Don’t know how to choose eyeshadow colors that work well together?

An easy way to color-match eyeshadows is to keep the shades tonal. In other words, use variations of the same color. For example, for an everyday look, choose a color family first, then select three shades from it: a light color (as a base), a medium tone (for the eyelid) and a dark shade (to contour). This means if brown was my color family of choice, I would pick a light beige, medium brown and chocolate brown. Similarly, if I chose the gray color family, I would opt for a light silvery gray, gray and charcoal. Get it?

Typically, most eyeshadow compacts (duos, trios, quads and quintets) are coordinated, so these can also be a good place to start when you’re learning. Simply mix and match the colors, and you shouldn’t go too far wrong.

The key to finding out what colors work best for you is to try them. Choose a day when you’re not rushing, and experiment. What’s the worst that can happen? You don’t like the look you’ve created? Bad makeup is far easier to remedy than a bad haircut: simply reach for the makeup remover, erase it and start over.