Grey eyes may be one of the rarest eye colors, but the possibilities of playing them up with makeup are endless.
"Grey eyes are like the hazel in the blue eye family," says Sephora Pro makeup artist Amy Suchma. "They are usually a combination of grey, blue, green and a small amount of yellow around the pupil."
When determining the best shades to enhance grey eyes, Suchma references basic color theory principles. Orange, red or violet tones will make grey eyes appear more blue, green or a lighter grey.
Suchma shows us the best makeup for grey eyes in the three beautiful illustrations below. You'll notice when using rich shades of orange, wine and plum, it's best to paint these colors as close to the iris as possible, ehile it's more flattering to smoke out a classic charcoal shadow on the lid. And if you haven't already invested in a great brown eyeliner, now is the time to add one to your makeup bag!
To make grey eyes appear more blue...
Suchma suggests applying eyeshadows with an orange tone, including neutral brown, copper, peach, salmon, melon or even bright orange. This will make the flecks of blue in your grey eye color stand out. Wearing these shades with a touch of a light blue shimmer on the inner corner will also bring attention to the already existing blue in the iris, according to Suchma. For a softer and more natural look, opt for a coral shimmer instead of blue.
To get the look try: Sephora Collection Colorful Shadow in Rio, NARS Duo Eye Shadow in Isolde, Kat Von D Monarch Palette or Marc Jacobs Beauty The Shoe Gazer 110 Style Eye-Con No3 Palette.
To make grey eyes appear more green...
Reach for eye makeup colors like red-brown, pink, wine, maroon, plum or purple. "The contrast of the red and violet tones with the green (and yellow) in the iris will make the green stand out," says Suchma. To add definition and make this grey eye color pop, draw on chocolate brown liquid eyeliner along the waterline instead of black eye pencil.
To get the look try: Sephora Collection Colorful Shadow Cherry on Top, Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow M842 Wine, Urban Decay Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Asphyxia or Lancôme Color Design 5 Shadow and Liner Palette in Jacaranda Bloom.
To make grey eyes appear a lighter grey...
Stick to what Suchma calls "grey-scale" tones such as silver, grey, charcoal or black. "Use a medium matte grey shadow on the lid and lower lash line. Smoke out the outer corner of the eye with charcoal or black shadow," she says. Silver shadow on the upper lid and inner corner will also brighten the eye.
Then, finish with a nude lip. "The neutral color of the lip will not contrast with any other colors in the iris, allowing the natural grey tones of the eye to stand out," says Suchma.
To get the look try: Kat Von D Metal Crush Eye Shadow in Static Age, Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow No. 52 5th Avenue, Sephora Collection Colorful 5 Eye Shadow Palette Uptown to Downtown or Marc Jacobs Beauty New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel in Moody Margot 106.
