Fashion Tips and Products - Eye Makeup

I just stopped by the pharmacy and picked up a great new product from Almay-it’s a line of eye makeup for different eye colors, including brown eyes, which happen to be my color! You can choose to play up or bring out the eye color, and the line includes mascaras, eye liners and eye shadows. You would have to buy each thing individually, but I’m excited to see how it does. My professional make-up kit includes some of the best, but for something that is more affordable, Almay seems like a good brand. Another bonus is that the make-up is hypo-allergenic. Here are some other matching ideas that I’ve used in the past when working on set. TIP: Working with three complementary shades is your best bet-the lightest shade is the accent color that should go just beneath your brow-bone, the medium color goes across your lid and the darkest shade should be applied to the crease. Find your eye color and enjoy!

Brown eyes: Try a neutral look for daytime with soft beiges or brown. For going out at night, a smokey eyed look can work with tones like dark plum and deep blue. I also have one client who prefers a soft green shade for daytime which looks pretty. Light or dark brown mascara also works nicely to go along with all these looks, unless your hair is black, and then wear black mascara.

Green Eyes: Purple tones can enhance your eyes, and so can shades of green. Choose a purple to go with your skin tone-not too dark or you’ll look like you got punched! Plums or violets are good. You can also use other greens like jade or emerald that go with your skin tone-there are cool and warm shades that you can experiment with to see what works best for you. Take a look at the Pop Beauty line on www.sephora.com. They have some great ideas for different green eye color pallets. I would also try a plum colored eyeliner and dark brown mascara for these looks.

Blue Eyes: For you gals, cool is the name of the game. Choose tones like light blue, off-white and silver. I also love to use neutral tones like cool beige or tan for daytime. Mary Kay has a wonderful selection of these to go with every skin tone. www.marykay.com. For nighttime, the smokey eyed look can really work well for you with some midnight blue eyeliner and a sparkling navy shadow. Black or dark brown mascara is usually best with these looks. A charcoal or grey eyeliner works great with the blue and silver shadows.

Hazel Eyes: This is a fun eye color to play up because of its different shades. You can use lovely lavender which will really set them off, or also try shades like a sparkling gold or beige. Pinks and blacks work well with this eye color, so you can try a blush shadow with black mascara and black liner. Remember to apply lightly, especially for daytime! www.glow.com has a great eye trio for hazel eyes that you can have delivered right to your door. You can also use a plum color and liner for a nighttime look.

Sonia Kashuk, who has a line at Target, has a different take. She recommends that you choose your eye shadow color based on your hair, not your eyes. I think this holds true, but then, how would I get to experiment with bright turquoise? She says blondes look great in creams and taupes, and that mochas and chocolate browns flatter brunettes. If you are auburn or redhead, you can choose coppers, peaches, and reddish browns or cool tones like pink and lavenders. Gray hair will work with grays, soft purples, and blues.

I hope you have fun as you try different products and different looks. What are your techniques? Do you choose your colors based on your eyes, your hair color, or neither? As a make-up artist, I’m always trying to keep up on what women prefer!