Jewel Tones For Eyeshadows and Eyeliners

While gray has been the main color for eyes this fall, it's time to brighten up both your mood and your look by adding a touch of color. The subtle shimmer of jewel tone eyeshadow and eyeliner is perfect for winter. It's a great way to stick with a sexy eye look while adding a punch of fun color.

Not sure what shades to try? Pick eyeshadows and eyeliners in emerald green, eggplant purple, khaki, and dark denim blue for the best effect. If your eyes are one of your favorite features, this trend is a great way to play them up.

One of the most dramatic ways to use jewel tones is by using a vibrant eyeshadow. When opting for something this dramatic, keep the rest of your makeup minimal like the model in the above photograph. Use foundation and concealer to make your skin flawless and a cream highlighter or blush on your cheeks. Skip eyeliner and instead pile on a dark black thickening mascara.

Some of the most affordable and best shades of jewel tone eyeliners on the market are Urban Decay Eyeshadow (in Crash, Goddess, Chains, Smog, or Mildew), Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow (in Adore or Ransom), Cover Girl Eye Enhancers (in Forever Fig), and L’Oreal HIP Metallic Shadow Duo (in Sculpted or Gunmetal). Looking for some extra beauty karma? The Urban Decay Eyeshadow shades of Goddess, Chains, Smog, and Mildew are vegan. This means that no animals were harmed in their production and no animal products are used in the ingredients. Khaki shades are best for business environments where you want to keep an overall conservative look but add a beautiful touch of flair.

With vibrant eye colors it’s best to use an eyeshadow primer. Not only do they help prevent creasing and help keep the shades from fading, they also give you a more vibrant pigment payoff from the start. My personal favorite is Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, though I have heard great things about MAC Cosmetics Prep + Prime Eye and Boots No 7 Stay Perfect Eye Base as well. Primers are a bit tricky to apply at first - just remember that a little goes a long way! Once you get used to them, you won't know how you lived without an eyeshadow primer before. For vibrant shades, it's going to be worth spending a few extra dollars on a product and a few extra seconds in front of the mirror.

Want to try a toned down version of this look? Try using a jewel tone eye liner instead.  Jewel tone eyeliner looks best slightly smudged, like in a smokey eyed look. You could even use black or charcoal liner on the inner rims of your eyes to add some drama without the full effect of eyeshadow. If you want to turn your favorite jewel toned eye shadow into liner, try mixing it with Urban Decay Eyeshadow Transforming Potion. Again, you can score a bit more good beauty karma by buying this vegan product.

On the search for the perfect jewel shade in an eyeliner? Try Urban Decay Smoke Out Eye Pencil (in Green Goddess, Mary Jane), or Purple Haze), Cover Girl Outlast Smoothwear All-Day Eyeliner (in Sage or Indigo), Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (in Lust, Baked, Rockstar, and Stash), and L’Oreal HIP Color Rich Cream Eyeliner (in Eggplant or Midnight Blue). All shades of the Urban Decay Smoke Out Eye Pencil are vegan, as well as the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil shades of Baked and Stash.

By throwing in a rich jewel tone hue, you're going to add some much needed color into your life and instantly feel glamorous and chic. Using shades of emerald green, eggplant purple, khaki, and dark denim blue on your eyes will breathe some life into your beauty regimen.