One of the latest beauty trends gaining attention on social media is “eyemaxxing”, using makeup strategically to make the eyes appear brighter, more defined, and more noticeable.
While the name may be new, the technique itself is something makeup artists have used for years: choosing colors that complement or contrast with your natural eye color.
Instead of following the same eye makeup routine for everyone, eyemaxxing focuses on understanding which shades bring out brown, blue, green, or hazel eyes.
And it doesn't require complicated makeup. Sometimes, changing your eyeliner from black to burgundy or adding a touch of copper instead of your usual brown is enough to make your natural eye color stand out.
Brown Eyes: Play with Contrast
Brown eyes are extremely versatile because they work beautifully with both warm and contrasting shades.
For an everyday look, warm browns and earthy tones from the Alter Ego Eyeshadow Palette can add depth while maintaining a natural finish. Add bronze or gold metallic shadow when you want more light and dimension.
To make brown eyes stand out even more, introduce color through your eyeliner.
The Divine Kajal range gives you several options. Emerald creates a beautiful contrast against brown eyes, while Azure can make deeper brown tones appear more noticeable. Gold, Copper, and Bronze are ideal when you want to stay within a warmer color palette.
Try: Warm brown eyeshadow + Emerald/Azure Divine Kajal + mascara.
Blue Eyes: Bring in Warmth
The easiest way to emphasize blue eyes is to surround them with warmer tones.
Copper, bronze, warm brown, and earthy shadows create contrast against blue and can make the eye color appear more vivid.
Start with the warm matte shades in the Alter Ego Palette, concentrating deeper tones around the outer corner. Then add a metallic shade to the lid for dimension.
For eyeliner, try Copper or Bronze Divine Kajal instead of automatically reaching for black. If you prefer something deeper, Cocoa provides definition while keeping the overall eye look warm.
Try: Soft warm brown shadow + Copper Divine Kajal + a touch of metallic eyeshadow on the lid.
Green Eyes: Discover Burgundy and Plum
For green eyes, red-based and purple-based tones can create striking contrast.
That doesn't mean applying bright red eyeshadow. Instead, look toward sophisticated shades such as burgundy, plum, warm brown, and copper.
Use earthy shades from the Alter Ego Palette as your base, then introduce Burgundy or Plum Divine Kajal around the lash line.
For evening makeup, metallic Copper can add another layer of warmth and make green tones appear even more prominent.
Try: Earth-toned eyeshadow + Burgundy Divine Kajal + soft metallic accents.
Hazel Eyes: Decide Which Color You Want to Bring Forward
Hazel eyes are particularly interesting because they contain a combination of tones that can appear more brown, green, or golden depending on the makeup surrounding them.
This means you can change your eye makeup depending on which tones you want to emphasize.
Want the green to stand out? Try Burgundy or Plum.
Want to enhance the golden tones? Choose Bronze, Copper, or Gold.
For a softer everyday look, warm brown shadows from the Alter Ego Palette create definition while allowing the different colors within hazel eyes to remain visible.
Try: Warm neutral eyeshadow + Bronze Divine Kajal for daytime, then switch to Plum for a stronger evening look.
Don't Forget Metallics
Metallic makeup can be especially effective for this trend because it introduces reflected light around the eyes.
The metallic shades in the Alter Ego Eyeshadow Palette can be applied across the lid or concentrated at the center and inner corner to add brightness and dimension.
The metallic Divine Kajal shades, Gold, Copper, Bronze, Coral, Plum, and Emerald—also make it easy to experiment with color without committing to an entire colorful eyeshadow look.
If you're normally someone who only wears neutrals, start small. Keep your usual brown eyeshadow and simply replace your black eyeliner with a metallic or colored kajal.
It's one of the easiest ways to try the trend.
A More Refined Approach to Eyemaxxing
The best part of the eyemaxxing trend isn't changing the way your eyes look. It's learning how to work with the eye color you already have.
Brown eyes can experiment with almost everything, particularly emerald, blue, bronze, and gold.
Blue eyes stand out beautifully against copper, bronze, cocoa, and warm earth tones.
Green eyes can be emphasized with burgundy, plum, and copper.
Hazel eyes can shift depending on the shades you choose, making bronze, gold, burgundy, and plum particularly interesting options.
Pair these colors with the matte and metallic shades of the Alter Ego Eyeshadow Palette, finish with defined lashes using Intense Noir Mascara, and you have a modern interpretation of one of the biggest eye makeup trends.