How to Do Smoky Eyeshadow Makeup

This smoky eye shadow makeup look is created with black, silver and white eye shadows.

Every season, designers send models down the runway sporting sexy, smoky eye shadow. Although there are endless interpretations – black and gold, bright and bold colors, or muted neutrals – all feature dark lids and a chic edge. The sultry smoky eye has become a style staple and, much like skinny jeans, the universally flattering look has become a new classic. Smoky eyes are a must-have in your beauty know-how, even for the makeup amateur. Luckily, creating a smoky-eye look isn’t as drawn-out as it seems. All you'll need to accomplish the look are the right tools and a willingness to blend.

Things You'll Need

• Large round eye shadow brush
• Medium round eye shadow brush
• Small round eye shadow brush
• Medium blending eye shadow brush
• Angled liner brush
• Dark eye shadow
• Medium-toned eye shadow, a few shades lighter than the dark color
• Pale eye shadow
• Dark eye liner pencil in a color that matches the dark eye shadow
• Mascara

Instructions

1. Swipe the large round eye shadow brush in the pale eye shadow and tap the excess shadow off the brush. Place the brush in the center of your brow bone, directly above your pupil. Sweep the shadow along the brow bone and out toward the outer corner of your eye.

2. Cover your medium round eye shadow brush with dark eye shadow and tap the excess shadow off the brush. Apply the dark shadow to the entire eyelid, from the inner corner to outer corner.

3. Gather the medium eye shadow color with your small round eye shadow brush and tap off the excess shadow. Apply the shadow to your eyelid crease, sweeping the brush from the inner corner to the outer corner. Using the same brush, blend the medium-toned shadow up onto the eyelid, slightly above the crease, but be careful not to apply it to the brow bone.

4. Gently draw the eyeliner pencil across your upper lash line, from the middle of your eye to the outer corner. Continue to line your lower lash line, from the outer to inner corners.

5. Swipe the angled liner brush in the dark eye shadow and tap off the excess shadow. Apply the dark eye shadow to the outer corner of your upper lash line. Apply the shadow to the entire lower waterline as well, which is the inner rim of the lower lash line. Using the angled liner brush, blend the eye shadow over the eye pencil.

6. Soften the lines by blending the different shades with the medium blending eye shadow brush, from the top of the lid into the crease and up, under the brow bone.

7. Apply mascara to your upper and lower lashes.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice makes perfect. Once you've tried this look a few times, you'll get the hang of how to enhance your best features. Drawing lines around your entire eye will make them appear smaller and lining just the outer corners makes wide-set eyes appear closer together.

• To avoid looking like you’re wearing too much makeup, apply it with a light hand. You can always layer on more shadow if you want to achieve a deeper color.

• Be creative with your look. Experiment with different colors as the base dark color, or stick with black but add bright metallic colors as the medium tone. Smoky browns make for a natural-yet-sexy alternative as well.

References

• Allure: How to Pull Off Dark Eyeliner
• Temptalia: Tutorial & Reference – Eye Diagram, Parts of the Eye, Basic Eye Makeup