How to Create a Perfect Smoky Eye

It does not matter what the season is, whether it is hot or cold, there is always room for a good old smokey eye. A bit like that perfect LBD, the smokey eye is the ultimate party look. Over the last few months I have been doing many a smoky eye for various magazines. 

The great thing is you can really go to town bringing out all the different contours of the eye, using lots of different shades of shadow or keep it really simple by using just using two eyeshadow colours and an eyeliner.

Here are some simple steps to achieve the perfect smoky eye. What people find hard is while creating this look you can end up in a bit of a mess. Your eyes need to stand out so that means the rest of your face has to look clean and crisp. No panda looks here.

Apply your foundation

But not under your eyes or on the top of your cheeks. Make sure you do apply over your eyelids and powder or use an eyeshadow primer. This will help to keep your eyeshadow on all night.

Use a little bit of powder

Put a light dusting of loose translucent powder under your eyes. This catches any eyeshadow particles that fall while applying. Using your darkest, smokiest colour (metallic greys are perfect for this) apply on your eyelid. Be generous and really load the lid up with colour. Stop at the socket line.

Apply highlighter

Now with a clean brush apply a highlighter, cream, Ivory or pale gold under the eyebrow. With a clean blending brush blend the dark colour up into the socket line. The blending creates the 'smokiness' of this look.

Blend the highlighter

Then with the highlighter brush blend the highlighter down towards the socket line. When you have your desired look with the eyeshadow use a black eyeliner pencil to draw a line across the top of your lid close to the lashes. The good thing about a smoky eye look is this eyeliner doesn't have to be perfectly straight. Blur this line into your eyeshadow using a small eyeshadow brush.

Clean up

Now is the time to clean under your eyes. Use a clean brush to brush away the translucent powder and if there are any stubborn bits of eyeshadow that won't come off use a damp cotton bud to gently wipe away.

Time to powder up

Apply the rest of your foundation and concealer and powder the whole face. Using your black eyeliner pencil, apply to the inner rim of your eye. This looks super dramatic. If you want to go for a more smoky, intense look , use the black eyeliner under the lower lashes and especially at the outer corners of the eye.

Top it off with mascara

Apply at least two coats of mascara and add your false lashes if you're going the whole nine yards. Complete the rest of your makeup with defined brows ( I ❤️ Wunderbrow) a slight flush of blusher on the cheeks and finish with a pale or neutral lipstick or not if you're going for vampy look.