How to do Perfect Smoky Eyes

The dark, smoldering smoky eye makeup is the perfect look for the evening. There are many celebrities who opt for this dramatic look when they walk the red carpet at glitzy events. You too can duplicate this alluring look with some practice.

The smoky eye look involves the use of some heavy colors over the eye area. In general, dark shades such as grays and blacks are predominantly used to achieve this look. One rule of thumb to keep in mind is that when you are opting for such dramatic eye makeup, you should avoid using distracting colors on other parts of the face. For instance, with your smoky eye makeup, you should never pair a bright lipstick which will draw attention away from the eye area.
Similarly, strong colors should be avoided on other parts of the face too, such as bright blushes.

The focal point of your smoky eye makeup is the eyes. All other makeup should serve to highlight this feature and blend in with this look seamlessly. Opt for light, translucent blushes/light bronzer to add a hint of color to your cheeks and a pale/nude lipstick shade which sets off the smoldering eye makeup to great effect.

The First Steps for Smoky Eye Makeup

The smoky eye is an ageless look that can be perfected with the right technique. The key to perfect smoky eyes lies in skillful blending. Before you start the application, ensure that you have the right equipment to master this look. You may need a smudge and blending brush in addition to the applicator and eye liner brush.

The very first step in smoky eye makeup is to apply the concealer. Any dark circles under your eye should be concealed very effectively before you start working on the look. Since this look involves the use of dark shades, the dark circles under your eyes can skew the entire makeup unless they are hidden completely. When you are choosing your concealer, pick one that is one to two shades lighter than your natural skin tone or an orange concealer if you have very dark circles underneath your eyes.

Using eye makeup primer is also a good option to get that perfect smoky eye look. These come in powder and cream form and they help the eye shadow stay on longer. By using this, it also prevents your eye makeup from getting smudged beneath the eye lids. This helps you maintain that perfect smoky eye look all through the evening. Wipe primer across the eye and let it dry thoroughly before you get on to the next step.

Next, apply foundation all over your face and finish it off with loose translucent powder or even a color powder, if this is what you prefer. Just make sure that the powder is the same color as your skin tone and not darker or lighter.

What Colors to use for Stunning Smoky Eyes?

Although the smoky eye makeup is always dark, there is no reason why you cannot add some color here. The key is to ensure that the colors you use do not undermine the stark effect of this look. You can pair light base colors and rich dark ones to achieve a stunning smoky eye look. Gold and champagne make excellent base colors too. Jewel toned shades are a good option for a variation of the smoky eyes effect. Gold browns and purples also give you a unique look.

Metallic tones go well with all skin tones. They add that bit of glamour to your smoky eyes that detract from the typical dark smoldering look and add a dash of mystery and allure. Green shadows and liners also give a more modern smoky eye look. For a completely different effect, use purple or blue mascara.

Eye Shadow Application for Smoky Eyes

When applying the eye shadow, the richest and darkest color should always appear near/around the lash line. The color should go lighter as it reaches the crease of your eye. The base shadow color should always be light. You can use shimmery creams, whites, taupes, pearls or even silvers as the base color. Stick to neutral shades for the best effects. Apply the base shadow over the lids right up to the brow bone.

Next, take a medium shade eye shadow and apply it in the crease of your eye. Use your eye shadow brush to apply the dark shade starting at the outside corner of your eye, creating a “v” shape from the end of your crease area and finishing it off into your lash line. The eye liner should not be seen once you have completed the blending. Take your blending brush and blend this dark color so that it blends in with the rest of your makeup.

One critical point to remember is that both your eyes need to match perfectly with regards to the color tone, shade and density. Since you are blending the dark shade to achieve your smoky eye effect, matching both eyes can be a challenge unless you have enough practice with this look.

The secret of the bright, shimmering Kim Kardashian smoky eyes is to add a faint line with white pencil around the inner eye rims. Otherwise, you could use a light shimmer powder to highlight the inner corner alone.

Finish off your look with a generous application of mascara. You may want to apply several coats to make your lashes appear thick and luxuriant. To add some curl to the lashes use an eyelash curler. For a dramatic look, you may want to opt for strip or individual lashes to give your eyes that extra oomph.

Applying the Eyeliner

The typical smoky eye look involves the use of a lot of black, gray or brown. Use any of these shades for the eyeliner. Apply the eyeliner on both the top and bottom lids and as close to the lash line as possible. On the upper lid, start thin at the innermost corner of the eye and make the line thicker as you move out.
Pencil liners may give you a different, more dispersed effect than liquids so you can use both of these on different occasions to get slightly varying smoky eye looks.

An important component of the smoky eye look is the eyeliner on the bottom of the eye. Avoid liquid liners for this and use pencils instead as they are easier to smudge. Smudging the liner gives you a more natural look.

You can follow the eyeliner application with a brush dipped in eye shadow. Use an eye shadow brush for this and select a dark shade of shadow. This addition of eye shadow over the liner sets the line and makes the eye liner stay on for longer. It also gives a layering effect which enhances the smoky eye look.

How to do the Perfect Smoky Eye Look

The following items from our Makeup Kit will be used:

Complexion Primer
130 Concealer Brush
10 Color Concealer Palette and Corrector Concealer Quad
125 Foundation Brush
5 Color Liquid Foundation
Stainless Steel Mixing Palette and Spatula
126 Powder Brush
6 Color Pressed Powder Palette or HD Translucent Powder
212 Spoolie Brush
207 Angle Eyeliner Brush
Trio Brow Palette
221 All Over Eye Blender Brush
204 Crease Brush or 219 Precision Crease Brush
15 Color Eye Shadow Palette- Neutral/Smoky
Black or Brown Eyeliner Pencil
Eyelash Curler
Strip false eyelashes
Mascara
127 Blush Brush
XL Face and Body Bronzer- Radiant Glow
10 Color Blush Palette- Neutral
Nude Lip liner Pencil
316 Lip Brush
10 Color Lip Palette- Bright or Neutral
Natural Lip Gloss

Now let’s start with the practical…

Step 1: Squeeze a small amount of Complexion Primer into the palm of your hand and apply it all over your client’s face.

Step 2: Take your Corrector Concealer Quad and apply the appropriate color over any areas that need coverage such as dark circles, red pimples, pigmentation or varicose veins. Make sure that you apply cover stick over your client’s eyes as well. This will help the rest of her makeup to stick to the skin.

*Green cover stick are used on any red areas such as pimples, varicose veins etc. Purple cover stick is used on any yellow areas such as pigmentation marks and orange cover stick are used on any blue areas such as dark circles.

If you just want to even out your skin tone, then it is best to use a concealer color in the 10 Color Concealer Palette that is 1-2 shades lighter than your normal skin tone.

Step 3: Take 3 similar foundation colors and apply it onto your cheekbones directly underneath each other. The Color that disappears is the correct one to use.

Step 4: Squeeze a bit of Liquid Foundation onto the Stainless Steel Mixing Palette. Take your 125 Foundation Brush/ Spatula and gently mix the foundation on the Stainless Steel Mixing Palette before applying it to your client’s skin.

Step 5: Begin at the one side of your client’s face and work your way to the other side. Make sure that you apply the foundation in downwards stroking movements. If her neck color is hugely different than the color of her face, then you need to apply the same shade of foundation onto her neck as well.

Step 6: Take a foundation sponge and blend the foundation from her hairline, working downwards towards her jaw line.

Step 7 -Take your HD Loose Translucent Powder and dip your 126 Powder Brush into it. Shake off the excess powder by gently dusting the powder brush on the top of your hand. If you rather want to use a compact powder, then you can use your powder sponge and dip it into the powder.

Step 8: Take your powder brush and begin by pressing the powder onto your client’s face, working from her hairline downwards to her jaw line. Concentrate especially on her eyelids and lips. The main purpose of the powder is to ensure that the eye shadow and lipstick stays on for longer.

Step 9: Wipe your 126 Powder Brush with a clean tissue to remove any excess powder from it. Step 10: Take your powder brush and remove any excess powder from your face.

Step 11: Take your 212 Spoolie Brush and comb your client’s eyebrows neatly.

Step 12: Choose a pencil/brow powder/eye shadow appropriate to the color of your hair. Take your 207 Angle Eyeliner Brush and dip it softly into the brow powder/eye shadow. Apply the pencil/brow powder/eye shadow in the direction of your client’s hair growth to ensure a natural look. When using a pencil, make sure that you use feathering strokes to fill in the areas that needs filling and go gently on the areas which do not need a whole lot of filling in. Never “draw” the color onto her eyebrows as this will only create an artificial appearance.

Step 13: Take a highlighting color like white, champagne, gold or beige. Apply this color with your 221 All Over Eye Blender Brush, starting just underneath your client’s eyebrows and work it downwards to her eyelids.

Step 14: Take your 219 Precision Crease Brush and dip it into a grey eye shadow color. Apply this color in the crease of her eyes. Take the same brush and blend in the color.

Step 15: Take your 204 Crease brush and dip it into black eye shadow. Apply this color on the outside corner of your client’s eyes, in the crease. Create a “v” shaped curve. Do blending over this color.

Step 16: Blend the eye shadow and correct any skew line with an earbud.

Step 17: Take your highlighting color again and apply a small amount on the inside corners of your client’s eyes, using the 229 Detailing Brush.

Step 18: Take a black eyeliner pencil or gel eyeliner.Start by lining your client’s eyes with the eyeliner pencil that you have chosen. Always do the top first, working from the outside to the inside corners of her eyes. Make sure that you draw the line almost into her eyelashes; otherwise there will be a gap between the eyelashes and the eyeliner line. Do the same underneath her eyes.
*If you are doing it on yourself, close one of your eyes and look into a mirror with the other one so that you can see what you are doing. Place your finger at the outside corner of your eye and softly pull your eyelid so that it is easier to apply your eyeliner.

Step 19: Dip your 207 Angled Eyeliner Brush into black eye shadow and smudge it all over the eyeliner line.

Step 20: Use your 229 Detailing brush and apply a white shimmering eye shadow color on the inside corners of her eyes.

Step 21: Take your tweezer and pick up one of the eyelash strips. Hold it steady in one hand while you are applying glue on the strip. Start by applying the eyelash at the left eye and move over to the other eye.

Step 22: Take your mascara and lightly dab the lash liner brush against the rim of the mascara. This ensures that there is just the right amount of mascara on your brush. Ask your client to keep her eyes closed. Use your other hand’s thumb and gently lift your model’s eyelid up. Put the mascara brush at the base of the upper eyelid and make zigzag movements till the end of the eyelashes. This movement will prevent her eyelashes from clumping and will give them a fuller look.
If you are doing this on yourself, you must not close your eyes. Keep it open while looking straight into a mirror.

Step 23: Apply mascara also onto her lower lashes. If she does not have a lot of lashes here, then it is best to apply the mascara perpendicular to her eyes and start by running it lightly along her eyelashes. If she has thick eyelashes at the bottom, then you can apply the mascara the same way as you would with the top eyelashes.

Step 24: Take your 127 Blush Brush and dip it either into the Face and Body Bronzer or a color that is one shade darker than your normal skin tone.

Step 25: Shake off any excess blush onto your hand or dab it slightly on the rim of the blush box. Ask your model or client to smile and apply the blush upwards in a straight line, beginning opposite to your nose and taking it upwards till the outside corner of her eyes. Take the same brush and make circular movements over that line that you have drawn. This will ensure that there are no visible streaks on her cheeks.

Step 26: Take a nude shade lip liner and begin to line her lips on the upper lip, taking the line outwards to the corners of her mouth. Do the same at her lower lip.

Step 27: Gently fill in her lips with the lip liner.

Step 28: Dip your powder sponge lightly into your HD Loose Translucent Powder. Apply this powder all over your client’s lips. The powder acts as a holding base for the lipstick, ensuring that it stays on longer.

Step 29: Take your 316 Lipstick Brush and wipe it over your chosen lipstick color. Just an important note to remember is that your eyes and lips should never have the same intensity of color- only one of them should draw the most attention.

*For daytime, matte finish lipsticks are best to use whereas for night time, glossy or shiny lipsticks work well.

Step 30: Apply it all over your client’s lips, starting from the upper lip and doing the same on her lower lip.

Step 31: Pat another layer of HD Loose Translucent Powder over the lipstick color and repeat the same process of lipstick application one more time.

Step 32: Finally, take your lip gloss tube and apply either a colored lip gloss or light pastel shade over your client’s lipstick.

Also Note That:

A smoky eye do not always have to be black, you can use various colors such as brown, plum, etc. Just make sure that you stay in the same color range. You can use eye shadows that come in a trio of the same color range to make it easier for you.