Green Eye Shadow

Shades of green have replaced the typical browns and charcoals as fall's hottest shadow hue. "Keep the rest of the makeup minimal," says M.A.C makeup artist Gregory Arlt. Kerry Washington exemplifies this rule, letting the kelly green dominate and draw attention to her beautiful eyes.

Experiment with more drastic colors and placement for nighttime, a la Eva Mendes. "Smoke it up!" says Vanitymark makeup artist Brett Freedman. He suggests rimming the inside of the eye with a shade of green, or wet your shadow brush before dipping in the pigment to give extra intensity. "It gives an exotic, confident look," says Freedman.

Makeup artist Charlie Green used emerald shadow with flecks of gold in it on Jewel. Green layered the shade over a brown base to give her look more dimension. With her finger, she pressed the emerald tone on the center of the eyelid and rolled her finger back and forth to achieve the 3-D effect.

Green is a universally flattering shadow color. "Keep the face subtle so the green is the focus," says makeup artist Gregory Arlt. "A soft blush and a peach or golden lip compliment the green beautifully." Thandie Newton gets this spot on.

When wearing green for the first time, take a cue from Jada Pinkett Smith and keep it simple. "For a shade this bright, smudge it around the eyes to creat subtle smokiness or apply it just on the upper lids," says Clarins makeup artist Nick Barose.

Green shades are seasonally versatile and transition well from summer into fall, says Victoria's Secret makeup artist Linda Hay. "It looks beautiful with a tan, and can be pumped up in fall with green or black eyeliner applied to the inside of the eye for a dramatic evening look," like Teri Hatcher's.

"Green is a universally flattering color that works on all skin tones from light to dark," says makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff, who created Rihanna's look. Sheriff says to leave the browbone clean, "and accent the corner of the inner eye with a little shimmer powder to make it pop even more."

When selecting a shade that best compliments your skin tone, makeup artist Nick Barose says to keep the following in mind: pastel greens work best with fair skin; emerald green for medium skin; blue green for olive skin; and forest green with gold for dark skin. Of course experimenting with shades is always good, too.

BUY ONLINE NOW Wet/Dry Eye Shadow in Noir Emeraude 07, Bourjois, $14; at www.sephora.com

"Green is a color that makes a statement, as opposed to a neutral everyday shade," says makeup artist Gregory Arlt. Try a funky color like this one from Urban Decay.

BUY ONLINE NOW Deluxe Eye Shadow in Graffiti, Urban Decay, $17; at www.sephora.com

Look for metallic-flecked shades like this one from Too Faced. "Shimmer adds a bit of a modern kick," says makeup artist Brett Freedman.

BUY ONLINE NOW Single Eye Shadow in Jealous?, Too Faced, $16; at www.twofaced.com