From a gold-flecked amber to the deepest chestnut, every brown eye offers something unique and captivating. And, because they are a neutral colour, they also suit a multitude of make-up looks using eyeshadows, eyeliners and mascara from all over the rainbow.
With the right techniques and good products, you can easily enhance the natural depth and warmth of brown eyes. You can play with different shades to lighten, brighten, and define your eyes. In this ultimate guide, we’ve got everything you need to know about eye make-up for brown eyes, finding the right shades and products for looks you’ll love, both day and night.
Why are brown eyes so versatile for eye make-up?
Choosing eyeshadow for brown eyes can be relatively straightforward because brown is a neutral colour. It sits between warm and cool on the colour spectrum, which means it can be paired well with most other colours – whether that’s a hot red, jewel tones or a cooler blue or green.
So, when it comes to finding your signature brown eye make-up, this opens up a lot of options. You can enhance each shade of brown with certain tips and tricks, regardless of whether your eyes are light or dark.
Eyeshadow colours for brown eyes
This is your time to do some experimenting. As there are no particular eyeshadow colours to avoid, you can switch things up to match your style or the type of event you might be attending. For the daytime, try doing your eye make-up with brown eyeshadow that complements your eye colour or a subtle bronze shimmer. For the evening, you can dial it up with darker shades like pretty purples or silvers for an ultra-glamourous, intense effect.
Neutrals
Both matte and shimmer shades in a neutral hue are flattering eyeshadow colours for brown eyes. Think mid-browns, beiges, taupe and deep golds – these are all complementary shades for brown eyes and can add depth to your look. Choosing a shimmering shadow can also help emphasise your eye’s natural sparkle, instantly lighting them up.
Buying an eyeshadow palette for brown eyes lets you change your look based on your mood or plans for the day. The Pro Artist 4-in-1 Eyeshadow Palette features four buildable shades with intense colour payoff, designed to help you ease the transition from day to night eye make-up.
Warm copper & bronze tones
These metallic tones are like neutrals but will highlight the warm undertones in your brown eyes, adding a natural glow. It’s no surprise that make-up artists use these rich tones to create some of the best brown eye make-up looks.
Purples, blues & deep greens
Purple is directly opposite brown on the colour wheel, making it a great choice if you’d like to do a striking eye make-up look for brown eyes. When you choose a plum or lavender shade, or a soft pastel like lilac, the contrast will enhance your natural colour, making your eyes instantly pop.
The same can be said for blues or cooler jewel tones like emerald. These deep shades instantly add dimension to brown eyes, especially if there is a contrast between warm and cool.
Check out the No7 Eyeshadow Palette in Moroccan Jewels for some more inspiration – it includes eight jewel tones to suit a variety of looks.
Greys & silvers
For a sophisticated evening look, try pairing your brown eyes with a cool grey or a shimmering metallic silver. Just like purple and blue, the cool tones give an unexpected contrast against warm brown eyes, a look which can be dialled up even more with a statement eyeliner. The Mono Eyeshadow in Thunder is a cool-toned grey that looks chic when used alone or as part of a smokey eye.
How to apply eye make-up for brown eyes: tips & techniques
Whether you opt for a subtle wash of colour or want to go all out with a cut crease or smokey eye, there’s endless options for creating brown eye make-up.
Day
For a natural, elegant daytime eye make-up look with brown eyeshadow, simply select your favourite shade and use a fluffy blending brush (https://www.no7beauty.co.uk/eye-contour-brush/12659270.html) to sweep the colour over your lid and buff outwards and upwards, creating a subtle wing effect at the corners of your eyes.
Then, take a lighter shade of brown and pop some into the inner corner of the eye to create contrast. To add some subtle definition, take a darker brown or black shade on a small smudger brush and run this along the lash line, creating a subtle, diffused eyeliner effect.
Night
For a nighttime eye make-up look, you can create a gradient-effect smokey eye with your selected tone of eyeshadow. Beginning with your lightest colour, apply this all over the lid and blend upwards towards the brow bone. Next, go in with a second colour that’s a shade or two darker than the first and apply this to your eye crease.
Using a fluffy brush, run this back and forth following your natural crease line using circular motions until there are no harsh edges. For more intensity, take your darkest shade and apply this to the outer corner of the eye only, creasing a seamless transition between all three colours as they move across the eye towards the inner corner.
Finally, take a shimmering shade or highlighter - this will perfectly catch the light when it hits you and make your eyes pop.
Ready to brave something bold? Experiment with bright colours and neon, like bright pinks or oranges. Simply swap out a neutral shade for your chosen colour and make sure to blend the edges for a seamless transition.
Final touches: Mascara & eyeliner for brown eyes
Eyeliner
Just like eyeshadows, brown eyes can pull off a wide range of eyeliner colours and styles.
A classic black eyeliner helps create bold definition around brown eyes, which can help them appear larger and more striking. The No7 Pro Artist Eye Pencil has an ultra-fine tip that gives extreme colour payoff, plus a waterproof formula that glides on for a lasting finish. Because it’s buildable, it’s a great choice for creating a multitude of looks, from a winged cat-eye to simply running it through the waterline.
Another popular eyeliner for brown eyes are bronze and brown tones. These colours are a subtle alternative to black but still create a strong contrast.
If you’d like to play with more colourful looks but don’t want to experiment using eyeshadow, selecting Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil in bolder shades like blue or green is an easy way to add a pop of colour without overwhelming the rest of your make-up, too.
Mascara
When it comes to mascara for brown eyes, a black mascara will always help create a dramatic effect and pair well with any eye make-up look. However, if you’d like a more natural, understated look then brown is a great alternative as it still adds volume and length without overpowering the eyes. Try the No7 Full 360 Mascara – it comes in both shades and can help create more impactful lashes. The specially designed curved brush grips lashes coating them in smudge proof free formula, instantly creating a base to tip curl.
If you’re happy to be a bit more daring, try a colourful mascara for an extra pop!
Final eye make-up tips for brown eyes
As you can see, brown eyes truly are one of the most versatile eye colours for make-up. From soft neutrals to bold pops of colour, there are many ways to enhance the warmth and beauty of brown eyes and an endless array of No7 eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara combinations to help you achieve it. Let your imagination run wild and make your brown eyes the star of every look.
