The Best Blue Eyeshadows for Your Skin Tone

By Erin Lukas
Updated Jul 15, 2017 @ 12:15 pm
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Thanks to high school flashback scenes in rom-coms, blue eyeshadow often gets a bad rap for being tacky. While it's true that the eye makeup color can easily go wrong, if you're wearing the right shade for your skin tone, blue can actually be super flattering and look fresh.

Need some visuals? Look no further than the royal blue looks Reese Witherspoon and Katie Holmes wore to this year's Met Gala, and Yara Shahidi's shimmery cerulean shadow she wore to a SAG Awards party.

Since blue eyeshadow and its many shade variations can seem overwhelming, we turned to celebrity makeup artist Allan Avendaño who works with Zendaya, Ashley Graham, and Camila Cabello, to name a few, for his tips on how to choose the best shade for your complexion, along with the best way of applying it.

"People who are open to wearing blue eyeshadow usually love bold looks, but you can get too bold with blue eyeshadow," says Avendaño. "Be careful not to apply blue eyeshadow up to your brows. For everyday life, that may not look as cool as you're expecting it to. Also, there's a misconception is that blue eyeshadow isn't for everyone. It definitely depends on the shade of blue, but almost everyone can wear any shade as long as they find not the compliments their skin tone.

If you're looking for a statement look, he recommends a sheer wash of blue over your entire lid, or using it as an accent color on the center of the lid, at the crease, or inner and outer corners of the eyes.

Ready to give the shade a try? Keep scrolling for a breakdown of what blue eyeshadow shades work best for every skin tone.

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Fair Complexions: Elizabeth Arden Eyeshadow Trio in Something Blue 

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If you're fair, Avendaño says that a wide range of shades from turquoise to royal blue and navy can flatter your complexion. Love Reese's royal blue eyeshadow from the 2017 Met Gala? Try a similar look using the shades in the exact Elizabeth Arden palette she wore on the red carpet. 

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Fair Complexions: Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow in Cleopatra 

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On the turquoise end of the spectrum, this jewel-toned Charlotte Tilbury shadow is perfect for ditching your neutrals for a vibrant wash of color across your lids. 

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Medium Complexions: ColourPop Super Shock Shadow in Coconut 

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For medium complexions, Avendaño recommends a rich royal blue shade like ColourPop's high-pigment shadow pot. 

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Medium Complexions: Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadow in Blue Jean 

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In need of a new smoky eye shade? Avendaño says that royal blue or navy also makes for a killer smoky eye. 

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Deep Complexions: MAC Eyeshadow in Electric Eel 

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"I love, love, love, a bright color on deep or very deep skin, so I'd really go for more bright pops of blue like turquoise on Cyan," says Avendaño. This bold MAC shade meets all the requirements. 

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Deep Complexions: Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Evidence

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As an alternative to bold blue shadows, Avendaño says that metallic royal blue and navy would also flatter deep skin tones, too. "I think matte basic blues can get lost on this skin tone, so metallics would work much better. Navy and dark blue can certainly work as shades for a crease color or to make eyes look smoky." 

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By Erin Lukas