Why Do Hazel Eyes Look Brown?
People often confuse hazel with brown eyes because of the nearly similar hues. Although rare, hazel eyes have the second-highest concentration of melanin, making them appear light brown in some environments. 
Typically, hazel eyes take the color of a hazelnut — a mixture of green and brown. But color combinations of other shades like gold, amber, and blue also occur. The varying shades scatter light differently in various conditions. As a result, hazel eyes tend to swing between pure green and pure brown hues as the lighting conditions change.
Can hazel eyes look brown?
Posted by Eye Doctors of Washington in General Eye Care When someone wants to enhance their vision, they may try contact lenses or seek out LASIK eye surgery, But what if they want to change the color of their eyes? People have long been fascinated with eye color; after all, eyes come in a wide range of shades. The colored part of the eye is called the iris. The iris has pigmentation that determines the eye color. Irises are classified as being one of six colors: amber, blue, brown, gray, green, hazel, or red. Often confused with hazel eyes, amber eyes tend to be a solid golden or copper color without flecks of blue or green typical of hazel eyes. Blue eyes have a low level of pigment present in the iris. Recently, scientists announced that everyone with blue eyes is related! Because of various racial groups intermarrying, blue eyes, which are generally recessive, are becoming rarer and rarer. (Note: I recently asked my blue-eyed in-laws how they produced my amber-eyed spouse, incorrectly telling them it was genetically impossible. Brown is the most common eye color. Individuals with brown eyes have more melanin present, and over half of the people in the world have brown eyes. Gray eyes may be called “blue” at first glance, but they tend to have flecks of gold and brown. And they may appear to “change color” from gray to blue to green depending on clothing, lighting, and mood (which may change the size of the pupil, compressing the colors of the iris). Green is the least common eye color, but it is found most frequently in northern and central Europe. I have always incorrectly called this color eye hazel! Hazel eyes mostly consist of shades of brown and green. Much like gray eyes, hazel eyes may appear to “change color” from green to light brown to gold. Individuals whose eyes appear to be one color closest to the pupil, another color a little farther our, and another color around the edge of the iris are likely to have hazel eyes. Red eyes do exist. “Red?” you say. “Yes, red,” I say, although we often call them pink. Picture white bunnies with pink eyes. What you’re actually seeing in these rabbits and in albinos is the blood vessels behind the iris. Because there is so little melanin in the eyes, there is nothing to conceal the blood vessels hard at work. If you’re dissatisfied with your eye color for whatever reason, there are always colored contacts. Just be sure to get a prescription for them from your eye doctor at Eye Doctors of Washington, Don’t buy them online or borrow them from a friend—you’d just be begging for an eye infection. Contact Us
Why do hazel eyes appear brown?
What Are Hazel Eyes? What Is the Hazel Eye Color? – The defining feature of hazel eyes is their mix of colors. All hazel eyes will have some combination of brown/gold and green coloring, sometimes with flecks of blue as well. This is why hazel eyes appear different than brown, green, or blue eyes, which are a solid color.
- Hazel eyes are often lighter/more green in one part of the iris (either the center or the edges of the iris) and darker/more brown in the other part.
- There are two main types of hazel eyes: those with brown as the dominant color in the iris and those with green as the dominant color.
- While all hazel eyes will have a combination of green and brown colors, the difference in dominant colors is why hazel eyes can appear either mostly green or mostly brown.
This variety in color can cause some confusion, but as long as there is a mixture of green and brown in the iris, the eyes are hazel.
How rare are brownish hazel eyes?
Hazel Eyes – Hazel eyes are sometimes mistaken for green or brown eyes. They are not as rare as green eyes, but are rarer than blue eyes. Only about 5 percent of the population worldwide has the hazel eye genetic mutation. After brown eyes, they have the most melanin.
- The combination of having less melanin (as with green eyes) and a lot of melanin (like brown eyes) make this eye color unique.
- The color combinations in shades of green, brown, and gold are endless with hazel eyes, depending on the concentration of melanin.
- The light scatters as it does with blue and green eyes.
As with blue and green eyes, hazel eyes may appear to shift colors depending on the light. The eye color doesn’t actually shift, perception does. It is unknown if hazel eyes developed from brown eyes or green.
What region has the most hazel eyes?
Hazel – Approximately 5% of the world’s population and 18% of people in the U.S. have hazel eyes, which are a mixture of green, orange, and gold. Hazel eyes are more common in North Africa, the Middle East, and Brazil, as well as in people of Spanish heritage.
How do you make hazel eyes lighter?
Violet is the ‘money color’ for hazel eyes, Paré says. ‘ Anything with a purple undertone will make the eyes look lighter.’ This duo is perfect for beginners, as it has a light violet for daytime and a darker version of the hue for evening. MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo in Ever Amethyst, $22, available at Nordstrom.
Does brown make hazel eyes pop?
Browns, golds and greens will instantly enhance the richness of hazel, bronzes are dreamy for bringing out the warmth and purples provide a gorgeous contrast to your eye colour. Discover Charlotte Tilbury’s range of eyeshadow products to complement your hazel eyes and create the perfect mesmerising makeup look