The Best Makeup Looks For Gray Eyes

If you love makeup, then chances are, you're obsessed with all things eyeliner, mascara, and of course, eyeshadow. Eyes are the window to the soul after all, and the right makeup can make them pop more than ever. You might already know how a smokey eye can make your peepers stand out amongst the crowd, especially when applied just right using your best brush set and just a bit of patience. The correct eyeshadow for you can take your beauty look from zero to 60, and set up the rest of your look for success — whether you go for bronzer to accent your cheekbones, on-trend fluffy brows, or that bubblegum pink lip gloss you can't live without. That being said, finding the right eyeshadow isn't always easy.

While eyeshadow usually sounds like an incredible idea, the finished product doesn't always look like you first envisioned. We all know the feeling of buying a brand-spanking-new palette only to find that the shades don't make your eyes pop at all — and instead simply don't flatter your eye color or skin tone. Conversely, your shadow might be decidedly on point, but your chosen eyeliner color might be off. So how to make sure you're going for the right eye makeup looks? It's simple, just think about your eye color first and foremost. If you have gray eyes, consider yourself lucky — you have tons of options, but there are a few in particular that will take your rare eye color to the next level.

First off, it's important to think about color theory when strategizing the best eyeshadow colors for you — and it all starts with your unique eye color. If you have gray eyes, then you probably know that the windows to your soul are cool-toned. Gray eyes are notoriously icy, and possibly remind you much more of the snowy Arctic rather than the sweltering, warm tropics. If you have gray eyes, chances are, you probably have tinges of blue in them — and you need colors around the eye area that are going to make the coolest, frostiest shades in your iris pop more than ever. So, if using color theory in your makeup look, it makes sense that warm-toned shadows will make your icy eyes look better than ever.

As explained by Style Cheer, the best eyeshadow colors for gray eyes are warm shades that work as the perfect complement to a cool-toned gaze. Think colors like burnished gold, sunset orange, aubergine, or wine-tinged purple, copper, and even rosy pink and dark red. All of these colors will make gray eyes stand out even more than they already do, especially if pairing the eyeshadow with a matching liner throughout your water line. If going for a daytime look, let a neutral warm shadow do all the talking, while nighttime glam is all about going full-throttle with a metallic gold shadow and lots of voluminous mascara. Extra points for "Euphoria"-style glitter on your cheekbones or brow!

Gray eyes make for the perfect pairing with stand-out, dramatic makeup looks. This eye color is the perfect accompaniment to almost any eyeshadow color because it is the most neutral shade of all. Blue, green, and brown eyes are all gorgeous in their own way, but gray eyes serve as a clear canvas that works with any palette you choose to go with. In short, if you're blessed with gray eyes, an eye color that's found in only about 3% of the world population (via Vision Center), then you should take advantage of them and dare to show off extra-extravagant beauty looks. Once the compliments start pouring in, you might never go back!

If you have icy gray eyes, dazzle the crowds with a metallic shadow look. According to Glaminati, this eye color looks amazing in metallic and glitter eyeshadows, particularly sparkly pink, silver, glittery purple and mauve, gold, and warm copper. Since gray eyes are such an incredible neutral in the eye color world, don't be afraid to play around and even use a mix of different metallic shades. As per the outlet, gray eyes look amazing with metallic shadows, especially when defined with jet-black liner in a cat-eye shape. This is made even more gorgeous by using a darker pencil at the waterline for an extra pop, swipes of mascara, and a dust of white shadow at the inner corners. Extra points for some shimmery, champagne highlighter, too!

Just because gray eyes look amazing in glittery metallics does not mean that they don't look equally fantastic in subtle neutral shades. If you're looking for the best beauty looks for your day-to-day, then look no further. Even if you already have your makeup look for work and daily errands down pat, it might be missing just a bit of flair — and the right shadow and liner can change that stat. 

Gray eyes make a huge impact no matter the occasion, but as explained by Style Cheer, a great neutral shadow can really set them apart. As per the outlet, your best bets are light brown, warm beige, and darker browns — all shades that serve as the perfect complement to gray eyes whether you're headed out to tour 9 to 5, or an evening out on the town. While brown eyes can sometimes get lost in chocolate shadow, light-toned gray eyes pop against neutral shadows, and the results are spectacular. Even better? Unlike metallics and glitter shadows, nude and brown toe the line between very subtle and just a little flirty!

Try swiping on a shadow in a nude or champagne shade, followed by a liner in black or cocoa. Finish the look with mascara, clear gel on your brows, blush at the apples of your cheeks, and a shimmery gloss. This look is also a great starting point if wanting to add a cat eye or darker eyeshadow for cocktails later (via Style Cheer).

It's safe to say that gray eyes are one of the best eye colors of all time for a geometric, intense, dramatic eyeliner look. As one of the lightest eye colors, gray eyes get an extra pop from the color black, so both smokey eye looks and cat-eyes look absolutely amazing on you. 

As described by Glaminati, gray eyes are all about the cat eyeliner and make for the perfect pairing. Just about any eyeshadow look will look even better with a well-defined cat-eye, whether you prefer to draw a thicker, inky line that extends farther into your temples, or you opt for a simple black line using a more subtle eye pencil. Whatever your choice, the black liner will make your gray eyes look even lighter by contrast, and you will get tons of compliments on just how icy they are. As per the outlet, a cat-eye looks fantastic when layered on top of a rosy pink metallic shadow, or colors like silver, taupe, purple, gold, and bronze. 

Apart from adding a cat-eye shape using liquid liner to round out just about any eyeshadow look, you should also take advantage of using a black pencil at your waterline. This will bring out your eye color incredibly and works on its own on a daily basis. Combined with some white shadow at your inner corners, the black liner at the waterline is a foolproof way for making gray eyes look more gorgeous than ever.