- Eyeliner doesn’t have to match your eye color—these seven shades are universally flattering on every eye color, skin tone, and eye shape.
- From classic black to olive green, each color offers a fresh alternative to brown and black without sacrificing wearability.
- These editor-approved liners are easy swaps that instantly elevate your makeup, whether you want subtle definition or a bold, statement look.
Most of us are familiar with choosing an eyeshadow for your eye color. It's likely the first experience you have choosing an eyeshadow palette. A quad of shades designed to make your eyes pop was at the top of my wishlist in middle school when I started wearing makeup. They're usually the same every time: warm tones for blue eyes, lilac for green eyes, olive for brown eyes—the list goes on. However, when it comes to eyeliner, all bets are kinda off. Sure, those same guidelines can apply. But the usual black and brown? Those look good on everyone.
If you're kinda bored of the same-same, though, you've got options. There are seven, to be exact, universally flattering eyeliner shades that you can swap in and out depending on your vibes. No matter what, these colors look good on every eye color, eye shape, and skin tone.
1. Black
Ol' ye faithful, a black liner is a standard go-to and works for, truly, every single person the planet. You can apply it in a thick layer for a strong look, or draw on lightly and smudge out. It really is the most universal shade there is and can make any eye color pop depending on how you apply it. Tightlining your upper water line, specifically, can deepen your lash line and actually volumize your lashes a bit, even without a coat of mascara. But black liner and mascara? That's a combo that'll always hit.
2. Bronze
A warm-toned, medium brown adds a subtle sparkle to every eye color (even if the formula is creamy and matte). Think of it like putting bronzer on: It adds a sunkissed element to your eyes that can really enhance the warmth in your skin or eye color. Because of the subtle metallic or shimmery finish, a bronze line across your upper lid can actually reflect light, making your eyes appear more awake and bright. It's also a fantastic shade to smear all over your lid as eyeshadow—just draw it on your upper lid, then blend with your finger or a dense eyeshadow brush.
3. Chocolate Brown
I almost exclusively wear a deep brown eyeliner these days instead of black. It still can create a smudgey, dramatic look, but makes my face still look fresh. I spend so much time perfecting a dewy, barely there face—why not complement it with my eyeliner?
TBF, an espresso liner can honestly look black sometimes, but it usually can help enhance your eye color up close, especially if you go with a neutral shade that doesn't skew too cool or warm.
4. Navy
Navy behaves like a soft black, meaning it offers the impact of a sooty eyeliner with a bit more visual interest up close. Consider navy the refined, chic cousin to your go-to black eyeliner. A navy wing or lower lash line instantly elevates your makeup in one single step.
5. Burgundy
Think of burgundy as a mix between brown and plum, which is precisely why it's so unverisal across eye colors and skin tones. The shade pulls in both warm and cool tones that flatter practically everyone. And the deep tone prevents it from looking too red on your eyes. In fact, burgundy tends to make the whites of your eyes look even brighter.
6. Cool Taupe
A cool, grungey gray eyeliner is a fantastic time-saving hack. Instead of all of that elbow grease it requires to blend a black liner into a subtle taupe, just draw on a lighter hue from the jump. It's more subtle for daytime, but still offers the edge of a striking black line. The softer look can also help lightly reduce the look of any lines or wrinkles around your eyes, versus an inky black that creates a lot of definition.
7. Olive Green
IMO, olive green eyeliner is a kind of IYKYK. Just like burgundy and navy, olive green likely will look like a simple black or brown from far away. But up close, it adds a gilded element to your eye look. While greens are historically recommended for brown and hazel eyes, olive is particularly stunning on nearly every eye color because of its muted hue that leans warm.
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Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with more than seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing makeup stories.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
