend in eye make up is silver eye shadow, if it doesn’t flatter and enhance your eyes, it’s not the right choice. Don’t let the latest trends and fads steer you off course, choose an eye shadow color that brings out your natural eye color, regardless of what the fashion magazines are promoting.

Mistake four: Using a shimmer shadow.

Eyeshadows that have added shimmer are rarely flattering except for the very young. The shimmer shades tend to call attention to lines around the eyes and usually look overdone. Instead of choosing a shimmer shade as your primary color, use a touch of shimmer to accent a portion of your eyes such as the outer edge of your brow bone. This will cause your eyes to look larger and further apart. Just avoid putting it over your entire lid. A matte shade is usually much more flattering for a base eye shadow color.

Now that you know how not to select an eye shadow, how should you choose the right shade? Make your choice based on your eye color. If you look at a color wheel, colors that are complimentary, which are located on the opposite side of the color wheel, enhance one another. When you apply an eye shadow color in a complimentary shade, it enhances your natural eye color, causing them to “pop”.

If you don’t want to consult the color wheel, here are some general guidelines. Blue eyes are enhanced by shadows in shades of brown, gold, and browns with orange undertones. If you have green eyes, you’ll probably find eye shadows in shades of purple ranging from deep purple to lavender to be flattering. Brown eyes look fabulous in various shades of brown. Although you may need to experiment to find the exact colors that are right for you, you can’t go wrong with some variation of these colors.

Spend some time experimenting with various eye shadow colors until you find the ones that make your eyes pop. An hour spent at your local cosmetic counter working with the eye shadow samples can help you avoid wasting money on shades that aren’t flattering. Spend some time and choose the right shade. You won’t regret it.