Eye color is a unique feature of the individual and is very difficult to change without the help of contact lenses. However, you can bring out the natural hue by applying special eyeshadows. You can also completely change your eye color for a day by wearing cosmetic contact lenses. There is even the surgical option but, as of this writing, the procedures are still in an experimental stage. This tutorial will show you some simple techniques for making small changes to your eye color and give you some information about contact lenses and surgery.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Apply Eyeshadow to Highlight the Eye Color
Step 1. Learn how to alter the color of the irises with make-up
Remember that makeup cannot work miracles, it will not make brown eyes blue and vice versa. However, by using the eyeshadows expertly, you can intensify your natural shade. Depending on the color of the eyeshadow you choose, you can make the irises brighter, duller or lighter. Some natural eye colors, such as hazelnut and gray, take on special reflections when using certain types of eyeshadow. In this section, you will learn how to use make-up to change your eye color.
Step 2. Intensify the blue irises by applying a warm-toned eyeshadow
Colors with orange tones, such as coral and champagne, go perfectly with blue eyes. This will make your eyes appear brighter and "bluer" than they actually are. Blue or light blue eyeshadows soften the natural color and make it appear lighter or pale. Here are some combinations you should try:
- For daytime make-up or for casual occasions, try neutral tones like brown, taupe, terracotta or orange shades.
- For evening makeup, try metallic colors like gold, bronze or copper.
- Avoid shades that are too dark, especially if you have a light complexion. When choosing an eyeliner, go for brown or dark brown because it is less heavy than black.
Step 3. Make brown eyes brighter by using cool colors
Brown-eyed people can wear virtually any shade, but cool ones like purple and blue are perfect for brightening up the eyes. Here are some suggestions:
- For casual occasions, stick to brown. To really make your eyes stand out, try a silvery brown or peach eyeshadow.
- If you're feeling particularly bold, try blue, gray, green, or purple.
- For a special evening, you can wear metallic shades like bronze, gold and copper. A gold make-up with green highlights is also a perfect solution.
- If you have very dark brown or black eyes, try some rather intense colors, such as those of precious stones, for example blue or violet. Alternatively, silver and chocolate are fine too.
Step 4. Highlight the blue or green shades of gray eyes by applying a blue or green eyeshadow
Gray eyes tend to reflect the hues of their surroundings. This means that you can use the eyeshadow to give your eyes blue or green highlights. If, on the other hand, you want to emphasize its natural color, then stick to sooty or smoky shades, such as silver, charcoal gray or black. Here's how to give your eyes blue and green accents:
- To bring out the blue tones, use one of these eyeshadow colors: copper, melon, neutral brown, orange, peach or salmon. You can emphasize the blue even more by applying a light touch of blue in the inner corner of the eye.
- To bring out the green tones, try these eyeshadows: garnet, pink, plum, purple, brick red or burgundy.
Step 5. To intensify green eyes, use purple or brown eyeshadows
These are definitely the most suitable, because they contrast with the green pigments of the eyes making them brighter and more vibrant. For example, you can blend purple eyeshadow for a special evening, and use a bright brown or taupe during the day. Here are some other tips:
- All shades of purple look great with green eyes; if you don't like this color, try a few shades of pink.
- If you're hesitant to wear purple eyeshadow, you could use taupe for the upper lid and add a pop of purple near the lash line.
- Black eyeliners are too heavy for green eyes, try charcoal gray, silver or dark purple instead.
Step 6. Enhances the golden and green specks of the hazelnut iris
Eyes of this color often contain gold and green highlights. This means that you can use different colored eyeshadows to make them stand out. Try these combinations:
- Avoid all smoky and too heavy shades, because they tend to mask the green and golden specks, making the look cloudy.
- To brighten up green and gold highlights, try a bronze, aubergine or blush pink eyeshadow. Military green brings out the green shades.
- If you want your eyes to have a deeper brown cast, try gold or green eyeshadow.
Method 2 of 4: Temporarily Change Eye Color with Contact Lenses
Step 1. Go to an eye doctor and get a prescription for contact lenses (LAC)
Even if you have perfect vision, you need to find the right type of LAC for your eye. The shape of the eyeball is not the same for everyone and wearing the wrong contact lenses can be painful. Sometimes, the eyes are not compatible with this optical device. Your doctor may even recommend special contact lenses if you have dry eye.
Step 2. Purchase lenses from a qualified optician
Remember that, especially when it comes to LACs, you will get what you pay for. In this case, it is better to spend a little more on a safe, quality pair of contact lenses, rather than looking for savings at all costs and regretting it in the future. Eyes are delicate structures and a poor product can damage them irreversibly.
- The best place to buy them is an optical shop.
- For those with sight defects, cosmetic and graded ones are available.
Step 3. Decide how often you want to wear the LACs
Some models are single use, while others are meant to be used multiple times. This is something you need to take into consideration, as cosmetic lenses are more expensive than regular ones. Here are the various types of lenses you can find on the market:
- Disposable contact lenses are quite expensive. They can only be worn once and are best suited if you plan to use them only on one or two occasions.
- Daily wear lenses should be removed overnight. How often they need to be replaced depends on the manufacturer's instructions and the material. Some are weekly, some monthly, but there are also quarterly products.
- Extended Wear LACs can also be worn while sleeping, although this is not recommended; the longer they remain in the eye, the greater the chances of infection. Just like everyday lenses, extended wear lenses must also be replaced at the frequency indicated by the manufacturer. Some last only a week, but others a lot longer.
Step 4. If you have light eyes and just want a slight change, try lenses that enhance the natural color
This is the best product if you want to emphasize your original color. These are translucent ACLs and are unsuitable for those with dark eyes because you simply won't notice any changes.
Step 5. For a drastic change you should try opaque lenses
These are also perfect for people with dark eyes. Just as the name suggests, they are opaque and perfectly cover the underlying iris. They are available in natural colors such as chestnut, light blue, gray, green and hazelnut. There are also non-natural shades such as white, red, purple and the iris drawn in "cat's eye".
In some cases you can order LACs with custom colors and shades
Step 6. Be aware of aesthetic drawbacks
Contact lenses may slip over your eye when you blink; their slight displacement will make the natural iris visible. People will immediately notice that you are wearing colored LACs.
This phenomenon is much more evident with opaque lenses than with translucent ones
Step 7. Learn about visual impairment
The pupil and iris change in size naturally according to the light conditions. The painted iris of the LACs is static, this means that upon entering a dark room the pupils dilate, but the vision will be partially blocked by the colored part of the lenses. Conversely, when you go out in the sunlight, your pupils shrink and some of the natural color may be seen through your contact lenses.
Step 8. Clean the LACs
If you don't clean them regularly or properly, you could get an eye infection. some of these are very serious and can lead to blindness. You should always put your lenses back in their case when you are not wearing them. You should also rinse them with a saline solution before putting them in the container and always refill the container with a new, clean saline solution.
- Always wash your hands before touching the ACLs.
- Never use saliva to moisten them, because the human mouth is full of germs.
- Never share them with another person, even if you disinfect them.
Step 9. Do not wear contact lenses longer than recommended and take them off when the time comes
This means you should always take them off before going to sleep, even if your lenses are for extended wear. While these models can also be kept overnight, you are more likely to cause an infection if you leave them in for too long. You should also remove the ACLs before showering, bathing or swimming.
- Some lenses are designed to be worn multiple times, while others are disposable. Do not use them for longer than recommended.
- The saline solution also expires. Never use a product that has passed the expiration date.
- To prevent bacterial buildup, contact lenses should be replaced every three to six months.
Method 3 of 4: Change the Eye Color with Photoshop
Step 1. Launch the Photoshop program and open the image you want to edit
You can use whatever photography you like, but the clear, high-definition ones offer better results. To open the image, simply click on "File" in the top bar and select "Open" from the drop-down menu.
Step 2. Enlarge the image by enlarging the eye area
To do this you have to click on the magnifying glass icon located in the sidebar on the left of the screen, towards the bottom. If you can't find it, press the "Z" key on your keyboard. At this point you can enlarge the eye area in two ways:
- Click on the eyes with the left mouse button, so that the image becomes larger. Repeat several times until you can see your eyes clearly.
- Click on a spot above and to the left of the eyes. Drag the mouse pointer down and to the right of the eyes and a square will form. When you release the mouse button, everything that has been framed will fill the window.
Step 3. Use the simple lasso tool to select the iris
If you can't find it, you may have activated another type of lasso. Click and hold the mouse on the active lasso icon (usually the third bottom) and select the one that looks just like a lasso from the drop-down menu. At this point you can trace the border of the iris. Don't worry about being extremely precise, as the refinement procedures will take place later.
To select the other eye, hold down the "Shift" key. Trace the edge of the second iris just like you did with the first
Step 4. Create a new adjustment layer
To do this, click on the "Level" button from the top menu bar and select the "New Adjustment Level" function.
When you leave the mouse pointer on "New Adjustment Layer", a new menu will open to the left with a series of options. Choose "Hue / Saturation" from the list
Step 5. Now work on the "Adjustments" window, making sure that the "Color" function is selected
The adjustments window is on the same side as the other windows and includes the layers and color swatches window. Click on this window and check the box next to the word "Color". The irises will change color.
At this stage, the pupil will change color too, but don't worry, this is a detail that you will fix later
Step 6. Move the "Saturation", "Hue" and "Brightness" sliders until you get the color you want
The "Hue" slider actually changes the color, the "Saturation" slider makes it more or less intense, while the "Brightness" slider makes it lighter or darker.
The color may be unnatural at this point, but this is something you will deal with later
Step 7. Make sure you are in the adjustment layer function
Click on the "Levels" window. You should now have two different ones: "Background" and "Hue / Saturation". Make sure the second is highlighted, because you will apply all the changes right on this level; the "Background" is your original image.
Step 8. Use the eraser tool to show the pupil and erase the unwanted color around the iris
Click on the eraser icon located in the left menu and adjust the size of the tool if necessary. You can do this by going back to the top of the screen and clicking on the small dot and the number that appears next to the word "Brush". When the eraser is the size you want, you can use it to carefully erase the area around the iris. If necessary, delete the highlighted parts as well.
When you're done, your eyes should look natural, just with a different color
Step 9. Change the blending of layers if needed
Go back to the "Levels" window and click on the drop-down menu. At this point you should find several options, such as "Normal", "Dissolve", "Darken" and "Multiply". Try the "Hue" or "Color" functions found at the bottom of the menu. At this point the natural surface of the eye should be seen much better.
Step 10. Merge the layers when you are happy with the result
Right-click on "Background" and select "Merge Visible Layers" from the menu that appears.
Step 11. Save the image
You can save it with the file extension of your choice. Remember that without your indication the program will automatically save it as a Photoshop file, which makes it very difficult to share on the internet. Save the file in JPEG format, the standard extension for online images.
Method 4 of 4: Undergo Surgery
Step 1. Get laser surgery to change your eye color from brown to blue
The procedure takes about 20 seconds, during which the outer layer of the iris, the brown one, is removed, revealing the blue one below. Over the next two to four weeks, the body will shed the other layers and the iris will turn even more blue.
Step 2. Be aware of the disadvantages of this surgery
At the time of this writing, the procedure is still experimental, so the long-term effects are unknown. The procedure has not yet been authorized and is very expensive, around 5000 euros. This surgery only works to turn your eyes from brown to blue and like all eye surgeries it carries some risks, including potential blindness.
Step 3. Request iris insertion surgery
In this case it takes 15 minutes for each eye and you will be subjected to local anesthesia. A colored and flexible iris is inserted just above the natural one.
- This is a temporary solution and the removal procedure is similar to the insertion procedure.
- It will take two weeks to recover, during which you may complain of blurry vision and ocular hyperaemia.
- You will not be able to drive after the surgery. This is an important detail that you need to remember, so have someone to take you home after the procedure is complete.
Step 4. Learn about the risks of an iris implant
Just like many other surgeries, this kind of procedure also involves some unknowns. Vision may worsen, and in some cases the vision loss may be permanent. Here are some of the complications you should be aware of:
- Artificial iris increases intraocular pressure. This could lead to glaucoma which in turn would cause blindness.
- Surgery always carries a risk of cataracts, that is, the opacification of the lens.
- The procedure could damage the cornea and you will need a corneal transplant to fix the problem.
- The natural iris and surrounding tissues could become inflamed. This condition is not only very painful, but vision will also be impaired.
Advice
- Know that you cannot change your eye color permanently using natural methods, you have to undergo surgery.
- Consider using an application to change the eye color in photographs of you. Depending on your electronic device, you can purchase and download an application that allows you to alter photographs and change the eye tone of the subjects depicted.
Warnings
- Don't wear contact lenses all day, you could cause infections which, in turn, could lead to blindness.
- Eye surgery carries several risks.
- If you find that your eye color has become much lighter or darker, go to an eye doctor immediately. A drastic change, for example from brown to blue, could be a symptom of a serious condition.
