Hazel Eyes: What Color Are They?

Hazel eyes are hard to pin down — and that's exactly what makes them special. They're generally a blend of brown, green, and gold, sometimes with a touch of blue or amber. Often the color near the pupil is different from the color at the outer rim, giving hazel eyes a distinctive "sunburst" effect.

How rare are hazel eyes?

Hazel isn't the rarest color, but it's far from the most common: around 18% of Americans have hazel eyes, according to a 2014 survey by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

What makes hazel eyes unique

Most eye colors have melanin spread evenly across the iris. Hazel is the exception: it has a medium amount of melanin overall, but that melanin is distributed unevenly — more in some areas, less in others. That uneven mix is why one part of the iris can look brown while another looks green, amber, or even blue. It's the source of the multi-tonal, shifting look.

Hazel vs. green vs. brown

• Green eyes are a mostly solid green throughout the iris.
• Brown eyes are a uniform brown throughout.
• Hazel eyes are multicolored — flecks, bands, or a gradient of brown, green, and gold. From a distance hazel can read as light brown or green; up close, the mix gives it away.

Do hazel eyes change color?

Not really — but they can certainly appear to. Lighting, and the colors you wear, can pull different tones forward. That's why a certain shirt or eyeshadow can make hazel eyes look noticeably greener or warmer ("making your eyes pop" is a real effect).

Getting the hazel look

• Look for multi-tonal lenses: the most realistic hazel lenses blend brown, gold, and green rather than printing one flat color.
• On dark eyes, choose an opaque hazel so the warm tones show fully.
• Style it: earthy, warm clothing and makeup make hazel tones come alive — the same trick that works on natural hazel eyes.

Eye-color statistics: American Academy of Ophthalmology.