Expert Tips for Making Green Makeup Wearable

As much fun as St. Patrick’s Day can be, we certainly don’t need that as an excuse to wear green makeup. It’s one of our favorite hues to dress up in when we need a boost of fierce, but it can easily take you from cute to clownish if you get a little too heavy-handed with your makeup brush.

So, what’s the key to wearing green without letting it wear you? According to celebrity makeup artist Lottie Stannard, it’s best to start by working with your eyes and lips.

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“For those who want a subtle green, definitely go for a green eyeshadow. Try mixing the green eyeshadow with more nude tones to neutralize it,” she says. “If you want to go bold, try topping off the green-eye look with a metallic shadow in a copper hue, like CYO’s Metallic Eyeshadow in Lovey Dovey, toward the inner corners. It’s a great hack to make your eyes pop and will give an awesome ombre effect.”

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If you have brown eyes, opt for a dark seaweed or bluish green to bring out your rich tones. Those with hazel peepers will want something on the yellow-green end to accentuate their yellow hues.

“Blue eyes can get lost with green eyeshadow, so I would opt for a darker mossy green to brighten them up. Any green that contrasts with your green eye hue will work, so that it makes your eyes pop and not hide away,” adds Stannard.

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Another way to go bold is trying a green mascara with an intense shock of color, like the CYO Volume Mascara in Wanderlust (“a great dupe for department store mascara”). Stannard also recommends layering it on top of your black mascara by hitting just the tips of your lashes if you’d rather be subtle.

But overall, the key to really slaying in green makeup is trying not to be too matchy-matchy. “Experiment!” says Stannard. “Mix, layer, hack. Go for a bold contrast instead.” Ahead, get all the inspo you need, along with some emerald-tinged products to try.