42 Makeup Looks That Will Make Brown Eyes Pop

woman with brown eyes wearing golden eyeshadow

@caitlinanneduffx+BYRDIE

Did you know that brown eyes make up more than half of the world's population (between 55 to 79 percent, to be exact). But just because it's the most common eye color in the world doesn't make it boring by any means. Quite the opposite, actually. If you know your color wheel, you'll remember that shades of brown are created from a mix of all primary colors, meaning you have an endless beauty palette to work with.

With so many makeup options, where do you even start? From neutrals to pops of bold color, getting creative with your makeup can really help brown eyes to shine in so many different ways. When it comes to choosing eyeshadows, lipsticks, and complexion products, we recommend experimenting with looks to match your style and the event at hand.

We reached out to two makeup artists for their tips on how to make brown eyes stand out, and what products you can use to achieve the looks.

Meet the Expert

Keep reading to find inspiration from 42 of our favorite makeup ideas for brown eyes.

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Neutrals All the Way

A person with bronde braids in a neutral makeup look.

@fentybeauty

"I like nude everything! It's nice to put a pop of color, but a neutral eye and gorgeous contoured matte color for the face is just stunning," says Jeannia Robinette.

To recreate this neutral, monochromatic look, try using shades close to your skin tone and using the same product across your lids, cheeks, and lips.

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Purple Monochrome

Kerry Washington in purple eyeshadow.

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"To make brown eyes stand out, it's ideal to use colors opposite to brown, such as deep blue and purple," says Betancur. Purple shades complement brown eyes really well, as they highlight the richness of your irises. Create the monochrome look by applying a plum to purple shade all around your eyes.

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Neon Lights

Kendall Jenner in neon eyeliner, a neon green dress, and green earrings.

@kendalljenner

An easy way to introduce neon colors into your makeup look is to try adding it as a colored liquid liner. Consider using this look for a festival or party, or a day when you feel like being that extra glam.

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Bold Blue

Dua Lipa in blue eyeshadow with blonde face framing pieces on the red carpet.

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Bold, electric shades and brown eyes are a real winning combination. "All colors look good on brown eyes, but I love wine, green, and blue as they create a lovely contrast, making the eyes appear more vibrant," says Betancur. Keep the rest of the makeup look simple and apply the shadow across your full eyelid as well as the lower lash line. Blend, blend, and blend a bit more for a seamless finish. Try Nars Single Eyeshadow in Showgirl ($19).

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Extra Nude Lips

Jennifer Lopez with neutral eyeshadow and lipstick.

@jlo

Sometimes, "nude" lipsticks can be too light for your skin tone. Make the look work for you by using a darker lip liner and using the lighter lipstick in the center of the lips only. Top off with a lip gloss and you’re good to go.

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Warm Tones

Selena Gomez in a warm brown eyeshadow look.

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Add the summer warmth to your skin by applying a lightly shaded bronzer across the highest points of your face. Use a similar shade on your eyes to add a radiant shadow, then complete the look with mascara and a warm nude lipstick.

"For light skin, cappuccino browns offer a natural look suitable for both day and night," notes Betancur of Selena Gomez's warm look.

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Fresh Freckles

Emily Ratajkowski with bold eyeliner and faux freckles.

@emrata

Freckles have a way of adding fresh-faced allure to any look. If you already have freckles, embrace them by taking a lightweight approach to your makeup that celebrates your unique features rather than concealing them.

Byrdie Tip

No natural freckles? Simply use an eyebrow pencil to draw them on over your foundation—freckled beauties who prefer a full-coverage base can also take this approach to redraw their natural look.

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Glowing

Rihanna with a sunset bronze eyeshadow look and red lips

@badgalriri

Embrace a dramatic glow with red lipstick, warm eyeshadow, and the perfect highlighter.

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Mellow Yellow

Vanessa Hudgens in bright yellow eyeshadow.

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Bright yellow eyeshadow is a stunning makeup look that really pops with brown eyes. Keep the rest of your look relatively minimal to make your sunny color choice stand out.

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Floating Eyeliner

Zendaya in a floating eyeliner makeup look.

@zendaya

Make classic eyeliner more interesting by embracing a more modern silhouette. Try black around the outer crease like Zendaya, then add rosy tones to the rest of your face for a fresh, romantic look.

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Smoke it Out

Joan Smalls in a smokey mocha eye makeup look.

@joansmalls

Sultry and dark, a smoky eye is great for added drama on a night out. Smudge out the bottom lash line and extend the shadow beyond the eyelid to the outer edge, creating a soft wing. You can go as subtle or bold as you like, and the smoky chocolate tones here really help to show off your brown eyes. Defined brows and nude lips complete the look.

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Minty Fresh

Lily Collins in a mint eyeshadow look with fluffy lashes.

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Light, pale shadows create an amazing contrast with brown eyes. Combined with fluttery lashes, a mint shade feels both nostalgic and modern.

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Just Peachy

Yara Shahidi in a peachy makeup look and natural curly bob

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Peach complements every skin tone and eye color, including brown eyes. Embrace a monochrome look by choosing similar shades for eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick.

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Pops of Sparkle

Lily Aldridge in a sparkly pink eyeshadow look with neon pink liner.

@lilyaldridge

A darker eye color allows for lots of play when it comes to your eyeshadow. Recreate this look by applying a shimmering shadow all over your top eyelids (try Sephora Colorful Eyeshadow ($10) in Smell of Roses for a pretty pink), a touch of neon liner in the same hue, and your favorite mascara. Keep the rest of your look simple and glowing, and you're sure to turn heads all night.

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Barbie Babe

Nicki Minaj wearing neutral eyeshadow and pink lip gloss with two tone pink and blonde hair.

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"For olive skin, playing with pink or peach tones helps balance the green undertones and adds vibrancy," says Betancur. And Nicki Minaj has mastered this color combo perfectly. Her brown-eyed Barbie makeup look, balances simplicity and glamour using pink shadow and blush, dramatic false lashes, and nude, glossy lips.

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Tightline Backline

Jill Kortleve in a smokey eye makeup look and wet look bob

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Bring the drama by applying black liner all around your eye. Feel free to extend into a wing or add lipstick as you wish, or keep it simple for a Parisian feel.

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Colored Mascara

a woman with blue mascara

Colored mascara certainly draws attention to your beautiful brown eyes. Combine this deep blue with a little bit of gold shimmer and no one will be able to look away. For an added punch, pair with eyeliner in the same hue.

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Citrus Infusion

Jessica Alba with bright orange lipstick and an ombré side-swept hairstyle.

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A punchy shade of lipstick can brighten any makeup look for brown eyes, especially in a warm orange tone. Try Hourglass's Confession Ultra Slim High-Intensity Refillable Lipstick in I Desire ($39).

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A Classic Staple

Imaan Hammam in red lipstick with cat wing liner.

@imaanhammam

Classic black liner, mascara, and red lipstick never get old, and we love how they bring out the rich drama in brown eyes.

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Soft and Subtle

Adria Arjona in a subtle peachy makeup look.

@adriaarjona

Nothing says post-vacation glow like this look. Try using a dewy primer under your foundation, then add a few drops of liquid highlighter on top. This is a surefire way to get that holiday radiance, even if you spent the weekend on your couch.

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Fluffy Brows

Lily-Rose Depp with fluffy brows and neutral makeup.

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Natural brows are something to embrace, and using a clear brow gel (or wax) is a great way to enhance them. Fluff your eyebrows out with a spoolie brush, then apply a bit of added color with a tinted gel formula if you like the fuller look.

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Monochrome Madness

Zoe Kravitz in a neutral monochrome makeup look.

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When monochromatic makeup looks made their debut on the runway, we fell in love immediately. A few years later, we're still seeing monochrome in every color.

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Graphic Eyeliner

Shay Mitchell wearing a graphic eyeliner look.

@shaymitchell

A little liner is all you need—skip eyeshadow to keep this look clean, sharp, and minimal.

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The Power of Bronzer

Ashley Graham in a neutral makeup look with bronzer.

@ashleygraham

An allover sun-kissed look pairs well with brown eyes because of the way it warms the skin. Brush the same shade across your entire face, then finish with subtle eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick for a cohesive, glowing finish.

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'90s Inspo

Rowan Blanchard in a '90s-inspired makeup look.

@rowanblanchard

The '90s was a great era for makeup, giving us brown lipstick, shaped brows, and great eyeliner technique. All three were practically made for brown eyes.

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Barely There Makeup

Adut Akech in "no makeup makeup."

@adutakech

Let your brown eyes steal the show with this subtle makeup look. Creating it on yourself is all about sticking to the basics to enhance your natural features, giving you that "no-makeup makeup" glow.

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Popsicle Pout

Lisa with "popsicle pout" lipstick.

@lalalalisa_m

Nothing says summer like a lightly stained lip that you can practically mistake for a bit of leftover popsicle. Flushed cheeks and precise liner add to the effortlessly chic look that you can repeat all year long.

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Bold Lower Liner

woman with curly hair and smokey blue eye liner

@iamtaiabrams

If color makes you nervous, try using it on your lower lash line for a subtle pop. This gives you the illusion of a colored shadow without committing to a full eye look—and the unique color placement really stands out against brown eyes.

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Moody Mauves

Nina Dobrev Textured Bob and mauve makeup look

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For an understated color with major impact, try a soft purple or mauve. Pair with light pink blush and glossed lips for an easy look that will certainly turn heads.

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Glistening Gold

Priyanka Chopra in gold eyeshadow with red lips.

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Play up the gold or hazel hues in your brown eyes with golden highlight and shimmering eyeshadow.

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Sunset Bronze

Aaliyah Ceilia in a neutral makeup look.

@aaliyahceilia

Achieving a natural, nude look is simpler than we think. Warm eyeshadow tones and an allover glow are a foolproof way to make your brown eyes pop at golden hour.

Betancur recommends L'Oréal Paris Infallible Bronzer ($13) to achieve the look. "This will help you get a natural caramel shade on your eyes. Since it's a powder, it's easier to blend. You can also apply it to your cheeks, chin, and hairline for a sunkissed look," she says.

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Mermaid Dreams

Kylie Jenner in mermaid eye makeup.

@kyliejenner

Mix blue-green with a shimmery pink for a mermaid gradient that really shines against brown eyes. Finish things off with classic eyeliner and wispy lashes for a modern finish you can wear anywhere.

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Celestial Silver

Tessa Thompson in light, celestial makeup.

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Sometimes, a futuristic contrast is just what you need to keep things interesting. Find a silver shadow as bright as your eyes are rich, create a unique bottom wing with a matching liner, and finish with lashes to the heavens for a truly magical look.

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Flushed

Olivia Munn in a flushed makeup look.

@oliviamunn

Rosy tones appear warmer against big brown eyes, and we're definitely not complaining. Choose a shade of blush that works well with your skin tone, and apply generously for an allover flushed glow.

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Shades of Bronze

FKA Twigs in rusty colored eyeshadow and fiery red hair.

@fkatwigs

Bronze shades can bring out the warmth in your skin and work well for a variety of seasons. If you happen to have red hair like FKA Twigs did here, all over cherry and bronze makeup can add life to a look and draw attention to brown eyes.

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Pastel Perfection

A pastel makeup look at a Christian Siriano fashion show.

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Creating a watercolor eyeshadow moment adds a dose of joy to any look, and you can choose between traditional placement and more abstract strokes of color, as seen here. Try Natasha Denona's Mini Pastel Eyeshadow Palette ($27) to get the look.

Not into pastels? Betancur says that for deep skin, "dark blue works well as it complements the beautiful skin tone."

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Ultra Glossy

Madelaine Petsch in neutral brown eyeshadow with glossy pink lips.

@madelame

If there's one thing that lip gloss will always do, it's add volume to your lips. Clear gloss will allow for your natural lip color to show through, enhancing your complexion and eyes even more.

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Matte Glam

Hailey Bieber in a subtle, neutral makeup look.

@haileybieber

If subtle glam is your thing, Hailey Bieber has got you covered. Use shades similar to your skin tone that add just enough contrast to notice.

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White Hot Liner

Willow Smith in a white eyeliner makeup look.

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Say hello to white eyeliner again, a trend of the early ‘60s that made its way back once more. This trick makes eyes appear bigger and brighter while still pulling the entire look together. Gently apply the eye pencil along your lower waterline from the outer corner in, or for a more abstract look, try it outside your lash line like Willow Smith.

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Burgundy Beauty

Ella Balinska wears a glittery plum smoky eye, berry lips, and sleek finger waves

@nikki_makeup

"You can do anything with brown eyes, but I love to do really rich gorgeous colors like navy or burgundy," says Robinette. "I play around a lot with deeper colors. I love Victoria Beckham's satin eyeliner line, they really make your eyes pop."

This deep berry wine lip and matching eye shadow combo is chef's kiss. Try Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner ($30) in Matte Fig and Smoky Quartz to achieve the look.

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Just a Touch

Anne Hathaway with accentuated downturned eyes and deep side-parted waves attends the Valentino Haute Couture Spring Summer 2023 show

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis / Getty Images

Anne Hathaway's beautiful brown eyes are the star of this super subtle look. Her lips and cheeks are gently flushed with a natural pinky peach color, as are her eyes. A heavy eyeliner is the only dramatic aspect of a very simple look.

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Caramel

Bronze makeup with three gemstones along the wing line and three in the inner corner of the eye.

@isabelle.de.vries / Instagram

"I like the makeup palettes that are matte, caramels, taupes, espressos, with those warmer browns that make it pop," says Robinette of a caramel look. She recommends Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette ($50) to achieve the above. Gemstones along the wing line and inner corner of the eye as well as a highlight on the apples of the cheeks completes the shine to this look,

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