24 Best Eyeliner Shades for Every Eye Color

Are you in the mood to liven up your look? There’s nothing like a stroke of liner in a fun color for an unexpected eye makeup moment—and the best eyeliner shades are an easy way to achieve that. But where do you begin with a rainbow spectrum of shades to choose from? While there are no hard-and-fast rules for makeup, referencing the color wheel is always a good place to start (and perhaps a nostalgic reminder of grade school art class). “Contrasting your eyeliner to enhance your eye color is an easy trick to bring attention to your eyes,” says Los Angeles-based makeup artist Beau Nelson. Long story short, a complimentary color creates a strong visual impact.

Vogue’s Favorite Eyeliner Shades

Once you’ve determined the shades that most complement your eye color, it’s time to choose your actual liner—whether your drawing it on your lid or lash line. Professional makeup artist Anastasia Vavina recommends a pencil over a liquid liner when getting playful. “Pencils allow for more application control than liquid eyeliners. You can stay precise with a tightline or easily achieve a smoked-out look,” Vavina explains, adding that mistakes can also be easily blended and buffed with creamy kohl or gel pencil formulas.

Since we’re not the color theory masters, we tapped four pros to share their tips and tricks to make your eyes look particularly captivating—and which of the best eyeliner shades to choose to make your gaze pop. Everything you need to know, below.

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The Best Eyeliner Colors for Brown Eyes

“Brown eyes are already neutral, so you can really play with color,” explains Katie Jane Hughes, who gravitates toward jewel-toned eyeliners for brown-eyed clients (and regularly reaches for Glossier’s eyeliner pencil in the shade Rococo). When in doubt Hughes says to think rich berry tones, deep purples, and emerald greens. For a more subtle approach, consider makeup artist Tasha Reiko Brown’s go-to eye-brightening strategy: A gold eyeliner dabbed on the inner corners. “It catches the warm light of brown eyes [for extra sparkle],” she says. Chanel’s waterproof kohl eyeliner comes in a rich yet wearable green, Jones Road offers a subtle aubergine pencil, and Dior features actual gold flecks in its formula.