Whether you have the most beautiful eyes in the world or an average pair of peepers, eyes
are insanely expressive and super diverse in how they look.
With different colors and shapes, our eyes are as unique to us as our genetic footprint.
Here are some of the most beautiful eyes on the planet.
These days, having violet eyes is only a purchase away, as purple contacts are not hard to come
by.
But back in the day, long before contact lenses had even been invented, having eyes so blue
they look violet was far less common.
That's part of what made Elizabeth Taylor such a sought after beauty icon.
Arguably the most famous, violet-eyed person in history, Taylor was a movie star known
for her dazzling good looks, especially her purple peepers.
When the light hit just right, her eyes really did look like they had been dyed with indigo.
So what was the mechanism at work that made her eyes stand out from everyone else's?
It came down to the specific amount of melanin she had in her irises, which is genetic.
It also had a lot to do with how much light entered her eye and how she accented the color
with clothing and makeup.
There's no shortage of songs out there about blue eyes, all of them commemorating the transcendent
power of the azure gaze.
"What color are they?”
“They're really blue.”
They're really blue.
Good, good."
Given that so many celebs have them, from Gilmore Girls' Alexis Bledel to singer Taylor
Swift to movie star Brad Pitt, it's no wonder that we find blue eyes so devastatingly beautiful.
Who wouldn't want a stare as powerful as Daniel Radcliffe's?
So how is it that blue eyes came to be?
Some argue that cerulean eyes came to be because of the body's need for vitamin D. Others posit
the theory that blue eyes were perceived to be more sexually attractive by hunter-gatherer
ladies.
There's also the theory that they helped battle seasonal depression.
"Stay back, he's got blue eyes.
I've always had blue eyes!"
Whatever the case may be, blue eyes are here to stay, and we couldn't be happier about
it.
When most of us look in the mirror, we see two eyes that are the same color staring back
at us.
But that's not the case for people who have heterochromia iridium, which is the fancy
term for eyes that are two different colors belonging to the same person.
That explains the mysterious and sexy visage of the late David Bowie, as well as the arresting
look that Kate Bosworth projects.
And yes, that's also what Jane Seymour had going on in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Finally, some answers!
Of course, this condition is usually genetic.
But it can also be caused by trauma, either at birth or later in life.
Some medications can also impact eye color.
Whatever the cause may be, it's always an experience to peer into the multi-colored
eyes of the people lucky enough to have them.
Have you ever looked at Zooey Deschanel and longed to have those giant peepers yourself?
Or have you ever lost yourself in the sardonic-yet-sensual stare of Hugh Laurie
"Oh god stop, I'm in a pool of tears here."
If you did, you wouldn't be alone, as those big-eyed gazes are both hypnotic and enviable
— they convey so much emotion and seem to radiate a light of their own.
There's a scientific reason that some of us have larger eyes than others.
Oxford University researcher Eiluned Pearce says,
"As you move away from the equator, there's less and less light available, so humans have
had to evolve bigger and bigger eyes.
Their brains also need to be bigger to deal with the extra visual input."
And while that doesn't make them any smarter than anyone else, it does mean they could
function better in the place where they lived.
It's pretty incredible to think that light levels had such an impact on the size of our
brains and eyes!
Ah, the mysteries of science.
"Yeah science!"
According to the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, individuals
who have albinism are often subjected to social stigmatization.
That's a shame, as people with this genetic condition have some of the most unique and
stunning eyes out there, as well as the eyelashes that compliment them.
Take, for example, Russian model Nastya Zhidkova, who has amassed an Instagram following of
over 110,000 people.
Her eyes are so fair that they appear almost lavender, and they are framed by ice-white
lashes.
There's also model Diandra Forrest, whose eyes are a mix of green and brown, framed
by golden eyelashes.
Have you ever seen such distinctive gazes?
Unfortunately, the genetics of albinism often render people with the condition visually
impaired to a significant degree, sometimes legally blind.
They also have to be extremely careful in the sun, as their fair complexions are susceptible
to sun damage more so than people without the condition.
Van Morrison made a whole lot of brown-eyed girls happy when he released the song "Brown
Eyed Girl".
Given that most people in the world have brown eyes, having a song to make the coffee-eyed
among us feel special filled a much-needed void.
How many songs about blue eyes do you need, anyway?
But if you've ever lost yourself in the deep brown eyes of Idris Elba, or found yourself
rapt in the stare of Johnny Depp, you know the power of the mocha latte gaze.
But did you know that people of the brown-eyed persuasion are less susceptible to a host
of medical conditions, such as macular degeneration, eye cancer, and diabetic retinopathy?
We haven't forgotten our hazel-eyed brethren, who are lucky enough to have irises that are
multi-colored.
With this distinctive eye color and pattern, usually there is a "burst" of gold or brown
around the pupil, which fades into green as it moves outward into the eye.
“Okay, what color are my eyes?”
“Well at first glance your eyes are brown.”
While the colors in hazel eyes can vary, some more brown than they are green, the pattern
is characteristically recognizable.
This phenomenon is due to the amount of light in the room or the color of the clothing and
makeup a hazel-eyed beauty is wearing.
So yes, that's why Rihanna's eyes always seem to be different colors!
“But when the light hits them, they change to amber.
And if you look really closely around the iris, the color is pure honey.”
Rihanna isn't the only celeb that's a member of the hazel society - there's also Tyra Banks,
Shailene Woodley, Carrie Underwood, and Jada Pinkett Smith, to name just a few.
All hail the hazel!
Just as there are plenty of songs celebrating blue eyes, so too are there famous hits about
emerald-colored peepers, such as "Green Eyes" by Coldplay and "Big Green Eyes" by Alan Jackson.
There's a good reason for that, given how beautiful those moss-colored sparklers can
be.
So what makes green eyes green?
They're actually borne out of a combination of low melanin levels in the iris, combined
with light scattering.
This creates blue color that mixes with lipochrome, a yellow pigment in the eye.
And what happens when you mix yellow and blue, class?
That's right - you get green.
"But now that you're standing here, I just realized there's a bit of green in the blue
of your eyes."
Although only 2% of the world's population has this enviable eye color, plenty of famous
people have green eyes.
There's Emma Stone's big beautiful eyes, as well as Adele's penetrating, green-eyed gaze.
Amanda Seyfried and the Olsen twins also boast jade eyes, showing the endless beauty our
green-eyed friends possess.
Although gray eyes are often confused with blue eyes, they're a real thing.
Gray eyes can be truly stunning, especially when you see them in bright light.
With origins in western, northern, and central Europe, gray eyes develop in a manner similar
to blue and green eyes.
It starts with low melanin in the iris, which is complimented by the scattering of light
off of the darker epithelium.
Combine that together and voilà, you get gray eyes, which up close can also have flecks
of brown or yellow.
So next time you find yourself fawning over pictures of Pink, or trying to figure out
if Angelina Jolie has blue eyes or gray eyes, you’ll know the mechanisms at work.
It's not just the color of the iris or the shape of the eye that makes some eyes especially
dazzling.
People find long, full eyelashes especially attractive and aesthetically pleasing, especially
on women.
There are perfectly good reasons that we find thick eyelashes appealing.
For one, they're a good indicator of overall health, as some diseases and conditions can
cause lash loss.
Additionally, long eyelashes can make the eye look wider and can also make the gaze
appear more dramatic.
It's no small wonder, then, that there are plenty of products out there to emphasize
our eyelashes, from mascaras to fake lashes and eyelash extensions.
If you need a tutorial, just look to Cardi B - she's a bonafide lash master.
Finally, the most beautiful eyes in the world always have a healthy sclera, also known as
the white of the eye, which causes the iris’s color to pop.
Comprising over 80% of the eye, the sclera frames the shape of the eye and protects it
from damage.
It also connects to the muscles that move the eye around.
There are a number of conditions that can cause the sclera to become some color other
than white, such as liver disease, brittle bone disease, some connective tissue disorders,
and rosacea, to name just a few.
And if you've ever had conjunctivitis, you know how awful it is to have your eyes turn
pink.
But when the sclera is healthy and normal, it's shiny and white, helping to show off
whatever beautiful color lies at the center.
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