The Perfect Eye Makeup for Brown Eyes

Never underestimate the power of the brown-eyed girl. There’s a reason songs that were written for her have remained iconic for decades. And the reason is this: They’re warm, earthy, soulful, and sexy in that deep-dark way that makes you feel like you’re melting into them. 

Call it the “world” eye color—you’ll find it on every skin tone and every ethnicity, but it never quite looks the same twice. Gold flecks, green flecks, black-as-night pools—one thing’s for sure, there’s a lot to work with when it comes to getting them glammed up with makeup. In fact, it’s easy to think of brown eyes as the little black dress of features. They look good with any color accessorizing them. But to amp up their smoldering appeal, we came up with a makeup how-to that accentuates their natural balminess and takes it up a notch. We feel the temperature rising already.

1. Prime the eye area—both the lid and underneath the eye--by applying a color-cancelling concealer like Maybelline New York Master Camo Color Correcting Concealer Pen. Green cancels out redness and generally works on all skin tones. Blue neutralizes sallowness and is ideal for fair to light skin tones. Pink brightens dullness for light skin tones (so it’s absolutely genius under the eyes to help you look like you got 8 hours of sleep). Yellow does the same for medium tones. Apricot and Red neutralize dark undereye circles for light-to-medium and dark skin tones. The small applicator deposits just the right amount of makeup, which is key because you want precision when applying to small areas like undereye circles and lids. Swipe the concealer wherever you have discoloration and blend with your pinky, for the lightest touch on this fragile skin. Top with a bit of foundation to smooth out skin tone and help shadow adhere to the skin for a look that won’t budge all day. Try Maybelline New York Matte & Poreless Fit Me Foundation.

2. Create a strong, matte brow by filling in any bare areas of your brows and accentuating their shape withMaybelline New York Brow Drama Shaping Chalk Powder. Pick a shade that is the same color as your brow hair, or if you really want to go bold, try one shade darker. Draw a swipe on the back of your hand to get rid of extra product (you’ll be amazed at how much smoother and more natural the application is if you do this step first). Fill in brows, following their natural shape. If there are any uneven spots, smooth them out with a cotton swab (also great for softening any harsh lines).

3. Apply a matte brown base color to the lid, working it into the crease with an eyeshadow brush.  Try the one in Maybelline New York The City Mini Palette in Chill Brunch Neutrals, which includes all of the shadow colors you need to create this look.

4. Take a shimmery brown shadow and dust it over the base color, covering the entire lid.

5. Highlight the center of the lid by swiping on the light cream eyeshadow shade. Pat the color with your finger to blend it in without disrupting the base shadows.

6. Using a fluffy eyeshadow brush, layer on a very light dusting of shimmery highlighting powder over the entire look and, starting at the crease, blend it outward so it transitions seamlessly. Try Maybelline New York Facestudio Master Strobing Stick Illuminating Highlighter.

7. Apply a dot of cream highlighter on the inside corner of your eyes (against your nose) to brighten eyes even more. Try Maybelline New York Facestudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter.

8. Apply two coats of black mascara to the top lashes only to create definition. Skipping bottom lashes also helps open up the eye. Try Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Curvitude Washable Mascara.

Lip tip:

Now that you have your eyes are Instagram-worthy, what to do with your lips? Try a matte nude that keeps the focus on your peepers while leaving lips looking polished and modern. Try Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick in Loyalist (a super-saturated warm nude perfect for medium complexions), Dreamer (a dusty rose that gorgeous on fair skin) or Lover (a darker, plum-kissed shade perfect for darker skin).