Are you in the mood to liven up your look? There’s nothing like a stroke of liner in a fun color for an unexpected eye makeup moment—and the best eyeliner shades are an easy way to achieve that. But where do you begin with a rainbow spectrum of shades to choose from? While there are no hard-and-fast rules for makeup, referencing the color wheel is always a good place to start (and perhaps a nostalgic reminder of grade school art class). “Contrasting your eyeliner to enhance your eye color is an easy trick to bring attention to your eyes,” says Los Angeles-based makeup artist Beau Nelson. Long story short, a complimentary color creates a strong visual impact.
Vogue’s Favorite Eyeliner Shades
Once you’ve determined the shades that most complement your eye color, it’s time to choose your actual liner—whether your drawing it on your lid or lash line. Professional makeup artist Anastasia Vavina recommends a pencil over a liquid liner when getting playful. “Pencils allow for more application control than liquid eyeliners. You can stay precise with a tightline or easily achieve a smoked-out look,” Vavina explains, adding that mistakes can also be easily blended and buffed with creamy kohl or gel pencil formulas.
Since we’re not the color theory masters, we tapped four pros to share their tips and tricks to make your eyes look particularly captivating—and which of the best eyeliner shades to choose to make your gaze pop. Everything you need to know, below.
- The Best Eyeliner Colors for Brown Eyes
- The Best Eyeliner Colors for Blue Eyes
- The Best Eyeliner Colors for Hazel Eyes
- The Best Eyeliner Colors for Green Eyes
- The Best Eyeliner Colors for Gray Eyes
- The Best Universally Flattering Eyeliner Colors
- How To Choose The Best Eyeliner Shades
- How We Tested
- Meet The Experts
The Best Eyeliner Colors for Brown Eyes
“Brown eyes are already neutral, so you can really play with color,” explains Katie Jane Hughes, who gravitates toward jewel-toned eyeliners for brown-eyed clients (and regularly reaches for Glossier’s eyeliner pencil in the shade Rococo). When in doubt Hughes says to think rich berry tones, deep purples, and emerald greens. For a more subtle approach, consider makeup artist Tasha Reiko Brown’s go-to eye-brightening strategy: A gold eyeliner dabbed on the inner corners. “It catches the warm light of brown eyes [for extra sparkle],” she says. Chanel’s waterproof kohl eyeliner comes in a rich yet wearable green, Jones Road offers a subtle aubergine pencil, and Dior features actual gold flecks in its formula.
The Best Eyeliner Colors for Blue Eyes
Thinking back to the trusty color wheel, Nelson reminds us that the contrasting color to blue is yellow. Rather than taking that as a literal interpretation, he leans towards more flaxen colors. “Golden browns, bronzes, and coppers all set blue eyes off nicely,” he says. Hughes agrees and leans towards warm hues like rusty orange to make all variations of ocean eyes (as Billie Eilish might say) truly stand out. Both Clinique and Estée Lauder offer true copper shades, while Laura Mercier’s leans more toward a metal-hued brown. For a rich copper option, try Ere Perez’s jojoba oil-infused pencil.
The Best Eyeliner Colors for Hazel Eyes
With tones of green, gold, and brown, hazel eyes are inherently dimensional—and there are many different approaches one can take with eyeliners to emphasize the undertones of these multifaceted irises. “Pinks, burgundies, cranberries, and purple eyeliners bring out the green tones in hazel eyes,” says Nelson. For Hughes, a rich teal supplies a cool contrast, while for Brown, taking a tone-on-tone approach with an emerald green eyeliner “really makes the colors [of hazel eyes] jump.” Both Charlotte Tilbury and Urban Decay offer eyeliner pencils with rich bordeaux hues. Meanwhile, Victoria Beckham Beauty’s kajal liner comes in a host of flattering shades, including a subtle teal, while Kosas’s precision retractable pencil features a metallic deep green.
The Best Eyeliner Colors for Green Eyes
It’s all about burgundy for green eyes (think: the color of a glass of red wine). No eyeliner shade can compare to the crimson color juxtaposed to verdant toned eyes, according Brown. “Bright burgundy…moody burgundy…brown burgundies… all are color wheel opposites meaning shades of green and red always complement each other,” she explains. “A rich burgundy brings an unexpected pop of color that’s bold, but wearable.” From CoverGirl and ColourPop, to Victoria Beckham Beauty and Gucci—there’s a best selling burgundy pencil up for grabs at every price point.
The Best Eyeliner Colors for Gray Eyes
It’s true: Less than 3% of the global population has gray eyes, which can be mistaken for blue but are most often dark gray, grayish blue, or grayish green. For this rare shade, Nelson recommends royal blues (like Trish McEvoy or Hourglass Cosmetics’s picks) and blue-toned violets (like Clinique’s Quickliner) to bring out their different aspects. Alternatively, “deep, beautiful reds will bring high contrast and make the eyes pop,” says Hughes. For a rich, cherry red, Fenty Beauty’s liner makes a statement.
The Best Universally Flattering Eyeliner Colors
If you’re not the experimental type, there are fail-proof liner shades that flatter every eye color and skin tone. Start with classic black eyeliner. “A deep black is universally flattering because it’s neutral and the end goal is to create definition and contrast,” pro makeup artist Kasey Spickard told Vogue. Brown eyeliner offers versatility: it can read as sultry like Penelope Cruz or, as pro makeup artist Álvarez noted, skew softer and more flattering on mature skin. Charcoal gray adds dimension without overwhelming the eyes, Debratto notes. Finally, if you need a quick pick-me-up, a creamy nude or off-white liner can brighten tired eyes. Pro makeup artist Lisa Aharon said that applying brightening eyeliner along the waterline or inner corners instantly awakens the look.
Everything You Need To Know
How To Choose The Best Eyeliner Shades
Other than classic black and brown eyeliners, there’s a vast breadth of shades to consider to make your eyes pop. Say you’re feeling overwhelmed with picking the right eyeliner shade according to the color wheel, or perhaps you’re a bit cautious when getting playful with your makeup—professional MUA Anastasia Vavina suggests focusing more on the finish, as metallics and shimmer are popular current beauty trends. “I tend to add more satin or metallic shades of eyeliners for my models and clients to add an instant refreshing effect—this adds an extra bounce of light to your evening makeup look, giving you a sophisticated, sultry eye,” she explains. When in doubt, Vavina notes that burgundy and rich reds look fabulous on all eye colors—and you don’t need much. “I love to add burgundy on my client’s waterline, smudging it a bit, to give a subtle classic smoky eye feel without even using any eyeshadows,” says Vavina.
How We Tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—professional makeup artists, many of whom have a host of celebrities on their roster to—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to the best eyeliner shades for every eye color, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: shade juxtaposition with eye color, texture, eyeliner type, and ease of application. To do this, we paired our tester feedback of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet The Experts
- Beau Nelson is a celebrity makeup artist and photographer who has worked with brands including Chanel, Miu Miu, Giorgio Armani and more. Some celebrity clientele of Nelson’s include Kristen Stewart, Riley Keough, Karlie Kloss, Zoe Kravitz, and Nicole Richie.
- Katie Jane Hughes is a professional makeup artist and beauty expert, whose clients include Dua Lipa, Lilly Allen, and more.
- Tasha Reiko Brown is a celebrity makeup artist and groomer whose clients include Gabrielle Union, Jessica Renee Williams, Michael B. Jordan, and more.
- Anastasia Vavina is a professional makeup artist and hairstylist based in New York. In addition to working closely with major model agencies, Vavina’s work has been featured in Numero Netherlands, Elle, and more.
