Eye of the Beholder

B. Lee Cash

If eyes are the window to a person's soul, does that mean souls are brown, blue, green, hazel, or black? "Your look starts with the eyes," says San Francisco-based makeup artist who goes by the single name of Pia. "Everyone wants to find a look that works well for them, and using complimentary colors for your eyes is how you'll look your best." Pia adds that for each combination she recommends, black mascara is a staple for all eyes. Here, Pia explains the dos and don'ts for every eye color.

Brightest Blue Eyes
Do "Bronzes and peach colors are the two most complimentary colors for blue eyes," says Pia. She adds that blue-eyed girls should stick with a darker bronze shades in a frost (read: shimmering) finish. If you go with peach, use a matte, (no shine, no shimmer) shadow. "Start with a flesh or neutral tone all over the lid," says Pia. "Then take the bronze -- which is really pretty on blue eyes and very hot right now -- and rim the eye with it at the lash line. Start with the top lash line, then rim the bottom." Pia notes that you should start light and get heavier with the color as you go, depending on your mood. "Soften it up with a smudging brush, or use your fingertips. You don't want the color to be harsh; you want it soft."

Finish with a coat of black mascara. If you're feeling especially dramatic, Pia has liner advice: "Take a dark gray or dark brown eye liner and rim the lower inner eye -- called the water line. If you want to open your whole eye, line that water line with white liner to create a doe-eyed look."

Don't "Don't use any blue shadow!" warns Pia. "It's the worst color you can choose. It makes the whites of your eyes look reddish, and makes the blue of the eye dull. Stay away from all blues and avoid deep greens which will make blue eyes look smaller."  Finally, Pia advises to avoid putting color on the brow bone. "That will only make eyes look tired or worse, smaller."

Style Sessions Tip: "You can top the black mascara with a deep navy or royal navy mascara," says Pia.

Luxurious Brown Eyes
Do  "Brown eyes are great because you can pretty much rock any color," says Pia. "The most complimentary colors are different crŠme tones, brown tones, and basically all earth tones." Choose a neutral shadow and do a sweep over the entire lid. Pia recommends going with a hot shade like bright aqua or bright yellow in the crease of the lid. "You're using a neutral on the whole lid and a bright color for the crease to create a hot going-out look -- perfect for a night with your friends." Pia reminds you to always start light with the color and darken it as you want in steps to avoid having to remove color later.

Don't  Pia suggests that you avoid any matte shadow in a deep color on the lid.  "It makes the eyes look smaller," she says.  "And if you're using a bright color, don't use eyeliner and if you do, don't go over the top. If you do too much, your eyes look very heavy or tired, and you're going for a look that opens them up and brings out the color. You're trying to make your eyes brighter."

Sultry Black Eyes
Do "The color palette is completely open when you have black eyes," says Pia. "Everything goes with black." Again, the whole eyelid gets a light neutral. Right now, Pia says she likes a shimmering peach or a matte lime, depending on what mood you're in. "When I do makeup black eyes, I started with a soft gold all over the lid," she says. "Then I do a reddish-brown matte shadow in the crease and lots of mascara." The basic application rule is start with the neutral, and apply a color to the crease. Add that color to the lower lash line if you're feeling especially bold!

Don't Pia says to stay away from black eyeliner. "Stick to grays or dark browns," she says.  "When you have dark eyes, and you put on dark eyeliner, it has a tendency to make you look tired or angry. It's not complimentary."  If you want to go from a day to a night look, put the black liner on the inner eye water line and a little extra mascara.

Style Sessions Tip: "You can apply mascara just on the top lashes to give a smoldering effect," says Pia. "Apply mascara on the top and bottom lashes to give the eyes a more open, doe-eyed affect."

Jeweled Green Eyes
Do "For green eyes, all shades of earth tones work," says Pia. "Everything from browns to greens to the most complimentary color: shades of lavender and purple. Applying one main color close to the eye lid -- not on the brow bone -- looks awesome. If you rim green eyes with too much shadow, it takes over. Dark eyes can rock a lot of shadow but green eyes don't need it."

Don't "When you have green eyes, it's such a beautiful color on its own that to put a shimmering frost shadow on the lid might be too much," says Pia. "Stick to satins and matte shadows."

Style Session Tip: "Everyone should have an arsenal of three liner colors: purple, gold, and navy," says Pia. "Purple goes with peaches, golds, bronzes, and grays -- all but blue. Gold goes with any earth tones. Navy goes with bronze and cremes."

Unique Hazel Eyes
Do "For hazel, my favorite looks are all in shades of plums, light to dark, but always sheer," says Pia. "Don't pack it on; a sheer sweep across the whole lid is a great way to enhance hazel eyes." Pia also recommends bronzes and golds. "Think gilded, but mother-nature gilded. Use browns, but dark brown or reddish brown, like clay," says Pia. "A great gold choice would be like a gold leaf shadow in the center of the eyelid to help highlight and bring out the gold of the hazel eye. Add a little shadow under and along the lower lash line to open up the eye."

Don't  Navy isn't complimentary for hazel eyes. "And if you're going to do black, it should always be smoky and never a harsh onyx black," says Pia.

Style Sessions Tip: "You'll know your color choice isn't working if your eyes look smaller, dull, or if you look tired," says Pia. "Try different combinations, be brave, and make mistakes! Worst case scenario is you have to go wash your face. It's all about playing with color and having a good time."