What Are the Different Colors of Blue Eyes & How Rare Are They?

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Plus expert makeup tips for making your blue eyes pop
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Blue eyes are the second most common eye color after brown eyes, making up about 8% of the population. Still, there are many different hues of blue, including ice blue, gray blue, and aqua. If you—or someone you love—has blue eyes, keep reading to learn all about those mesmerizing peepers, including expert advice from makeup artists on how to best enhance their natural blue color.

Shades of Blue Eyes: At a Glance

The most common shades of blue eyes are light blue, dark blue, sapphire blue, and blue gray. Some rarer shades of blue eyes include hazel blue, ice blue, and aqua blue.

Section 1 of 5:

Different Shades of Blue Eyes

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  1. Often used interchangeably with pale blue and sky blue , this shade of blue is a light and subtlety bright shade that may be perceived as innocent and pure. In art, baby blue is used to color spring and summer landscapes, radiating warmth, tranquility, and delight. People with baby blue eyes have less melanin than darker blues, like Caribbean blue, aqua, and turquoise.
  2. Vibrant and bold, electric blue is close to cyan on the color spectrum but is less green in pigment. In design, this blue hue is used to draw the audience’s eye to something important, highlighting noteworthy elements with energy and momentum. Electric blue eyes are sometimes viewed as otherworldly or supernatural, as an electric blue gaze is hypnotizing and intense. [1]
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  3. Lighter than steel blue, ice blue eyes maintain a chilling beauty, like arctic waters cresting beneath a frozen lake. Ice blue perfectly encompasses winter’s striking silvery blue tones, typically used to describe a “cold” character’s stern stare in literature. Glacial and penetrating, icy blue eyes can also be found in the animal kingdom, particularly among certain dog breeds, like Siberian Huskies and Weimaraners. [2]
  4. Synonymous with ocean blue and turquoise , this shade is a darker shade of bright blue, used to describe the color of a Bahamian beach on a hot August day. Caribbean blue is often featured in vacation brochures to advertise clear waters, white sands, and fun in the sun for the whole family. Caribbean blue eyes can appear to me sparkling or beaming due to their glittering blue color.
  5. Similar to periwinkle , this shade is a medium bright blue, named after the cornflower, which blooms blue. Lightly mixed with green, this hue reflects nature’s vibrant blues with a cool gloss of tranquility. Those with cornflower blue eyes are thought to be sweet and attractive while maintaining a unique and youthful energy. Cornflower blue is frequently featured in weddings as the “something blue” for brides. [3]
  6. Close to Tahitian blue , this is the color of swimming pools. Aqua is very bright, found between blue and green on the color spectrum. This lively hue invokes feelings of clarity and revitalization, and people with aqua eyes tend to have piercing gazes. Aqua eyes may also appear to change color in the light, shimmering back and forth between blue, green, and even hazel. [4]
  7. Closely related to steel blue , gray-blue eyes contain a very specific amount of melanin, as there may just be enough to create a medium-thin film on the iris, responsible for creating the gray-blue effect. Gray-blue eyes can appear to change depending on their surroundings, what they’re wearing, and even how they’re feeling since emotions like surprise or joy can cause pupils to dilate and absorb more light.
  8. On the light-to-dark spectrum, sapphire eyes are some of the darkest shades of blue eyes. This hue is named after the gemstone and is close to purple on the color wheel. This deep jewel tone may not be as distinguishable as some brighter shades, but it still makes for a stunning and mysterious gaze in the eyes of their beholder. The term “sapphire eyes” is sometimes used in literature to describe mystical characters. [5]
  9. Heterochromia is a health-neutral condition in which each of your eyes is a different color, ranging from bright blue to dark chocolate brown. One iris may either be a completely different color from the other or present in a different variation of the same color. For example, one eye could be blue while the other is gray, or one eye could be blue while the other appears to be blue-green. [6]
    • This condition is most commonly a result of a harmless genetic mutation, although it can occur as a result of certain conditions and syndromes, like nerve damage and Horner syndrome.
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Section 2 of 5:

Are blue eyes rare?

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  1. Statistically, very few people have blue eyes—blue-eyed people account for about 8% of the population, with many of them being in Europe, particularly in Scandinavian countries like Norway and Sweden. When compared to brown eyes (which make up about 80% of the world population), blue eyes seem quite rare, but they’re actually still the second-to-least rare eye color! [7]
    • About 5% of the population has hazel eyes, making it the third-rarest eye color.
    • Green eyes are the rarest eye color, making up 2% of the population.
Section 3 of 5:

Genetics of Blue Eyes

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  1. Scientists initially believed that whether a person had blue eyes or not was totally contingent upon their parents. Parents of blue-eyed children were once thought to each possess one recessive blue-eyed gene. However, further research has revealed that eye color is based on how multiple genes work together, not that they’re simply there. [8]
    • Scientists discovered that there are 16 genetic variations responsible for determining eye color, which is what makes them so difficult to predict— even if their parents share the same eye color!
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Section 4 of 5:

Interesting Facts About Blue Eyes

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  1. Blue eyes actually didn’t exist until about 10,000 years ago, and scientists can trace all blue eyes back to a single common ancestor. This mutation caused a huge genetic shift, as all eyes were originally believed to be brown. [9]
    • In 2008, scientists at the University of Copenhagen discovered that the OCA2 gene in that one distant relative is what resulted in the genetic “switch” which shut off the production of melanin.
    • The OCA2 gene accounts for P protein, which is instrumental in producing melanin.
    • This mutation is similar to other ones that dictate specific physical features, like baldness, freckles, and moles, none of which negatively impact a person.
  2. Humans aren’t born with the full extent of melanin that they will later go on to produce, resulting in tons of babies with baby blues. About 20% of babies are born with blue peepers, although their eye color is very likely to change as they get older and melanin production starts up. [10]
    • Babies born with blue eyes can go on to have brown, green, or hazel eyes.
    • After a baby is born, their eyes can change colors for up to three years.
  3. There are a few health-related pros and cons to having blue eyes. Since people with blue eyes have reduced melanin, they’re also more vulnerable to light and therefore, retinal damage. If you have very light blue eyes, be sure to wear UV-blocking sunglasses to protect your eyes, along with sunscreen to protect your skin, which is likely also sensitive to light due to lack of melanin. [11]
    • Blue-eyed folks are also more likely to have ocular uveal melanoma, a very rare type of eye cancer.
    • On the bright side, blue eyes are significantly less likely to develop cataracts than their brown-eyed counterparts.
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Section 5 of 5:

How to Enhance Blue Eyes

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  1. The key to really making your blue peepers pop… is to add more blue! This might seem like a no-brainer, but blue clothes and makeup naturally accent your blue eyes. Darker blues, like navy and sapphire, are associated with tranquility and trustworthiness, while lighter blues, like baby blue and sky blue, can convey innocence and whimsy. No matter which hue you pick, your blue eyes are sure to stand out, even in a sea of blue. [12]
  2. Applying jewel-toned eyeshadows, like emerald, ruby, and amethyst, can add depth and mystery to your persona. Your blue-eyed gaze is only further complimented by these bright colors, creating a stunning contrast. For a similar effect, makeup artist Devorah Kuperland recommends pink, mauve, and rose gold eyeshadow palettes to accent blue eyes. [13]
  3. Although this may seem like a surprising choice at first blush, colors like rust orange and gold work beautifully on people with blue eyes. More often than not, blue eyes contain flecks of other colors, and a great metallic eye liner can help make these more subtle shades pop.
  4. Lighter neutrals, like beige and cream, can allow your blue eyes to shine in a sophisticated manner. Darker neutrals, like brown and camel, can create a nice contrast against the light blue cool tone of your eyes. Makeup artist Charina Redugerio uses this same technique when applying eyeshadow. “For blue eyes, I like to go in with the grays and a little bit of brown,” she says. “I feel like they bring [the blue] out even more. It looks icier.” [16]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.figma.com/colors/electric-blue/
      2. ↑ https://betterpet.com/blue-eyed-dog-breeds/
      3. ↑ https://www.canva.com/colors/color-meanings/cornflower/
      4. ↑ https://www.figma.com/colors/aqua/
      5. ↑ https://htmlcolorcodes.com/colors/sapphire-blue/
      6. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/25112-heterochromia
      7. ↑ https://parade.com/living/hazel-eyes
      8. ↑ https://cpp-college.netlify.app/programs/education-blog/behind-blue-eyes-look-genetic-and-cultural-components-propelled-spread-blue-eyed-humans
      9. ↑ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130170343.htm
      1. ↑ https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Newborn-Eye-Color.aspx
      2. ↑ https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/myth-or-fact-people-light-eyes-are-more-sensitive-sunlight
      3. ↑ https://elizabethkosichstyling.com/press/buzz/best-colors-for-blue-eyes
      4. ↑ Devorah Kuperland. Makeup Artist. Expert Interview
      5. ↑ Alicia D'Angelo. Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist. Expert Interview
      6. ↑ Alicia D'Angelo. Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist. Expert Interview
      7. ↑ Charina Redugerio. Makeup Artist. Expert Interview
      8. ↑ Alicia D'Angelo. Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist. Expert Interview

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