How-to: Smokey Eyes

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral base), Electra eyeshadow (bright silver), Silver Ring (dark silver), Carbon eyeshadow (matte black), Shroom eyeshadow (highlighter), Graphblack technakohl (black), Blacktrack fluidline (black), Zoomlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Well Dressed blush (soft cool pink), Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer (pink highlighter)
• Lips: Sandy B lipstick (pinky nude), C-Thru lipglass (nude)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)

Quick Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, apply Electra eyeshadow using the 239. Apply Silver Ring eyeshadow to the middle of the lid, extending to the outer lid. Darken the outer lid with Carbon eyeshadow using the 239. Darken crease with Carbon eyeshadow using the 226. Sweep Shroom eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Smudge Silver Ring eyeshadow on the lower lash line using the 219 brush. Finish with Graphblack technakohl on lower lash line, Blacktrack fluidline on upper lash line, and Zoomlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Well Dressed blush using the 129, then highlight with Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer with the 188. Apply Sandy B lipstick to lips, and then top with C-Thru lipglass for color and shine.

See step-by-step directions…

1. Start with a clean eye space.

2. With your 249 brush, apply a thin layer of Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid, from lash line to brow bone.

3. Make sure you apply the paint pot to your brow bone area.

4. Brush out the base color to the outer lid.

5. This is what it should look like.

6. Pick up a good amount of Electra eyeshadow with your 239 brush. Apply it to the inner half of your lid.

7. This is what it will look like.

8. Using the same 239 brush, pick up Silver Ring eyeshadow. Apply it to the outer half of the eye lid.

9. This is how it should look like.

10. With the 239 brush, pick up just a little bit of Carbon eyeshadow. Hold the brush horizontally and begin applying it to the outer third of the crease.

11. Blend it into the crease by moving side-to-side.

12. Make sure you blend it enough so that the line isn’t too visible.

13. This is what you should have.

14. Repeat the same method with more Carbon eyeshadow.

15. Blend Carbon into the crease.

16. This is what it should look like.

17. Apply Shroom eyeshadow with the 239 brush on your brow bone to highlight.

18. Brush out the highlight color so it applies evenly to the entire brow bone.

19. This is what it should look like.

20. Gently apply a dusting of Silver Ring eyeshadow to the lower portion of the crease, just to add more dimension.

21. This is what you should have.

22. Apply intense black liner on your lower lash line if desired.

23. Use a firm smudging brush or a pointed pencil brush (like the 219) to smudge the black liner with Silver Ring eyeshadow.

24. This is how it should look.

25. With the 266 brush, pick up Blacktrack fluidline. Begin applying it to the inner portion of your upper lash line.

26. In either quick, short strokes or one fluid stroke, move the brush towards the outer upper lash line.

27. Take the 266 brush and create a diagonal line on your outer lid for the “wing” of the liner. You want it to be a continuation of your lower lash line, extending towards the end of your brow. (It’s like you were drawing a line to connect the two, but you don’t actually do so.)

28. This is how it would look. (Albeit, mine is not quite perfect here.)

29. From the tip of the winged line, draw a curved line back to the middle of the lid — it should look something like the above image.

30. Fill it in with Blacktrack fluidline.

31. This is how it should look like. Add mascara and/or false lashes as desired to finish the eye.

Green look for today! I really didn’t intend to wear eyeshadow–I was shooting for something short and sweet, mostly wanting to try out Honey Light high-light powder. I learned a few things today, though: line lower lashline before mascara, or else lower lashes clump together; do not put another mascara over lashes with fully dried mascara or else clump-city; and finally, it is hard to go green without REALLY going green. I ended up taking off the eyes and just doing black mascara (but kept the rest of the face/lips)

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral base), Juxt eyeshadow on (soft pastel yellow-green), Bio Green (medium green), Wondergrass eyeshadow (medium deep green), Humid eyeshadow (dark green), Femme-fi eyeshadow (soft neutral highlighter), Urban Decay Graffiti 24/7 Liner (green), Zoomlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Honey Light High-Light Powder (peachy gold)
• Lips: Chanel Monte Carlo Aqualumiere lipstick (pinky-gold), Chanel Tangerine Dream Aqualumiere Gloss (coral)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Wondergrass = Kelly; Honey Light = Drizzlegold; Femme-fi = Shroom

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, apply Juxt eyeshadow using the 239. Apply Bio Green eyeshadow to the middle of the lid. Darken the outer lid using Wondergrass eyeshadow using the 239. Darken crease with Humid eyeshadow using the 226. Sweep Femme-fi eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Urban Decay Graffiti Liner on lower lash line, and Zoomlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Honey Light highlight powder using the 129. Apply Chanel Monte Carlo lipstick to lips, and then top with Chanel Tangerine Dream lipgloss for color and shine.

Check out more photos!

It’s been SO long since I’ve done the “traditional” smokey eye, so I had the urge to try it out again I’m spending my weekend cramming/studying for my Stats and Managerial Accounting finals on Monday (yay, back-to-back finals, so awesome!). I’m meeting up with some study buddies for Stats in an hour — I’m hoping it will really help bring things together for me.

What are you doing this weekend? Let me live vicariously through you so my weekend isn’t a total bummer!!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral base), Electra eyeshadow (bright silver), Silver Ring (dark silver), Carbon eyeshadow (matte black), Shroom eyeshadow (highlighter), Graphblack technakohl (black), Blacktrack fluidline (black), Zoomlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Well Dressed blush (soft cool pink), Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer (pink highlighter)
• Lips: Sandy B lipstick (pinky nude), C-Thru lipglass (nude)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: N/A

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, apply Electra eyeshadow using the 239. Apply Silver Ring eyeshadow to the middle of the lid, extending to the outer lid. Darken the outer lid Carbon Flip eyeshadow using the 239. Darken crease with Carbon eyeshadow using the 226. Sweep Shroom eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Smudge Silver Ring eyeshadow on the lower lash line using the 219 brush. Finish with Graphblack technakohl on lower lash line, Blacktrack fluidline on upper lash line, and Zoomlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Well Dressed blush using the 129, then highlight with Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer with the 188. Apply Sandy B lipstick to lips, and then top with C-Thru lipglass for color and shine.

Check out more photos!

I’m totally late when it comes to getting on the loldog train, but I uploaded Mellan onto the site

Just a simple look for the weekend. I felt like wearing something a little spring-y, so I wanted to use yellow in the look somewhere, and this is what came out. I was originally thinking more Easter-egg-y (yellow, pink, purple), but maybe next time.

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral base), Sugarshot eyeshadow (frosty off white), Going Bananas eyeshadow (frosty lemon-yellow), Flip eyeshadow (peachy-gold), Beauty Burst eyeshadow (reddish brown), Urban Decay Underground 24/7 Liner (dark brown), Femme-fi eyeshadow (soft neutral highlighter), Zoomlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Don’t Be Shy blush (soft cool pink), Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer (pink highlighter)
• Lips: Saint Germain lipstick (cool pink with purple undertones), Tartlette liglass (coral)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Sugarshot = Phloof!; Going Bananas = Bright Sunshine; Flip = Romp; Beauty Burst = Twinks; Don’t Be Shy = Well Dressed; Saint Germain = Pink Nouveau; Tartlette = Lychee Luxe

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, apply Sugarshot eyeshadow using the 239. Apply Going Bananas eyeshadow to the middle of the lid. Darken the outer lid using Flip eyeshadow using the 239. Darken crease with Beauty Burst eyeshadow using the 226. Sweep Femme-fi eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Urban Decay Underground Liner on lower lash line, and Zoomlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Don’t Be Shy blush using the 129, then highlight with Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer with the 188. Apply Saint Germain lipstick to lips, and then top with Tartlette lipglass for color and shine.

Check out more photos!