These 48 Makeup Looks Were Practically Made For Brown Eyes

written by

Yashna Balwanth

updated Sep 11, 2020

woman with brown eyes eyeshadow — @caitlinanneduffx+BYRDIE

Between 55 to 79 percent of the worldwide population has brown eyes, making it the most common eye color in the world. Brown is created from a mix of all primary colors, which means you have an endless palette to work with when it comes to choosing eyeshadows, lipsticks, and complexion products. Ahead, find 50 our favorite makeup ideas for brown eyes.

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Neutrals All the Way

To recreate this neutral, monochromatic look, try using shades close to your skin tone, and using the same product across your lids, cheeks, and lips.

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Minimal and Natural

Keep your skin dewy and fresh with this minimal makeup inspiration. Brown eyeliner is a lot less harsh than black and a light coat of mascara just adds to your natural beauty.

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Purple Monochrome

Purple shades compliment brown eyes really well, as they make your eye color appear darker. Create the monochrome look by applying a plum to purple shade on your lips and eyes so it creates an even balance across the entire look.

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Neon Lights

An easy way to introduce neon colors into your makeup look is to try adding it as a colored liquid liner. Consider using this look for a festival or party, or a day when you feel like being that extra glam.

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Bold With Blue

Bold and electric shades used with brown eyes are a real winning combination. Keep the rest of the makeup look simple and apply the shadow on your full eyelid as well as the lower lashline. Blend, blen, and blend a bit more for a seamless finish. Try Nars Single Eyeshadow in Showgirl ($19).

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Extra Nude Lips

I've personally found that too many "nude" lipsticks are too light for my skin tone. Make the look work for you by using a darker lip liner and using the lighter lipstick in the center of the lips only. Top off with a lip-gloss and you’re good to go.

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Warm Tones

Add the summer warmth to your skin by applying a lightly shaded bronzer across the highest points of your face. Use the same bronzer on your eyes to add a warm shadow and a similar shade to your lips.

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Faux Freckles

No freckles? No problem. Simply use an eyebrow pencil to draw them on over your foundation. They give you a cute look that no one could say no to. If you already have freckles, embrace them! Real skin has pigmentation and texture, including freckles.

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Sunset Vibes

Red lipstick, orange eyeshadow, and the perfect warm highlighter.

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Mellow Yellow

Keeping everything relatively simple keeps the eyes as the focal point.

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Floating Eyeliner

You had us at white and lilac.

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Smoke it Out

Sultry and dark, this makeup look is a perfect date night option for that added drama. Smudge out the bottom lash line and extend the shadow beyond the eyelid to the outer edge, creating a softer looking wing. Defined brows and nude lips complete the look to keep the focus on your dramatic eye.

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Minty Fresh

Light and pale shadows can also be used for brown eyes. The mint shade, when combined with a black eyeliner makes it wearable and oh-so-fashionable. Try Huda Beauty Pastel Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette Mint ($29).

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Just Peachy

Peach complements every skin tone and eye color, including brown eyes. Intensify the eyeshadow by keeping your blush and lip color to a similar shade.

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Pops of Sparkle

A darker eye color allows for more play when it comes to your eyeshadow. Recreate the look by applying a shimmering shadow to the centre of your eyelid and the centre of your lower lash line. Make sure both colors are different to add to the sparkle effect.

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Bubblegum

When I was a kid, bubblegum ice cream was my favourite flavor of all time. This makeup look seems very much inspired by it, and most definitely worth a try.

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Barbie Babe

This pink-inspired makeup look with nude-shaded lips fulfills our Barbie dreams.

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Tightline Backline

There's no beating an over-extended wing.

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Royalty

Colored mascara paired with eyeliner in the same hew certainly draws attention. Combine this blue with a little bit of gold and they won’t be able to look away.

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Citrus Infusion

A punchy shade of lipstick can brighten any makeup look, especially like the orange shade used above. Try Fenty's Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick in Saw-C ($18)

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A Staple

This look works really well with dark brown eyes and is finished off with a subtle, silver shadow.

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Soft and Subtle

Nothing says vacation glow like this look. Try using a radiance primer under your foundation, then add a few drops of your liquid highlighter to your foundation. This will give you that holiday glow (even if you spent the weekend on your couch).

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Big Bold Brows

Natural brows are being embraced and using a clear brow gel (or wax) is a great way to enhance them. Fluff them out with a spoolie brush and apply a bit of added color with a tinted gel formula if you like the fuller look.

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Monochrome Madness

When monochromatic makeup looks made their debut on the runway, we weren't sure if this trend was here to stay. A few years later, we're still seeing monochrome in every colorway.

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Graphic Eyeliner

Skip eyeshadow to keep this look clean, sharp, and minimal.

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The Power of Bronzer

Over-the-top bronzing pairs well with brown eyes because of the way it warms the skin. Brush the same shade across your cheeks, eyelids, and the lips for an cohesive warm and glowing finish.

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'90s Inspo

The '90s were a great era for makeup, giving us brown lip liner, shaped brows, and eyeliner. All three were practically made for brown eyes.

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Barely There Makeup

Let your brown eyes steal the show with this barely-there makeup look.

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Popsicle Pout

Nothing says summer like a lightly stained lip (which could be mistaken for a little leftover popsicle). Flushed cheeks and bushy brows add to the beach-ready look that you can repeat all year long.

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Bold Lower Liner

If color makes you nervous, try using it on your lower lash line rather than your eyelid. This still gives you the illusion of a colored shadow, but without committing to a full eye look.

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Moody Mauves

Mauve is an understated color with overstated impact. Pair with light pink blush and pinky glossed lips for a look that will certainly turn heads.

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Glow Glow Glow

Play up the gold or hazel hues in your brown eyes with golden highlight and bronze tones.

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Summer Party

You will most certainly bring the summer heat with a makeup look like this. Be sure to include purple, orange, and fuchsia, not forgetting some coppered sparkle. A touch of highlighter on the nose and Cupid’s bow and you’re ready for the party.

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Purple Haze

The deeper the purple, the more your brown eyes will stand out. Be sure to smoke out the eyeshadow edge to avoid a harsh outline so it looks more like a purple haze (rather than a block of color).

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Golden Girl

Gold eyeshadow works extremely well with brown eyes. You can opt for a lighter or darker gold shade—they all complement the brown iris in the best way possible.

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Mermaid Dreams

Recreate that blue-green (so signature of mermaid looks) on your eyes with an inner corner copper shade to brighten up the eye. Include some wispy lashes to finish things off.

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Unicorn Everything

This look is a major unicorn moment.

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Flushed

Rosy tones appear warmer against big brown eyes, and we're definitely not complaining.

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Reds and Pinks

Cherry shades can bring out the warmth in your skin and work well for a variety of seasons. It’s a great transition shade that's easily dulled or intensified.

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Pastel Perfection

Creating a watercolor eyeshadow look works well when the shades are of similar undertones. The Morphe Maddie Ziegler Imagination Palette ($25) has a nice range of pastels to use all in one palette.

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Green Eyed Girl

Using green and gold will pick up on any hazel tones in your eye color and make them stand out even more.

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Ultra Glossy

If there is one thing that lipgloss will always do, that is add volume to your lips. Clear gloss will allow for your natural lip color to show through and just enhance your eye color even more.

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Matte Glam

If subtle glam is your thing, we've got you covered. Use shades similar to your skin tone that add just enough contrast to notice.

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Cool Browns

Having brown eyes doesn’t necessarily mean only resorting to warm shades. Cool brown tones work just as well when incorporating a bit of grey and more of a matte finish.

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Golden Hour

Try some simple gloss lips with a delicate black eyeliner and the focus will remain all about the glow on the skin from every angle. Golden hour has just become every hour of the day.

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Cinnamon Spice

Cinnamon could pass for a nude, but is still loud enough to make a statement. Pare down the rest of your makeup look to ensure the color speaks for itself.

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White Hot Liner

Say hello to white eyeliner again, a trend of the early ‘60s that made its way back once more. This trick is used to make eyes appear bigger and brighter while still pulling the entire eye look together. Gently apply the eye pencil along your lower waterline from the outer corner to the inner.

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Gloss it Up

Using lipgloss on the eyes is the perfect way to get the glossy lid look. Try Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer ($19), which has an added shimmer and can be used on the lips and eyelids (we all love a good universal beauty product).