Source: flickr.com user lanbui

One of the first eye makeup tips I learned was how to enhance my natural eye color with certain eyeshadow and liner shades. I will forever remember the sweet young woman at MAC who explained to my 12-year-old self that applying green eyeshadow and eyeliner to my green eyes would do nothing more than detract from their natural color. It was then and there that I learned the magic of using red-based shadow shades on my Irish eyes.

Since then, I’ve preached (and yammered and rambled) on and on to my friends about how important it is to use the correct eye makeup shades for their eye colors. Obviously it’s fun to stray every now and again to try something new and fabulous, but creating an every day look based on your eye color is the perfect way to achieve a stunning finish every time.

For brown eyes, it’s all about blue undertones. Rich plum and blue shades enhance and compliment brown eyes perfectly. But, you brown-eyed girls have an extra benefit; brown is the most versatile eye color! In addition to blue-based tones, brown eyes look wonderful when topped with caramel, taupe, charcoal or mahogany hues.

For blue eyes, the answer is now obvious – use brown tones! To make your blue eyes pop, surround them with eye cosmetics in warm browns, soft peaches, sweet pinks or nude taupes. The result is a fresh, youthful look that will make your blue eyes stand out like never before.

For green eyes, use eyeshadow shades with red undertones. Purples, peaches, golden-browns and taupes all work well. A tip for my fellow green-eyed lassies: to enhance an otherwise nude look, dust a light amount of a bold purple hue along your lower lash line. It’ll add a dash of subtle sultriness while causing the green tones in your eyes to become brighter and more noticeable.

For hazel eyes, choose your favorite shades from the green or blue categories, depending on which tones you’d like to enhance. Since peach and taupe are included in both categories, these two shades are must-have beauty products for any hazel-eyed beauty.