27 Stunning Ideas for Wedding Makeup for Blue Eyes
Your bridal glam has a significant impact on how you'll look on your wedding day (and in photos). Finding the perfect look means playing up your features, like your eye color. The right wedding makeup for blue eyes complements the color, making your eyes look more intense and stand out even more, both in person and in the pictures you'll look at for years to come. A professional makeup artist can give you insight on this, but if you want to learn how to search for inspo photos on your own, we talked to two experts in the beauty industry who shared their tips on finding the best bridal makeup looks for blue eyes. And if you're still on the hunt for a makeup artist, be sure to check out The Knot Vendor Marketplace to find an artist near you.
In this article:
- What are the Best Makeup Colors for Blue Eyes?
- Inspiring Wedding Makeup for Blue Eyes
- How to Choose Bridal Makeup for Blue Eyes
- The Best Eye Makeup for Blue Eyes
What are the Best Makeup Colors for Blue Eyes?
While any color looks beautiful with blue eyes, certain hues will make them stand out more. You'll want to focus on warm colors and tones to complement the blue. "As blue is a cool color, you want to wear warmer, coppery tones of brown or gold with tones of red or orange," advises Stephanie Garcia-Malcom, celebrity makeup artist.
To nail the right color, you'll also want to focus on your hair color and skin tone. "The best makeup shades for blue eyes depend on your skin tone, but the goal is always to create a contrast that enhances the natural brightness of your eyes," says Gen Waring, professional makeup artist and owner of Waring Makeup.
For Blue Eyes With Blonde Hair
Opt for soft, warm browns with a hint of peach, Waring recommends. Not only will this wedding makeup for blonde hair and blue eyes help bring attention to your eye color, but it also adds some warmth to your face. "This color combo gives a good amount of contrast to make those blue eyes more vivid without taking away from the lighter blonde hair," she adds.
For Blue Eyes With Brown Hair
Instead of a deeper brown color, choose a taupe with a little bit of champagne shimmer. According to Waring, this adds subtle definition and brightness, but doesn't feel too heavy with your brown hair.
For Blue Eyes With Red Hair
Red hair or strawberry blonde hair tends to be more warm, while blue eyes are more cool, so you want to find colors that work with both of those shades. That's why Waring recommends soft pinks and neutral browns. She also recommends avoiding anything too bold. "A ginger or cinnamon-toned eyeliner is a great choice for soft contrast without the harshness of black," she adds.
For Blue Eyes With Dark or Black Hair
For really dark hair, Waring likes rich brown tones with warm undertones or a soft copper shimmer. These hues will create a bit of contrast but won't feel overwhelming. She recommends using a brown eyeliner instead of black for a softer look that still defines the eyes.
For Blue Eyes With Fair/Light Skin
Avoid overwhelming your fair complexion by sticking with lighter warm shades, Waring says, like soft pinks, champagne tones, warm light browns and soft bronze shades. "These tones reflect light beautifully, keeping the overall look delicate and fresh," she says.
For Blue Eyes With Medium/Tan Skin
You want to focus on colors that complement your skin tone and complexion at the same time, which is why Waring recommends colors like dusty rose, soft copper and warm bronze. "These shades bring richness and dimension while still flattering the undertone," she says. "These colors enhance blue eyes while blending seamlessly with golden or olive complexions."
For Blue Eyes With Deep Skin Tones
For a deeper skin tone, choose deeper warm shades so they don't blend in too much. Waring likes deep copper, warm espresso and soft washes of orange because they contrast nicely and make blue eyes really pop. "These shades create a bold yet balanced look, and work especially well in both glam and natural makeup styles," she says.
Inspiring Wedding Makeup for Blue Eyes
Whether you're the bride or you're looking for bridesmaid makeup or wedding guest makeup, an inspo photo can give you more direction and help you achieve the look you're going for. The list below gives you plenty of options for makeup styles for blue eyes, including warm brown and bronze tones, a little shimmer, and natural and more glam looks.
1. Natural Makeup for Blue Eyes and Blonde Hair
Keep your makeup look simple and natural to let your eye color shine. A light, subtly shimmery eye shadow and just a bit of eyeliner work well, and you can skip the long false lashes and opt for dark mascara instead. Finish off the look with a soft pink lip shade.
2. Makeup for Blue Eyes and Light Skin
For fair skin and blue eyes, Waring recommends soft pinks and champagne tones, which is exactly what you see on this bride. Keep things subtle with a bit of shimmer on your eyes and add some soft blush and a more pink lip color.
3. Smokey Eye for Blue Eyes and Blonde Hair
You don't need to avoid a sultry, smokey eye just because warm browns look best with blue eyes. Use dark brown shades and black liner to create a smoldering eye look that is balanced with a light shimmery shadow and barely-there lip shade.
4. Glowy Makeup for Blue Eyes
For a dewy complexion, put a lot of focus on your skin. Opt for liquid foundation, subtle highlighter and a blush that works with your skin tone, avoiding anything too matte to really get that glow. For your eyes, a soft, shimmery shadow works really well.
5. Bright Glam Makeup for Blue Eyes
Sure, subtle colors look great with magnetic blue eyes, but you're still welcome to play around with brighter, more dramatic shades. Go for a smokey eye using browns and blacks, with plenty of shimmer and maybe some false bridal lashes. For something fun and unexpected, bright pink lipstick always does the trick.
6. Soft Pink Makeup for Blue Eyes
Soft pink shades are both classic and romantic, and according to Waring, they're ideal for spring or summer weddings and brides with light hair and light skin. Go a little heavier on the blush than normal, opt for a pretty pink lipstick with a glossy finish, and even incorporate some pink into your eye shadow.
7. Dramatic Makeup for Blue Eyes
If your wedding has some sort of fun, unique theme, then you want to also opt for fun, unique makeup—even if it's this dramatic. Play up your blue eyes with blue colors that match, and really get into the look with exciting embellishments.
8. Vintage-Inspired Makeup for Blue Eyes
For brides who want a retro feel, opt for makeup that fits the theme. This can include a dramatic cat eye and bright red lipstick instead of something more neutral. Use black or brown liquid eyeliner to create the cat eye, then choose a warm, shimmery eye shadow that complements your blue eyes.
9. Peach Makeup for Blue Eyes
Peachy pink makeup is great for anyone with blue eyes. The mix of soft pink and an almost coppery gold color complements blue eyes really well, and you can pull it off with peachy eye shadow and blush, as well as a light pink lipstick.
10. Sultry Makeup for Blue Eyes
Go for a smokier, more sultry look with black and deep brown colors around your eyes. You can create a pretty smokey eye that contrasts nicely with your blue eyes, and balance it out with a soft pink eye shadow. Keep things on the darker side with more of a brown-pink color for your lips.
11. Golden Glow Makeup for Blue Eyes
Shimmery champagne tones are great for blue eyes, and you can add some darker golden colors in there too for a glowy look. This wedding eye shadow for blue eyes is perfect for summer or outdoor weddings, especially those held near the beach, as it pairs nicely with sun-kissed skin. Opt for shimmer eye shadow, a small wing for drama and plenty of highlighter on the cheeks.
12. Shimmery Wedding Makeup for Blue Eyes and Brown Hair
For brides with dark hair and blue eyes, Waring loves taupe shadows with plenty of champagne shimmer. This brightens your eyes and complements both blue eyes and dark hair while also offering a classic look.
13. Clean Makeup for Blue Eyes
If you prefer to keep things natural and simple on your wedding day, opt for the clean girl makeup look. This may include a very soft brown on your eyelids, natural lashes with just mascara and a light pink lip color. Don't skimp on the blush as it keeps you looking fresh and radiant.
14. Dramatic Makeup for Blue Eyes and Red Hair
Waring loves soft pink hues with red hair and blue eyes, and you can use that color while also making your glam more dramatic with dark eyeliner and a slight smokey eye. This look also includes some soft brown colors that complement red hair.
15. Classic Makeup for Blue Eyes
A classic, simple makeup look puts all of the attention on your blue eyes (and your dress and other accessories). For fair skin, opt for soft bronze and warm brown tones and keep things light and fresh. Barely there lipstick completes this natural wedding makeup for blondes with blue eyes.
16. Retro Glam Makeup for Blue Eyes and Dark Hair
The combination of light blue eyes with very dark hair is already dramatic enough, and you can add to that with slightly over-the-top glam. This includes dark red lipstick, a winged eyeliner look and shimmery eye shadow shades. This is really giving old-Hollywood glam vibes.
17. Bold Makeup for Blue Eyes and Black Hair
Matte red lipstick is definitely a bold choice for your wedding day, and it works perfectly with the right dress and vibe. It also looks beautiful with dark hair and light eyes. You can keep your eye makeup simple here, with light shimmery shadow and subtle eyeliner.
18. Romantic Makeup for Blue Eyes
Champagne shimmer and soft coppery shades look great with blue eyes and almost any skin tone or hair color. You can opt for a soft, romantic look by skipping bold or harsh eyeliner and applying a shimmery color on your lids instead. Keep lipstick natural-looking as well.
19. Warm Taupe Makeup for Blue Eyes
Warm brown and taupe shades look so beautiful with blue eyes, bringing out the bright color without looking too harsh or dark. Keep your face fresh and glowy with plenty of blush and a bright pink lip color that has a hint of gloss.
20. Copper Shimmer Makeup for Blue Eyes
It's hard to go wrong with a copper or champagne shimmer on your eyelids, especially if you have blue eyes. This look gives off a nice mix of natural and glam, and you can keep it simple with a soft brown eyeliner and lighter lipstick shade.
21. Smokey Dramatic Makeup With Blue Eyes and Dark Hair
For a darker and more sultry look, fully line your eyes all the way around—you can do this with a black or dark brown eyeliner. Some warm brown and taupe shades on your eyelids help create a smokey eye, and you can keep the overall look more dramatic with a maroon lip color.
22. Soft Glam Makeup for Blue Eyes
A romantic, smokey eye and light pink lipstick create a soft glam wedding makeup look for blue eyes, perfect for a bride. Focus on warm brown and champagne shimmer shades for your blue eyes and keep skin looking fresh with pink or peach blush.
23. Warm Bronze Makeup for Medium or Tan Skin
For medium to tan skin, Waring likes warm bronze shades that flatter your skin undertone and make your blue eyes appear brighter. Use bronze and warm tones on your eyes, with brown eyeliner for an almost smokey look. A lip color that blends light brown and pink finishes the look really well.
24. Natural Bridal Makeup for Blue Eyes
For a more natural no-makeup makeup look, keep things simple with soft pink shades and brown eyeliner. You can use barely-there lipstick and a foundation that doesn't feel too heavy or overwhelming.
25. Soft Pink Makeup for Strawberry Blonde Hair and Blue Eyes
For red hair or strawberry blonde hair, Waring recommends opting for soft pinks and neutral browns to complement both blue eyes and the hair color. You can mix both on your eyelids with a subtle eyeliner and finish off with a soft peach lip color.
26. Feminine Makeup for Blue Eyes
When you have blue eyes, you really can't go wrong with soft pink eye shadow colors and a touch of champagne shimmer. To round out the extra feminine and romantic vibe, have fun with your makeup and opt for a bright pink or fuschia lip color that brightens up your whole look.
27. Warm Brown and Pink Makeup for Blue Eyes
Soft pink makeup all around your eyes looks fresh, complements blue eyes so well, and works perfectly for warm-weather weddings. Add long eyelashes, a clean skin look and a matching soft pink lip color.
How to Choose Bridal Makeup for Blue Eyes
Your hair color and skin tone are just two things to keep in mind when you're trying to pick your perfect wedding makeup look. There's a lot to think about for a look that works with every other aspect of your wedding and makes you feel your most confident.
Consider the Season
Believe it or not, the time of year you're getting married makes a difference when it comes to your makeup. "The season can be a guide to the boldness of the makeup," Garcia-Malcom says. "Think going a little darker around the edges for a winter wedding and keeping it lighter and brighter with more emphasis on the skin, blush and lashes for a summer wedding." Consider the season in which your wedding is taking place.
For spring, Waring recommends soft pinks and champagne tones, and for summer, she likes bronze and copper shades that pair well with sun-kissed skin and outdoor lighting. For fall, she recommends rich brown and warm neutrals to complement the deeper tones you'll see in typical fall colors, and for winter, she recommends cooler brown tones and soft shimmer to create contrast.
Take Lighting and Time of Day Into Account
Think about what the lighting will be like during your wedding day (or at least when you're taking photos or hosting the ceremony). Are you getting married early in the day, right during golden hour or at night? Are you taking photos or holding the ceremony outside or inside? "If you're having an outdoor ceremony in natural light, it's going to call for a different level of intensity than indoor ceremonies or evening receptions," Waring says. She likes soft makeup for broad daylight because it doesn't feel too harsh, while noting that indoor ceremonies or receptions are better for deeper tones or more intense liner.
Always Do a Makeup Trial
Makeup trials typically cost more and take up some time, but they are essential to finding a look you'll love on your wedding day. "Your trial is the perfect time to figure out what colors, and most importantly, how to get your makeup to sit the best for the length of your entire wedding," Waring notes. You can ask your makeup artist for their opinion, discuss your vision and theirs and decide on a look that you love. Waring recommends scheduling it a few months before the wedding so that you have plenty of time to offer feedback or make adjustments.
Pick a Look That Makes You Feel Like You
It might be your wedding night, but at the end of the day, you want to feel comfortable in your makeup, not out of place. That means finding a look that still feels like you, maybe just a little elevated compared to your normal routine. "If you don't like a lot of makeup or heavy makeup, find a balance with a look that will leave you feeling confident and looking great in pictures," Garcia-Malcom says. "It doesn't have to be heavy or powdery just because it's a wedding." You can definitely do natural wedding makeup if you want, or go full glam if that makes you feel confident.
The Best Eye Makeup for Blue Eyes
The best wedding makeup products last for hours without smudging, don't feel too heavy or suffocating on the skin, and complement your eye color and skin tone. Below are some of our experts' favorite picks.
Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eye Shadow Palette
Warm browns, soft pinks, a touch of orange and some shimmer all work perfectly with blue eyes, and those are the exact colors you'll find in this small palette. "These richly pigmented shades are perfect for blue eyes and can be intensified with a bit of setting spray for more impact," Waring says. She loves this palette because she finds it easy to blend and says it's beginner-friendly.
Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Matte Eye Shadow Palette
This is another palette full of all of the warm hues Waring recommends, and it's a larger size, so there's a bit more versatility. Waring likes the warm and neutral mattes because she says they flatter blue eyes and all skin tones. "The formula is smooth and packed with pigment," she adds.
MAC Pigment in 'Naked'
If you want to buy only one eye shadow color, Waring recommends this one, which is a loose pigment with a hint of sparkle. "It's subtle enough to avoid emphasizing texture and can be transformed into a liquid shadow using setting spray," she says. This is also a versatile hue you can use so many other times as well.
Westman Atelier Eye Pods Eye Shadow
Recommended by Garcia-Malcom, these are highly pigmented cream/powder hybrid eye shadows. They come in three colors, all of which pair so nicely with blue eyes—there's a deep chocolate brown, warm bronze and a shimmery ivory that help create a gorgeous look. And instead of coming in a bulky palette, these snap together with a magnet and can be used together or on their own.
Essence Stay & Play Gel Eyeliner
When it comes to eyeliner, Waring likes brown instead of black for blue eyes as it complements them better and is less harsh. This is her pick, which she calls "a super creamy, long-wearing gel pencil." She also likes that it's waterproof, doesn't budge and comes in at a budget-friendly price.