Eye Seduction | The Basic Smokey Eye
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
The Basic Smokey Eye
With the understanding that there is no way really for someone to either or explain or master a smokey eye makeup application by just reading about it, these are the basic steps to a smokey eye.
Of course many variations exist, as well as various executions based on various levels of expertise, still following steps ought to be useful.
1. Prepare the eyelid by creating a good base
After applying foundation and loose powder, prep the eyelid using an eyelid primer.
Alternatively you can blend a small amount of your normal foundation over the eyelid using a cosmetic triangle or sponge and pat lightly with loose powder on large powder brush.
2. Apply the mid-tone eyeshadow from lash line to eyebrow
Fill the entire space up with an eyeshadow that closely matches, or is a shade lighter than, your natural eye lid colour and blend. A shimmery (not glittery) shade is usually very flattering.
3. Apply the highlighter eyeshadow to the inside corner of the eye area and on the brow bone.
Using an eyeshadow brush, apply a light shade of eyeshadow at the inner corners of the eyes as well as on the brow bone. Blend WELL into the existing mid-tone.
If you have perky (large) eyes, forget applying this shade to the inner corner of the eye as this will just make your eyes look even larger.
4. Line eyes with black eyeliner and blend
Using a black eyeliner, line upper and lower lash lines with black soft kohl eyeliner pencil. Smudge the line with fingertips or a soft brush to diffuse the harshness of the line a bit.
5. Apply the accent tone around the lash line
A smokey grey, a black, a metallic navy, an eggplant shade – you create the fantasy that you’d like here. Just so long as it doesn’t match the colour top that you’re wearing exactly. Too matchy matchy.
Starting from the outer corner of the eye, apply eyeshadow using short, controlled strokes on the upper lash line toward the middle of the eye using a small eyeshadow brush. Use a little of the accent colour at a time, you can always layer more colour if you wish the colour to be darker.
At the middle of the eye on the lashline, blend this accent colour into the corner of the eye where it meets the high tone that you’ve previously applied.
Now, starting again from the outer corner of the upper lash line, blend accent color upward and over the eyelid until the colour reaches the eye crease, just where the eye folds when you blink.
Blend, blend, blend.
If you decide that you want you want the smokey effect darker, use more eyeshadow on the eyeshadow brush and always start from the outer lashline and blend it up. That way the darkest effect will always be at the outer corner of the eye.
You can choose to focus most of the accent colour just to the outer colours of your eyes, or you can up the ante and colour your entire eyelid with the accent colour. For extreme sized eyes, the first technique opens smaller eyes and the second minimizes larger eyes.
With a very small eyeshadow brush, or with those teeny, firm eye shadow sponges that normally come with eye shadow compacts, apply accent colour on the outer bottom lash line, and blend toward the inner of the eye.
Blend the free outer edge of the eye in a slightly upward fashion, so as to not make eyes look droopy.
6. Apply Mascara
Focusing on outer lashes, apply two coats of masacara on top lashes. If you dare, try applying to the outer bottom lashes as well. However, to avoid the spidery look, only apply mascara to bottom lashes if you’ve previously lined them. Mascara with no eye-liner on the bottom line looks well scary.
Easy does it, it’s a little tricky.
Use waterproof mascara, or the type that coats the eyelashes in a ‘tube-like manner’ so that mascara, especially that applied on the bottom lashes, wouldn’t run if you get misty.
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Minimalista Steez
On a very basic level, smokey eye shadow differs from a more natural, well defined eyeshadow application in the following ways:
- The choice of makeup colours (variations of your skin-tone’s natural colours vs. statement bright/ deep/ vibrant colours)
- The intensity/ amount of the accent shadow applied and
- How far from the lash line toward the crease the accent eye shadow goes.
Just a little definition goes a long way. In a normal eyeshadow application the accent colour is limited to the lash line, with particular focus being paid to the outer corners of the eye.
For more on applying everyday makeup using 3 colours see GC post Makeup | 3-C Eye Definition
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Other possibly related GC posts
Makeup Tip | Choosing Eyeshadows
Beauty | Flawless Face
Holiday Glam: Face Bling
Frump to Fab in 10 steps
