What eyeshadow suits redheads? A shade guide for green, blue and brown eyes

As we all know by now, red hair is a style statement all by itself, which can sometimes make choosing eyeshadow tricky. Go too bright and you’re competing with your hair; go too safe and your eyes can disappear. The secret is choosing shades that work with your warm red tones rather than against them, and then fine-tuning for your eye colour.

Start with colour theory

If you’ve read our guide to colour theory for redheads, you’ll know red sits opposite green on the colour wheel. Opposites create contrast, which is why greens look so striking alongside red hair. Shades that sit close to red, such as golds, bronzes and coppers, create harmony instead – which is golden for redheads (pun intended).

Make-up artists have been saying the same thing for years. Fellow redhead Charlotte Tilbury knows this all too well. Her ‘Redhead Edit’ tells us that “warm-toned eyeshadows like camel, gold and caramel brown are a perfect match for the natural warm tones in red hair”, and that rose-gold is especially flattering. Plums and aubergines are another favourite. They contrast nicely with red hair, and Christina Hendricks’ make-up artist Vanessa Scali even once told Refinery29 she favours purple for her look.

Which eyeshadow for which eye colour?

Green eyes: bronze, copper and gold make green eyes pop. And plums and berry shades, which have red undertones, are a lovely alternative.
Blue eyes: golds and peaches flatter blue eyes beautifully, and those orange-leaning shades sit completely opposite to blue on the colour wheel. You could also go for rose-gold as a softer option.
Brown eyes: pretty much anything works! For something different, try a khaki or olive green smoky eye. As Charlotte Tilbury puts it, “green shades offer head-turning contrast to red hair.”
Hazel eyes: something like a light champagne, dusty mauve, or a jewel tone if you’re feeling brave.

One extra tip: if you’re worried about these looking too striking, keep your liner and mascara in a warm brown, auburn or ginger shade, rather than black. (Our redhead mascara guide has more on that.)

Don’t be scared of colour

Rules are made to be broken, and redheads can absolutely wear blue, pink or anything else (we’ve even made the case for electric blue!). Use the guide above as a starting point, then play. After all, redheads can’t wear pink is a lie, and so is pretty much every other make-up “rule” you’ve been told.