Best Nude Eyeshadows for Every Skin Tone
Until recently, the shade of “nude” actually meant one color: beige. We won’t get into the politics of it — which should be pretty obvious, though — and will instead just give a shout-out to those beauty brands that understand we’re not all the same skin tone. (TYSM.) Nude makeup shades, while subtle, can do wonders to brighten your complexion and make you look like you got eight hours of dreamy, uninterrupted sleep. The one caveat: They’re in the same realm of your concealer and foundation in that you need to factor in your skin tone — and if you don’t, the results could be, well, not that great. Because if you go with the wrong nude lipstick or eyeshadow, it can make your skin look washed-out, tired, or sallow — or all three. No one wants that. That’s why we went to an expert to find out which nudes will work best for your skin tone.
1/8Click through to see which nude eyeshadows flatter your skin tone.
Getty Images2/8Your Skin Is: Pale, like Elle Fanning
Try: Peach shadow with gold undertones, like Nars Duo Eyeshadow in All About Eve ($36, narscosmetics.com)
Why It Works: These complementary shadows get a boost from peachy undertones, which brighten the eyes and add warmth to pale skin. “Plus, very fair people are prone to pinkness on the lids,” explains Chicago makeup artist Jenny Patinkin. “The slight warm undertones in this duo will neutralize discoloration.”
Getty Images3/8Your Skin Is: Peach, like Victoria Justice
Try: A shimmery peach, like Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Virgin ($19, urbandecay.com)
Why It Works: The shimmer keeps this from blending in with your skin — but it’s still subtle enough to wear to a job interview. “If you have very dark lashes or like to wear heavy eyeliner, a simple but shimmery shadow makes for a great neutral base,” explains Patinkin. Translation: It’ll emphasize the rest of your eye makeup, like your eyeliner or out-to-there lashes.
Getty Images4/8Your Skin Is: Medium, like Selena Gomez
Try: A rich champagne shade, like Studio78 Paris We Breathe Eyeshadow in 06 Sleep In ($30, epicbeautybar.com)
Why It Works: We spent 10 minutes trying to figure out how to describe this shadow and then decided to let the expert do it for us. “This is a deceptively complex shadow, with tones of beige, pink, and gold in it, so it adapts to the wearer,” says Patinkin. This is essential, because women with medium skin tones can have a range of undertones, from pink to olive to gold. Since this shadow has so many tones, it balances all of them.
Getty Images5/8Your Skin Is: Olive, like Gina Rodriguez
Try: A shadow with hints of lavender, like Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow in Scented Candle ($10, sephora.com)
Why It Works: Olive skin tends to have a lot of yellow in it — which is NBD, but the wrong shade can accentuate that and give you a sallow look. Thanks, but no thanks. The solution: Purple. “It's helpful to have a slightly cool, lavender undertone in your eyeshadow base to offset any yellow or grey tones that might emerge in the complexion,” explains Patinkin.
Getty Images6/8Your Skin Is: Brown, like Yara Shahidi
__Try:__ A gold shadow like Burberry Beauty Wet & Dry Silk Shadow in Pale Barley ($29, sephora.com)
Why It Works: This is more than your average nude. You can wear it as a sheer wash, but the formula is easy to layer on for more drama — which is tough to resist with a flattering gold color. Bonus: “It always makes brown or amber eyes really pop,” says Patinkin.
Getty Images7/8Your Skin Is: Deep, like Lupita Nyong'o
Try: A glittering gold like Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Chamagne ($25, bobbibrown.com)
Why It Works: Bright colors look so good on dark skin that we’re not sure why you’re going for nude at all — but hey, that’s just us. The one risk with nude shades on dark skin is that certain tones, especially cooler ones like gray and silver, can make your complexion look ashy or even dull. Patinkin suggests sticking with something warm and bright to keep that from happening.
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