Make-up for Color Contact Lenses - Expert Secrets

Color contacts are great, whether you wear enhancement color lenses to brighten your natural color or opaques to change it completely. However, you will also need to apply some eye make-up to get the best effect from your lenses. There are a few eye make-up secrets that will make your new eyes really stand out.

The shadow colors you will need to use depend on your skin color and the color of your colored contact lenses.

For women with fair skin

For green color contacts neutral or pale shadow in green or blue-green varieties are best. If you get blue or turquoise contacts use blue shadow, but a shade lighter than the color of your contacts. For amethyst, violet or gray color contacts, lavender shadows work great.

Use gray or brown eyeliner rather than black - it looks more natural on fair skin. And smooth the line under your eye, so it doesn't look too sharp. Also, if your color lenses are blue or turquoise, try blue mascara. It will give your eyes a really deep blue color.

For women with medium skin

With warm, medium-dark skin and green, blue or violet contacts, neutral shadows like taupe, browns or plums look best. For amethyst or turquoise color lenses, use dark lavender or plum eye shadow with a hint of silver across the eyelid.

Dark skin make-up suggestions

Amethyst, sapphire blue and green color lenses are magnificent on women with dark skin. If you apply bronze shadow in the crease, green eyes would look very deep. Mauve or deep brown shadows will do a good job emphasizing your blue or amethyst colored contact lenses. With aqua or turquoise lenses, try amber shadows across the top eyelid.

No matter what color contacts you wear, they will make your eyes bright and noticeable. Your eye make-up shouldn't be too bright though; it shouldn't overpower the new brilliance of your eye color.

Lipstick is also important in emphasizing your eye color. Neutral color lipsticks won't do anything for your eyes. Most varieties of pink and bright, but light, red, on the other hand, would make your eyes stand out.

Eye make-up should be applied after your color contacts are already in place. Otherwise tiny particles of your mascara or eye shadow can get under your lenses and irritate your eyes. You should take your lenses off before you start removing make-up.

Use high quality mascara, so it doesn't brush onto your lenses. Otherwise your eyes will feel very uncomfortable. Water-based mascaras are recommended. Also look carefully at the mascara label; some brands have a "safe for contact lens wearers" mark.

Tanya Turner is a contact lens expert and a founder of Contact Lenses Consumer Guide, which provides you with information about all types of contact lenses including color contact lenses reviews and photos