What are your best tips for creating the perfect smoky eye? Share!
Blend with a clean brush! This is the easiest way to get a really smoky, diffused look without darkening more area than you wanted to. You may also find using a darker base a great way to start the look off.
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I really like to layer a lighter color first to give the darker, really smoky part, better blendability and slip. Like, I’ll take a matte skin tone all the way up to the brow (for me maybe WOS from Naked Basics I). Next I’ll apply my smoky grey or whatever shade where I want it to be, but I’ll stop shy and pick up a transition color like a light matte grey-taupe such as Naked I or II with a fresh brush and blend my deep color out using that to drag it to the desired placement.
Using a darker base is a great way to easily intensify the look, great tip! I think every smoky eye needs to include tightlining your upper lash line (otherwise I feel the eye looks unfinished), dramatic lashes (faux or not), and a highlighted inner crease (of course this is negotiable, sometimes black all around the eye looks great!).
For a fast smokey eye, I grab Benefit Cream Shadow in Skinny Jeans and brush on, then use an eye pencil to line my eyes…
Skinny Jeans is one of the BEST cream bases for a beautifully easy smoky eye!
The right tools are so important! Especially having a good (and yes, clean) blending brush.
I think my favourite trick is to always ALWAYS use an eye primer underneath. Or you risk yourself looking like a panda with all the smudged makeup 🙂
Blend, blend, BLEND!
* Use a clean brush for every color.
* Start from the “bottom” out; apply base shade (if one is used), transition shade, crease shade, lid, then blend. Add inner corner/browbone highlights, liner, & mascara.
* Apply primer/cream base to mobile lid only. It’ll keep the darker shade in place, and everything else will be easier to blend out.
* Apply darker shadow with flat, synthetic brush in small increments, and never in a “back & forth”/windshield wiper fashion, or you’re just asking for fall out. If using a drier eyeshadow, make sure the base is “sticky”, and pat it on. Also, don’t take it all the way into the crease, or it can look to heavy, and you’ll lose some of the eyes dimension.
* Finally, even if you don’t normally use an undereye concealer, this would be the time to make an exception, particularly if the look is very dramatic. The darker eyeshadows will conjure up even the slightest bit of discoloration, and emphasize it!
If all else fails, and you don’t have a lot of time, cream shadows can be your best friend. Apply deeper shade to the mobile lid, and use either a cream or powder crease shade to blend it out. Again, don’t take the darker shade all the way into the crease!
Oh, and keep the lips subtle, and skip the blush! A sculpted face will allow the focus to be on the eyes; even if you skip contouring, a cheekbone highlight will do wonders!
Thanks for the tips!
Agreed, great tips!
Great tips! Thank you!
I just gave my bff the same tip not too long ago lol. My whole world changed when I started using a clean brush to blend shadows. I also recommend using lighter shades in the crease to help blend and transition the smokey color
Use primer, then layer and blend well. I heartily agree with using a clean blending brush, otherwise you’ll just make the colors all muddy. And don’t be afraid to step outside the black/gray or brown smoky eye. Any color works.
As a lot of people have said, blending. Also, I find that a transition colour is a step that people tend to skip, but it really does make a big difference, especially if you apply it before applying any other colours!
I’m not sure I’m good enough at smoky eyes to participate in the conversation!
Blend, blend, blend, blend, blend & blend. Then blend some more! Don’t be afraid to blend :)!!!
after i apply the colors i want, i like to take a soft tapered fluffy blending brush, tap it in a little black & lightly dab it in the outer corner V to smoke it out just a bit. if i do a full smokey eye, i like to take a darker color to the lid & layer a dual-tone shadow on top to make it flash just a bit.
Yay, my question! I think a black cream eyeshadow or cream eyeliner is a really good base and I find cream shadows easier to blend than a matte powder, and also it makes the final result much blacker than with powder only. I particularly like Wet n Wild’s gel eyeliner for this. Then it’s easy to layer a black shadow on top. Also, use a warm brown shadow as a gradient color, one that’s a little darker than your skintone. It makes the transition much smoother. Also, don’t apply the black too high, since it’s going to be blended upwards.
Eyeshadow primer
Clean blending brush
Darker base
Use blending brush to smooth on transition shade
Lots of mascara
Make sure it suits you.
Blending and layering! I’ve seen such a difference in starting with the lightest shades first and gradually darkening, it makes it so much easier to avoid harsh lines or a look that’s too dark. Also, to not be afraid to add shadow and liner to your lower lid and blend it really well! I was always nervous my eyes would look too dark if I put a lot of color on my lower lashline, but I can totally pull it off as long as I blend it out and make it look neat.
i like to use smaller brushes that allow for exactly color placement and controlled, focused blending. i have small, monolid eyes and this insures that the color doesn’t go further up then intended. gotta avoid the panda look!