The Best Eyeliner Color for Brown Eyes Is Not Black

Makeup artists have long used colour theory on eyes, placing a shade near its opposite to make the iris look brighter. Brown eyes carry warm orange and gold tones, so cool and jewel shades on the other side of the wheel make them glow. That is why the best eyeliner color for brown eyes is so often plum, aubergine, green or navy rather than black. Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On pencil in Empire is a dark eggplant matte, and the same pencil in Stash is a dark golden green with shimmer. Both are soft enough to smudge and set waterproof once they dry.

Kulfi's Underlined Kajal comes in Purply Pataka, a berry, and Jamun Glaze, a bronze. The berry adds contrast and the bronze adds warmth.

Cream liner sticks have become the easiest way to wear colour, because you draw a line and smudge it with a fingertip. Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Cream Waterproof Eyeliner Stick in Jungle is a warm mid-tone green, the most flattering green for brown eyes because it is not too cool. The same stick in Aubergine is a rich burgundy that reads almost like a deep brown from a distance. Burgundy has been one of the defining shades of the last few seasons, and on the eye it looks more polished than on clothing. Both are waterproof, which matters for anyone whose liner migrates by the afternoon.

MAKE UP FOR EVER's Aqua Resist pencil in Unlimited Ivy is a deep plum. Fenty Beauty's Fine Linez gel liner in The Navy is a precise cool blue.

Keep the line close to the lashes and the rest of the face quiet, and coloured liner reads as a deliberate choice rather than a throwback. Deep shades like plum, aubergine and navy work for everyday, while the green and bronze suit evenings or a lower lash line. If you are nervous, line only the outer third of the upper lid and smudge it out. Mascara in black or brown keeps everything anchored. What I would skip is bright, pastel liner on the waterline, which tends to make brown eyes look tired rather than bright.