Entering any beauty store or cosmetic section of a department or drugstore can leave women bleary eyed and confused. With so many colors to choose from, how do you know just what colors are right for you and which are going to look downright awful? As much as you would like to test every single color there may be available to you, the truth is that you don’t have that much time to do so. So just how do you know what eyeshadow palette to choose?

Some companies will “tell” you what eyeshadow palettes you should choose based on your eye color, something that can be handy for those who have no idea what colors will work for them. It is important to realize that not only eye color must be taken into consideration, but a number of other factors need to be as well, such as:

• Facial structure
• Hair color
• Skin tone
• The occasion you need the eye makeup for

Eye color is a great guideline – don’t get me wrong – but always test out anything before you buy it to make sure it is what you want.

Apart from eye color, skin tone is perhaps the next most important thing to consider when buying an eyeshadow palette. Darker skin tones look great with shimmering tones that are almost pearlescent, Deep plums, navy blues, and charcoals can also work well if you are going for a more dramatic look. For a daytime look, choose eyeshdow palettes with golden bronze tones as this color will really bring out the richness of the skin tone. Go for eyeshadow palettes that seem to be gold or orange based to really accentuate the warmth of your skin tone.

Lighter or “cooler” skin tones are recommended to stick with pastel eyeshadow palettes and any colors that are general blue-based. Mauves, pinks, berry tones and neutral shades are all great eyeshadow palettes choices, especially for daytime wear.

Now on to the next important consideration: bone or facial structure. If you happen to have puffier eyes (such as after a long, late night), then neutral or softer colors (such as pastel shades) are great. The goal here is to make your eyes appear more deeply set, so as to avoid enhancing their already ‘puffed out’ appearance.

If you do already have deep set eyes, choose an eyeshadow palette that includes a lot of shimmer shades like pink and roses tones, sky blue (yes, even those with blue eyes may be able to pull of sky blue!) and light lavender. These are all pretty colors that will help make your eyes appear more “forward” rather than “sunken”, a look that will just make you look more tired and age you another 5 to 10 years.

Hair color is also an important consideration, but it is not the most important consideration. There is no real “guideline” to choosing an eyeshadow palette based on hair color; the best course of action is to test the eyeshadow on the back of your wrist and then hold your wrist up to the mirror beside your face. Does the color seem complimentary? Does it clash with your hair color? If you ever have any doubt, either put the eyeshadow palette back or ask the beautician for her expert advice.