Makeup is not only a form of self-expression, it's also a form of art (why do you think they're called makeup artists!) If you're having trouble choosing shades, all you have to do is remember the important lessons you learned from your second grade art teacher - use the color wheel! It can literally solve any makeup problem!
Choosing eye makeup colors
In art class, you learn that if you want a color to stand out, you place it directly next to its compliment. Complimentary colors are directly across from one another on the color wheel like red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple. The same rule applies in makeup. If you want to make the color of your eyes stand out, you should choose eye makeup colors that are complimentary to your eye color. If your eyes are blue, choose shadows and liners that are in the orange family (we're not talking bright orange!... we mean golds and bronzes, like Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue Eyeshadow in Gold or Palladio Eye Liner Pencil in Gold Bronze.) If you have green eyes, try shadows that are in the red family, like light pinks and purples. We like Revlon's Matte Eyeshadow in Pink Innocence and Styli-Style Flat Eye Pencil in Purple. For brown eyes, try light blue shades like Stript Mineral Eyeshadow in Venus or Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Deviant.
For applying concealer
The color wheel can also be helpful when trying to make things on your face less noticeable. In painting, if you want to neutralize a color, you add more of its compliment to it to tone it down. The same thing applies for makeup. For example, if you're desperately trying to cover up that red zit on your chin, try a green concealer. We know, we know, green concealer? Trust us! Because green is the compliment of red, it will neutralize the redness of your pimple and make it appear less noticeable. Try Physicians Formula Gentle Concelaer Stick in Green or Dermablend Redness Concealer. This is also a helpful when hidng undereye circles. If the circles underneath your eyes tend to be bluish in tint, try a concealer that has a more orangey hue like Revlon's ColorStay Undereye Concealer in Deep. If your undereyes are more purplish in color, try a concealer with more of a yellow tint to it. We like B Vain's Concealer in Yellow This will neutralize the color of the circles and make them less dramatic. After all this talk of color, we don't know if we want to go do our makeup, or go find that old box of Crayolas!