A Smoky Look for Green Eyes

There used to be rules about what colors you could choose in eye shadows based on your eye color. With green eyes, "they" said, never wear green eye shadow! Thank goodness rules are made to be broken. You can wear any shade you want with your green eyes.

For a smoky look on green eyes, there are two main ways to go. One is with purples; violets and dark purple, on a neutral base, brings out the green in your gorgeous eyes. You can also choose greens and browns; despite the old rule, a deep mossy or olive green can give your eyes a great smoky style.

Let's start with a purple palette. Pictured is the "Charm" shadow quad from Smashbox. Sweep the beige shade (on the right; it looks almost white in the photo, but won't on your eye) just under the brow bone, and the taupe (across from the beige) over the lid, from lash-line to crease, and blend a little of the darkest purple shade into the outer corner of each eye. Use the Smashbox Jet Set waterproof liner in Vamp (deep purple) over both upper and lower lash lines and let it set, then smudge the "Smoke" cream pencil liner over the line; if you don't have that, use a violet pencil like Estee Lauder's Automatic Eye Pencil Duo in Plum Wood. Create the real smoky look by blending the darkest purple over the pencil lines, and smudging it out to the outer corner. Finish off with a black mascara, or for one last pop of color, COVERGIRL's Exact Eyelights in Black Ruby, designed just for green eyes (also looks great with hazel eyes).

If you prefer to go green, try POP Beauty's eye cake for green eyes. Start with the lowest shade, a sparkly neutral taupe, from crease to brow bone. Use the light green (above it), or the olive green (on the top), over the lid from lash line to crease. Blend some of the darkest green into the outer corner of the crease to just beyond the eye. Line the eye on top and bottom with a brown pencil, like TIGI's Bed Head Big Fat Fun in Brown, or a dark gray-green pencil like Prescriptive's Void, and smudge the line a bit. Then use a brush like the Smashbox #30, intended for their cream shadow liner but a great smudger, to smudge in the dark green over the pencil line and into the outer corner. And voila! Smoky green eyes! Black mascara, Black Ruby, or even dark green mascara if you can find one, makes the perfect finish.

(Sources: http://www.womanjunction.com/topic/makeover/eyeshadow/eyeshadow-for-eyes/ , http://makeup.lovetoknow.com/Best_Eye_Shadow_for_Green_Eyes_and_Red_Hair , http://www.smashbox.com, http://www.sephora.com )