The ‘smoky eye’ is a sexy look that will never go out of style. Once you get the hang of the basics you can swap colors and intensity to go from a daytime to nighttime look.
Follow these steps for the classic smoky eye:
1. Apply a cream concealer or eyelid primer over your eyelid to
provide a smooth base for your eye shadow.
2. Pick a color – black or grey look best! “Stay away from blue hues – which can make you look like you have under eye circles,” says Giorgio Armani makeup artist André Drykin. Instead, go for black, gray, brown or if you want “color,” dark green shadows and liners.
3. Use a pencil liner – kohl is best – to trace your top lash line
from the inner eye to the outer eye. Then use the same pencil to lightly line your lower lashes.
TIP: Smudge both lash lines with a q-tip or an eyeliner brush. Heaviness can look clumsy and unfeminine.
4. Time for the eye shadow: start by sweeping on a layer of the lightest
color shadow close to the lash line with an eye shadow brush. This should diffuse some of the eyeliner.
TIP: To prevent color from fading and give your lids a more shimmery finish, pat a cream shadow over the concealer on your lid first, wait five minutes, then top with a matching powder shadow.
5. Using a light touch and a slightly darker color, cover the middle of your lid and fan the color out to the crease of your eyelid.
6. Now comes the darker color. Trace along the crease of your eyelid and eye socket and then flick out towards the corner of your eyes – like a thicker cat eye. This is where the definition comes from!
7. Apply a nude, and shimmery color to your brow bone. This will accentuate your features. Keep it a light color, such as ivory, to really compliment your eyes.
8. With a softer brush, blend away any of the harsh lines to get the softer, ‘smoky’ look.
9. Using a white-eye pencil, line your inner eye to
make your eyes appear wider, and brighter.
10. Finish with a heavy coat of black mascara.
Products
Step 1: Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer & Brightener Stick: $8.99
Step 3: Almay Intense I-Color Eye Liner: $7.99
Step 4: Black Radiance Dual EyeShadow Brush: $3.99
Step 5: Physicians Formula Shimmery Quad EyeShadow: $6.99 & L’Oreal Studio Eyeshadow Quad: $7.49
Step 7: Milani Runway Eyes Eye Shadow Golden Touch: $7.49
Step 9: Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil: $4.29
Step 10: Maybelline Volum’ Express ‘The Falsies’ Waterproof Mascara: $7.49
More of a visual learner? Sephora outlines the how-to of smoky eyes in a video below!
Sources:
http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Smoky-Eye-Effect
http://www.marieclaire.com/hair-beauty/trends/smoky-eyes
http://www.walgreens.com/default.jsp