As with any complimentary makeup creation, the best makeup looks for grey eyes will enhance this lesser-seen eye colour for a flattering overall look.
Estimates vary, but some sources estimate that fewer than 1% of the world’s population have grey eyes. But though they are rarer than, say brown or blue eyes, there are still several makeup palettes that can make this eye colour pop.
Because of this, in this guide to the best makeup looks for grey eyes, we’ve also included some makeup inspiration seen on women with blue and light green eyes that would also suit this eye colour. Ahead you’ll find 32 celebrity makeup looks that would work brilliantly on grey eyes.
32 of the best makeup looks for grey eyes, as seen on celebrities
Olivia Wilde's graphic liner
This high-contrast graphic liner and eyeshadow look on Olivia Wilde's green-grey eyes is absolutely beautiful, as we're sure you'll agree. It requires a little extra time than a quick swipe of mascara, but it's worth it to make the eyes pop.
RRP: £17
Perhaps the most famous of the best eyeshadow primers on the market, Urban Decay's formula will boost the longevity of your look.
RRP: £30
With a built in smudger, this pencil is ideal for precisely drawing lines and then blending them a little for the perfect amount of softness.
RRP: £31
The perfect accompaniment to a smokey eye or slick of liner, Bobbi Brown's best-selling formula separates and lengthens the lashes while adding a slight volume boost for thickened-yet-defined lashes.
Vanessa Williams's sparkly eyeshadow
With fluffy, fluttery lashes and a bit of liner for definition, Vanessa Williams's shimmery and sparkly eyeshadow really brings out her eyes. The star wore this look for a performance during The Diamond Series at 54 in 2022.
Diane Kruger's metallic blue
We love it when makeup perfectly matches the outfit it's paired with, and Diane Kruger's look here absolutely nails it. Featuring frosted blue metallic eyeshadow that matches the sparkle of her dress, the star opted for a contrasting pink lip for this appearance at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Miranda Kerr's bright red lip
Keeping your eye makeup minimal, perhaps with simply mascara and a little eyeshadow, and wearing one of the best red lipsticks is a look that can work on everyone, regardless of eye colour. Miranda Kerr chose a bold, slightly orange-toned shade for the 2023 Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony.
Saoirse Ronan's simple liner
Another classic makeup look, Saoirse Ronan's simple liner has a very chic effect that draws attention to her eyes. The star wore this look to the premiere of The Outrun at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival.
Sophie Turner's frosted smokey eye
Both '90s and '00s beauty looks have seen a resurgence over the past few years, and Sophie Turner's frosted eyeshadow look is a brilliant example of that. Featuring metallic grey and silver tones with smokey liner, the star wore this look to the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
Jessica Biel's soft warm copper eyes
The Met Gala red carpet is one of the best places to seek makeup inspiration. Case in point: Jessica Biel's makeup for the 2024 event, which featured a soft and warming copper shade of eyeshadow paired with a soft champagne pink shade – both of which combined to make her eyes pop.
Jessica Chastain's rose gold hues
Choosing to wear complementary tones across the eyes, cheeks and lips makes for a cohesive look that brings out a contrasting eye colour, much like the pink tones worn by Jessica Chastain to the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Elizabeth McGovern's grey liner
Elizabeth McGovern keeps her eye makeup simple yet defined with a warm grey liner – a shade that would suit cool grey and blue-grey eyes beautifully. She offset this with a bold red lip for the Paris premiere of Downton Abbey: A New Era in 2022.
Nicole Kidman's 'flushed' blusher
While we tend to put the focus on products like eyeshadow and liner when choosing makeup looks for a specific eye colour, it's possible to create a gorgeous contrast through other colour products, too. Case in point: a healthy flush of a flattering shade of blusher, like Nicole Kidman's look here.
Alexis Bledel's deep lipstick
A great case for the power of contrasting colour, deep wine or berry-toned shades of lipstick make pretty pairings for grey and blue eyes, much like Alexis Bledel's look for the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2020.
Kate Bosworth's subtle lashes and pink-nude lip
Sometimes, you need little more than the best mascara to accentuate your eyes, whether or not you choose a bolder shade of lipstick to contrast or a muted, more neutral shade. That's the exact approach taken by Kate Bosworth for the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar party.
Christina Hendricks's winged eyeshadow
Perfectly blended and balancing definition with smokiness, we love this classic winged-out eyeshadow on Christina Hendricks, who wore this makeup look to the 2024 Fashion Trust U.S. Awards.
Rihanna's winged liner
Paired with soft and perfectly blended smokey brown shades of eyeshadow, Rihanna's winged liquid liner perfectly accentuates her eyes. She stepped out on the red carpet of the 2019 Fashion Awards with this look.
Jennifer Lawrence's diffused eyeshadow
Proof that you don't have to choose bold shades for makeup to be eye catching, Jennifer Lawrence opted for a soft smokey eye wing and a glossy, slightly peach-toned lip for the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards.
Charlize Theron's classic smokey eye
With smokey grey eyeshadow and black liner, Charlize Theron's monochromatic eye makeup really draws attention to her peepers. The star paired this glam eye look with a neutral pink lip for the Christian Dior Womenswear Fall Winter 2023-2024 show in Paris.
Helen Mirren's inner corner sparkle
Adding a small amount of a bright and illuminating metallic shade of eyeshadow to the inner corners of the eyes is a brilliant way to make them pop, much like Helen Mirren's look seen on the red carpet of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Emma Stone's coral blush and rosy lip
If your grey eyes skew green, coral is a brilliant choice of contrasting colour that can add warmth to your cheeks. Emma Stone kept her eye makeup simple when pairing this with a rosy-toned lipstick for the Kinds of Kindness New York premiere in 2024.
Jennifer Aniston's fluttery lashes
The best false eyelashes come in so many different styles to help accentuate your natural lashes – and a fluttery, lengthy style is pretty much always a good idea, much like Jennifer Aniston's look here, at the 2024 PaleyFest LA.
Demi Moore's cut crease
A cut crease – using a darker shade to define the crease of the socket with a lighter colour on the rest of the lid – is a great contrasting eye makeup look. Paired with fluffy lashes, Demi Moore's look featured a light pink metallic shade at the 2024 Met Gala.
Margot Robbie's pink eyeshadow
As well as perfectly complementing the colours in her outfit, Margot Robbie's pink eyeshadow makes her green eyes pop – a look we think would enhance grey eyes beautifully, too. Lengthy lashes were the final touch to this look worn to a photocall in London in 2023.
Zooey Deschanel's thick lashes
Giving her look a '60s makeup-inspired feel, Zooey Deschanel's thick lower lashes accentuate her eyes beautifully – a technique that can make any eye colour pop. The star wore this look to the 2024 Directors Guild of America Awards.
Megan Fox's thick liner
We love a dramatic eye makeup look and thickly lined eyes make a great statement – much like Megan Fox's intense smokey eye, worn to the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. The star paired this striking look with a subtle dusky pink lipstick.
Jennifer Connelly's gold-copper shimmer
Providing the perfect amount of definition with a little brown liner, Jennifer Connelly wore a sparkling, shimmery shade of golden copper eyeshadow that perfectly enhanced her eyes to the 2023 Academy Museum Gala.
Natalie Dormer's brown smokey eye
Proving that a brown smokey eye can really deliver on intensity, Natalie Dormer's look here features a slight sparkle to really draw attention to her eyes. She wore this particular makeup look to the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar party.
Cameron Diaz's sparkling taupe eyeshadow
At a glance, you may only have spotted the eye-defining liner, but Cameron Diaz's makeup look also features a pretty and sparkling taupe shade of eyeshadow. This was paired with pink blush and lipstick for Lucy Liu's Star Ceremony On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2019.
Elizabeth Banks's almost-purple eyeshadow
Adding the subtlest hint of colour to a smokey eye, Elizabeth Banks's metallic shade of purple-brown eyeshadow here is a gorgeous look. This was paired with flawless-looking skin warmed up with bronzer for the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
Amanda Seyfried's shimmery copper eyes and red lip
With a little mascara and shimmery shadow defining her eyes, Amanda Seyfried opted for the perfect bold red lip for the Seven Veils premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024.
Elizabeth Debicki's soft camel tones
By opting for the slightest hint of warm camel-meets-copper tones on her eyes and lips, the cool green of Elizabeth Debicki's eyes really stands out – a technique that would also work well on grey eyes. She wore this particular look to The BAFTA Tea Party in 2024.
Amy Adams wearing metallic burgundy eyeshadow
For the Dear Evan Hansen Los Angeles premiere in 2021, Amy Adams smokey eye featured a contrasting maroon eyeshadow with a metallic finish that drew attention to her green-grey eyes. The look was finished with a wash of blusher and a glossy pink lip.
Jane Fonda's smokey liner and red lip combo
Though choosing just one can work very well, it's a myth that you should never wear a bold lip and a bold eye makeup look at the same time, as Jane Fonda proves here. The star was spotted with this smokey and smudged liner and red lip combination during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Sienna Miller's simple defined eyes
As well as a few slicks of mascara, Sienna Miller's eyes appear to be brightened and defined using a lighter shade of eyeliner pencil, a classic makeup technique for opening up the eyes. Finished with a pretty shade of pink lipstick, the star wore this look to the US premiere of Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 1 in 2024.
