There are certain things in life that ooze sex appeal such as the little black dress, bright red lipstick and the ultra sexy and sultry smokey eye makeup. When it comes to eye makeup, there are a few key looks that we probably find ourselves going back to the same style over and over again and that style is very likely the smokey eye. Most of us have seen celebrities and beauty influencers rocking the smokey eye look. and wish that we can create the same look. So just what makes a smokey eye look? As the name implies, smokey eye makeup consists of both dark eyeshadow and eyeliner blended into lighter eyeshadow to create the smokey effect. It is a surefire way to give our eyes some drama when we want to switch things up a bit. Nailing the perfect smokey eyes can be achieved when you follow these steps below.
Things You Need
- Eyeshadow primer or concealer
- An eyeshadow brush
- A gel liner in a dark color, such as brown or black
- A black mascara
- An eyeshadow palette with three coordinating shades:
- An eyeshadow shade to act as a base colour
- A darker eyeshadow shade for adding depth
- A light shimmer eyeshadow to highlight
Steps To Create Your Own Smokey Eye Makeup
Although the smokey eye effect may look daunting, it is actually an easy eye makeup look once you know the tricks in creating it. Here is step-by-step tutorial to getting that coveted signature smokey look.
Prepare your eyes
Before you begin to apply the eyeshadow, do make sure that your eye area is primed by using an eyeshadow primer or concealer as a base on your eyelid. This will give your makeup something to grip on and also ensures that the eyeshadow will last and stay put throughout the day.
Cover your eyelid with base color
Pick a color that complements your darker shade as the foundation of the eye look. For a more subtle look, opt for neutral browns and beige. Apply the eyeshadow all over the lid. Next, line the upper lid with a dark gel eyeliner pencil close to the lashes and smudge. Do not worry if it is not perfect because the liner will be smudged and blended in later.
Apply crease color
Choose a coordinating dark shade color and use blending brush to blend the color into the outer corner of your eye. Move towards the center in small circular motions. For a classic smokey eye look, opt for black, grey or navy. Jewel tones like deep red, green or purple can be used if you want a more colorful look.
Apply Your Highlight
When you are picking out a color for the highlight, go with one that complements the other colors. Silver or gold matches more neutral smokey eyes while light colors like pink blue or orange suit more colorful looks. Next, apply a neutral shade that is one or two shades lighter than your all-over color from the crease up to the brow bone. This way, it will help smooth out the look. Dab your highlight on the inner corners of your eyes for the bright and awake look.
Apply Mascara
The last step is to apply mascara and make sure that they are very black. Apply mascara to the bottom lashes before the top lashes. This will prevent you from getting mascara all over your lids when you look up to apply the bottom lashes.
Now that you know how to achieve the look for yourself, it is time to get out there and turn some heads!