If you have hazel eyes, your irises are a scenic mixture of brown and green—with golden flecks scattered across the surface. According to Medical News Today, only 5% of the world’s population share your eye color. Though, you join the ranks of Demi Moore, Kristen Stewart, and Dianna Agron, who also have honeycomb orbs.
With a rare eye color comes a slew of makeup obstacles, but luckily, there are a handful of “normal” and unconventional shades alike that make this burnished-emerald color shine. “I love working with hazel eyes—they are multidimensional and incredibly unique, ranging from a mix of green, brown, and sometimes gold or blue,” says celebrity makeup artist Sophia Vallejos.
KJH.Brand founder and artist to the stars Katie Jane Hughes vouches that jewel tones look “incredible” on those with hazel eyes. “Think purple, blue, green, and red,” she adds. While these bold hues may sound daunting to eye shadow amateurs, Vallejos promises that you can still bring out the color in your eyes without reaching for the most vibrant shade. “Look for shadows that have your complementary colors in the undertone,” she says. TL;DR: A brownish plum versus a violet (or your bronzer shade, as Hughes recommends).
Understanding Color Theory
Utilize the Color Wheel
You may remember the color wheel from elementary school, but it turns out that this chart is monumentally helpful when it comes to picking the best makeup for your particular eye color.
“Color theory tells us two things that help [with] accent eye color: First is that a color will borrow from other colors around it, and the second is that color will contrast with what sits opposite of it on a color wheel,” says Terri Tomlinson, makeup artist and color theory educator. “I use both like and contrasting colors to create my eye shadow stories based on the color within the eye that I want to stand out.”
Hazel eyes are typically a combination of green and yellow hues, so we would look at the colors that sit opposite those shades on the color wheel to know which shades make this eye color stand out. “Red-violet sits opposite of yellow-green on the wheel,” says Tomlinson. “Translated into eye shadow colors, these are cool, rosy browns and soft pink tones.”
Sticking to the principles of the color wheel, I can ensure that my color selections create a visually balanced, complementary, and cohesive look for my clients (or myself).
— Sophia Vallejos, celebrity makeup artist
Identify Your Undertones
Eye color is half the battle, but your skin tone—specifically your undertones, whether warm, cool, or neutral—play an important role in the makeup most “flattering” for you. This is the first step for Lizzie Heo, co-founder of Seklab Color Analysis Studio in New York City, when assessing a new client. “For hazel eyes, we generally look at their primary eye colors—green, gold, or brown—and select shades that either enhance or contrast with them to create a balanced and vibrant look,” says Heo. “Warm tones like peach, copper, and bronze are often flattering, as they bring out the gold flecks in hazel eyes.”
It might sound like we’ve just listed the rainbow, so keep scrolling for specifics on the best eye shadow singles and palettes for people with hazel eyes, according to makeup artists, color theorists, and a beauty editor who has them.
Purple and Plum
Pros: Easy to blend
Cons: Shade may lean too maximalist for certain tastes
Finish: Sparkly
Formula: Liquid
A galaxy of violet and blue, this long-wearing liquid eye shadow is easy to blend with a finger. Though, you can also swipe it on for a concentrated wash of eyeliner. “I love the eye paints from Violette FR,” says Hughes, singling out this shade for its “beautiful purple base with blue pearl.”
Customer review: “Insanely easy to apply, very forgiving to adjust…this product is top-notch. I’m a lazy-makeup girly: I want to spend the least amount of time to get the most elevated look. This product has taken time off my routine and makes it look like I know what I’m doing (I do not). This will completely change your makeup game!”
Pros: Luxurious, buildable formula
Cons: On the pricey side
Finish: Shimmery
Formula: Powder
Fresh from Chanel’s spring beauty collection, this shimmering lilac shadow had its moment in the limelight on The Last of Us's Kaitlyn Dever at the 2025 SAG Awards. Just a few swipes of this lavender hue are enough to make your irises glow more green.
Customer review: “Beautiful color for a spring look. The quality is great. Easy to work with even during a morning rush.”
Pros: Contains almost every shade pros recommend
Cons: None we can think of
Finish: Matte, satin, shimmer
Formula: Powder
Vallejos recommends this installment of the cult-favorite Anastasia Beverly Hills eye shadow palettes for its vivid, jewel-toned color story. “Red-based shades like cranberry and maroon as well as shades of emerald, sage, and olive will work wonders in lifting the green flecks in your eyes,” the makeup artist explains.
Customer review: "The shadows are heavily pigmented, so they go on smooth and last all day. These shadows are so dense and rich, and the frosted shadows do not have any chunks in them. This [palette] also contains a mirror, which is always nice when you’re on the go."
Pros: Great for quick makeup routines
Cons: Pricey for a shadow stick
Finish: Shimmery
Formula: Cream
For a more muted, wearable shade, try this long-wearing cream eye shadow stick from Bobbi Brown.
Editor review: “The formula of these eye shadow sticks is one of my favorites, and this tonal lavender shade, aptly named Dusty Mauve, is the perfect purple for anyone who wants to enhance their hazel eyes without having their makeup read too grape.” — Alyssa Brascia, associate beauty editor
Rosy Rouge
Pros: Smooth, easy-to-blend formula
Cons: No complaints here
Finish: Shimmery
Formula: Powder
If you’re not ready to plunge into the purples, we don’t blame you. This rosy-champagne shade is a wearable metallic that works as an accent on the center of the lid or provides a high-fashion glaze for your multicolored orbs. Heo describes the shade Sable from MAC Cosmetics as a “warm, reddish-brown with a slight shimmer—perfect for adding depth to hazel eyes.”
Customer review: "MAC eye shadow has a smooth application! It blends well with the right brush or even with a finger tip. I never have a problem with creasing on my lids, and it stays on all day."
Pros: Soft shades are perfect for everyday glam
Cons: Powders aren’t super pigmented
Finish: Matte, shimmery
Formula: Powder
Rosy and warm, this ultra-femme K-beauty palette includes a mixture of shimmery and matte shades that can create seemingly endless variations of eye shadow looks for day and night.
Heo recommends this palette for its soft pink and brown shades that “emphasize the natural warmth of hazel eyes while giving them a fresh pop of color.”
Customer review: “Dasique’s Shadow Palettes are perfect for daily, subtle looks. The mattes have a silky and buttery formula, making them easy to blend, although they are not super pigmented. Overall, satisfied with the purchase of sheer, neutral shades suitable as base colors for everyday makeup.”
Pros: Extremely low price
Cons: Powders can accentuate fine lines
Finish: Matte, shimmery
Formula: Powder
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a cuter palette at a better price. This $3 compact includes four red-toned shades in a peach-to-cranberry gradient, offering a romantic color story for the price of a black coffee.
Customer review: “Truth be told, I don't know anything about eye shadow, but this palette makes it idiot-proof for someone like me who doesn't wear eye shadow very often. The colors are rich, they go on thick, are blendable and perfectly color coordinated. I’ve tried on expensive eyeshadows and I keep coming back to this set.”
Pros: Very pigmented formulas
Cons: Some complaints of powder fallout
Finish: Matte, shimmery
Formula: Powder
Bedecked with deep merlots and sparkling rosés (well, at least their shades), this budget-friendly palette from Colourpop would make any hazel eyes look dazzlingly green with a few brushstrokes from this pigmented selection.
Customer review: “This palette is my new daily go-to! The colors compliment each other very well. The colors last all day and just the perfect matte finishes for days when the shimmer just isn't on the menu. I get lots of compliments when I use this palette.”
Fields of Green
Pros: Intense pigment and creaseless wear
Cons: Some users report fallout
Finish: Shimmer
Formula: Powder
Vallejos recommends the lime-green shade Freak for a fun pop of color (a very Brat choice, if we do say so ourselves). “Use chrome and metallics for a futuristic and fun way to pump up your look for a night out,” she recommends. “Anything from gold, green, and purple to holographic will make your hazel eyes pop.”
Customer review: “This light shimmer eyeshadow has excellent blending and never runs out—I’ve used it almost everyday for a year and it has never cracked or creased. Lasts all day and a perfect in-between for natural and light shimmer.”
Pros: Easy to sheer, super pigmented
Cons: High price point
Finish: Shimmer
Formula: Cream
Ultra-smooth and blendable, this shimmery eye shadow stick from Ilia offers the ideal olive shade for eyes dancing with green flecks. Just one or two swipes makes this mossy hue a fashion statement—though its easy-to-blend formula makes it easy to sheer for everyday wear.
Editor review: “Though I recently got my hands on Ilia’s Eye Styluses, they easily became a new staple. The formula is very easy to build, and I love that I can get either an intense pop of color with one or two swipes, or a diffused, cloud-like color with a quick blend of my finger.” — Brascia
Pros: Stunning finish, long-wearing
Cons: Not suitable for sensitive eyes
Finish: Duochrome
Formula: Liquid
A blazing shadow that packs a punch, Vallejos recommends this holographic liquid eye shadow that shifts between mint and brownish-plum hues depending on the light—a wearable aurora borealis, if you will.
Customer review: “Absolutely beautiful product with great lasting power when it dries down—makes a gorgeous liner. I haven't tried it as just an eyeshadow yet, but a little goes a long way.”
Warm Browns
Pros: Extremely versatile for everyday wear
Cons: No shimmer powders (if that’s your thing)
Finish: Matte
Formula: Powder
If we could use one everyday eye shadow palette forever, it would probably be this one. Between its array of warm array of shades and silken powders that blend like a dream, you’ll get not only a fabulous finish but a deep, flattering look on any eye color (but especially deep, warm hazel eyes).
Customer review: “I love the pigments in this palette! One swipe goes a long way and it has the perfect transition shades. I love the possibilities in the shade range and you can decide how intense you want your final look to be. This has become a staple!”
Pros: Offers cooler shades, too
Cons: High price
Finish: Matte
Formula: Powder
Similar to the Makeup by Mario compact, this Patrick Ta palette offers an array of ultra-wearable shades for everything from bright daytime looks to sultry evening eyes. While the above palette leans more warm, this selection offers more room to play for people with hazel eyes and cool or neutral undertones.
Customer review: “By far my fave eye palette! Very little fallout and you have the option of a cream base for the black and the nude shadows, which are amazing for under the eye or as a liner. Yes, the price is up there, but I honestly will do it again and again.”
Pros: Doesn’t crease or flake
Cons: Some reviewers report a lack of pigment
Finish: Matte, shimmer
Formula: Powder
At last, a little sparkle! Dior’s Backstage palette in Nude Essentials lights up hazel eyes with a swipe or two of its easy-to-blend shades, adding a luminous wash or a bold shimmer with extra applications.
Customer review: “Palette delivers excellent pigment in a wash of neutral colors. I appreciate the color and tone of the palette as it helps neutralize redness and crepe in my eyelids. Darker shades work great for an effortless smudge on the lashline.”
Cool Neutrals
Pros: Shades are suitable for day and night
Cons: Again, no shimmers here
Finish: Matte
Formula: Powder
“I love to do a cool-toned smoky eye on a client with hazel eyes,” says Hughes. “Just did this look on Hailey Bieber during [New York] fashion week!”
Though a bit unconventional, a cool-toned eye shadow look can be just the thing to contrast and set warm eyes alight. The Neutrals palette by Makeup by Mario leans into the icier side, making hazel eyes look bright instead of dull.
Customer review: “My neutral holy grail! I just recently got this and I love the color payoff, the formulation, the packaging! It’s absolutely giving what I needed a matte neutral palette to give—I’m obsessed.”
FAQ
How do you bring out the green in hazel eyes?
According to the pros, there are a multitude of shades that will bring your clover colors to the forefront. “For green eyes, burgundy and plum tones will really help your eyes pop,” says Hughes.
Vallejos agrees but also recommends looking at burgundy shadows due to red’s seat at the other side of the color wheel—recommending the Anastasia Beverly Hills Fall Romance Palette or a swipe of Maybelline’s Burgundy Haze Mascara for something unexpected.
“Additionally, shades of gold and amber can intensify the natural warmth of hazel eyes, giving them a more radiant, glowing appearance,” she adds.
How do you bring out the gold in hazel eyes?
“To bring out the golden honey flecks in hazel eyes, grab shades that live in your ‘warmer’ palettes, like bronze, terra cotta, copper, brick brown, or shimmery gold and champagnes,” says Vallejos. The I Need a Warm Eyeshadow Palette from Natasha Denona makes a great case for this role. Heo also recommends reaching for shades like amber, copper, and bronze to lighten up your eyes.
What other products make hazel eyes pop?
As it turns out, eye shadow is not the only way to make hazel eyes shine. “Colored mascara and eyeliner is such a fun way to dip your toes into playing with more colors,” says Vallejos, prompting us to try shades of blue, green, burgundy, and purple non-shadows to bring out our irises instead.
How We Chose
Associate beauty editor Alyssa Brascia, a hazel-eyed girl herself, pulled from her own extensive collections of eye-accentuating products to make tried-and-true recommendations. She also polled a group of celebrity makeup artists and color theorists who specialize in makeup to get the lowdown on which shades actually work for this unique eye color (and their own favorite powder, cream, and liquid shadows). Finally, Brascia took into consideration the customer reviews of each selected product, carefully weighing the pros and cons (if any) of each winner.
Who's Who
- Katie Jane Hughes is a New York City–based celebrity makeup artist and the founder of KJH.Brand, her bespoke beauty line.
- Sophia Vallejos is a celebrity makeup artist and educator based in New York City.
- Terri Tomlinson is a makeup artist, educator, and content creator. She is the owner of Makeup Training Academy in Dallas, Texas, and the creator of The Flesh Tone Color Wheel and The Flesh Tone Fan.
- Lizzie Heo is the co-founder of Seklab, a color analysis studio in New York City.
- Alyssa Brascia is an associate beauty editor at Who What Wear with hazel eyes and a 10-year-long eye shadow obsession, having tested green, purple, and golden eye shadows extensively to find the formulas and shades that work best for this eye color.
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