Picking out eyeshadow shades can be pretty difficult, especially with the amount of misinformation that’s out there. Some makeup artists advise that you wear certain shades just so they can make a sale. Other professionals may try to start some sort of beauty or makeup trend by recommending eyeshadow colors that just won’t be doing you any favors. Your friends may even lie and tell you that a certain color looks good on you just to avoid hurting your feelings!

All of that stops here. Choosing eyeshadow for blue eyes doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Let’s start with some basic information here and answer just why you are wearing eyeshadow in the first place.

Eyeshadow is pretty and helps make you all the more beautiful, but the real goal to specific eyeshadow shades and colors is for it to draw out and enhance your eyes – this includes having a color that will help bring out your natural eye color, and applying the eyeshadow in such a way that it is complimentary to your eye shape.

Now not all blue eyes are the same. You may have sky blue eyes, ocean blue, turquoise or dark ocean blue. Though the rules below are general and will work for all blue eye shades, it is important to choose THE BEST eyeshadows in these specific shades that will help bring out the blue in your eyes.

For more natural shades: Natural and neutral shades work well with blues, especially brown tones. Some of my favorite brown and neutral shades for blue eyes include peach shades, corals, copper colors, bronzes and rust colors. Aim for earthy tones and browns that have an orange undertone (orange is the “opposite” color to blue, which is why these colors will really bring attention to your eyes).

Other neutral shades that you can easily work include:

• Grey shades of eyeshadow
• White eyeshadow (this is a must for anyone who wears makeup!)
• Chocolate browns
• Camel tones
• Khaki colored eyeshadows

For a more colorful eyeshadow palette: If you are looking to expand beyond the neutral brown tones, then you can definitely give these other eyeshadow colors a try:

• Pale blues and medium blues
• Teal
• Turquoise
• Pale pastel pinks
• Violet and purple tones
• Lavender
• Midnight blues

So here’s the big question for those of you with blue eyes: can you wear blue eyeshadow, even if you have blue eyes? Yes! It’s all a matter of selecting a blue eyeshadow that will compliment your skin tone rather than your eye color. You will also need to choose a blue eyeshadow that is not the same color as your eyes. If you do so, you risk having you beautiful blue eyes simply “fade” behind the eyeshadow.

Above all else, when ever applying eyeshadow for blue eyes, it’s important that you blend the colors together well to create a more natural and sophisticated look. You can pull off almost any color you choose as long as the eyeshadow is applied well.