Look – Quick & Dirty Smokey Eyes

Looks

Quick and dirty smoky eye 🙂 So, I finally get my foundation to match my skin in *natural* light… but then either the foundation or my setting powder reflects light and it doesn’t match in photos! Apparently, my bathroom light is terrible, because so many foundations looked like they were a match, only to look in my car mirror and see a totally different story. Sigh!

HAPPY FRIDAY ALL! Hope it speeds by (well, the work part of it!) so you can play. How’s everyone doing? Any exciting weekend plans? (I’m off to spend the majority of today studying with some fellow MBA students… so exciting. I know you’re jealous!)

You will need the following…

  • Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral beige base), Electra eyeshadow (bright silver), Smoke and Diamonds eyeshadow (dark silver-gray), Copperplate eyeshadow (matte gray-brown), Pincurl eyeshadow (duochrome gray-pink), Shroom eyeshadow (soft highlighter), Mystery kohl power (teal-black), Plushlash mascara (black)
  • Cheeks: Guerlain Shell Illuminating Sun Powder (bronzer), Guerlain Nacre des Mers Pressed Meteorites (sheer shimmer)
  • Lips: Tiger Tiger lipstick (orange-y nude), Style Minx lipglass (hot pink)
  • 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: Smoke and Diamonds = Silver Ring; Pincurl = Vex; Mystery = Teal-o; Tiger Tiger = Peachstock; Style Minx = Pink Poodle

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. On the inner half of the lid, apply Electra eyeshadow using the 239. Apply Smoke & Diamonds eyeshadow to the outer half of the lid. Darken the outer lid using Copperplate eyeshadow using the 239. Darken crease with Copperplate eyeshadow using the 226. Accent inner tear duct with Pincurl eyeshadow using the 226. Sweep Shroom eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Mystery kohl power on lower lash line, and Plushlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Guerlain Sun Powder using the 129, then highlight with Guerlain Nacre des Mers Meteorites with the 188. Apply Tiger Tiger lipstick to lips, and then top with Style Minx lipglass for color and shine.

Check out more photos!

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66 Comments

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Comments on this post are closed.
Jodie

I totally know what you mean with trying to match the foundations, it’s such a pain! This weekend I’ll actually be trying some more samples I got to find a matching foundation, and probably trying this look! It’s so pretty! 🙂

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

Good luck, Jodie!! It’s annoying me, just because my foundation *does* match… but since there is SPF, this foundation does reflect light in my photos. I guess, in the end, though, I want my foundation to match when I’m out and about, LOL. I’d hate to be the girl with the orange foundation or foundation lines!

Tekoa

I like the lips! Maybe it is the lighting, but the foundation looks a tad off. Man, I hate finding the right foundation shade. If MAC ever discontinued NC 15 I’d leap off a cliff.

Christine

SPF in foundation tends to reflect light, which is why it looks off, I’d say. My face is darker than my neck, so if I miss any spots, you’ll *definitely* notice when it reflects light.

Tanya

WOW I love love love this smokey eye, its so nice to see a light smokey eye since they are usually dark or dark’sih 🙂

But when I saw the lips I was kinda thinking “not so much”….its funny that I am not the only one. I think a really cute bring light pink lip would have been perfect. I just never really thought peachy with a grey smokey. Props for trying someting different, just not sure it worked.

Amy

Love the eyes and cheeks. I don’t think the bronzer looks orangey on you (your Guerlain post said you thought the bronzer was orange-brown– do you like how it looks in real life? The meteorite powder makes you glow!

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

It definitely doesn’t apply straight orange on my skin, so I do like it a bit. I’m not a huge bronzer user, so I’m not sure how often I’ll reach for it overall. I do like the look it gives, because it seems to melt and blend into skin really easily 🙂

Zenovia

For me, it’s actually easy to find foundations etc. – I always take the lightest kind of foundation, and it works, since my skin is extremely light, too.

Fie

I’ve got to say that I’m now addicted to Tiger Tiger thanks to you. I got mine from a lovely lady on LJ and I’m dreading the day that it’ll be gone 🙁

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

I’m glad you at least got a tube, Fie! That’s a shade I’d love to see ’em bring back!

Ravishing is KIND of like it, but it’s a little more coral.

charlene

what foundation is it? most times…this is the case, makeup reflects light…bare skin absorbs, so if you want to match, u might have to goa shade darker on the face, if its a liquid foundation it shouldn’t be that serious…shud blend right in…i know someone who does it all the time…me. its’s perfect for photos and i don’t look like dang that’s the wrong foundation in tha realz either!

As usual..great look! maybe u cud start sayin what foundation and shade u use? u shud!! we wanna kno!

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

It’s Dior Nude, so it does have SPF, which is why it’s reflecting light. It’s perfect in real life, though 🙂

Nikki

Could your eyebrows be any more amazing?! Did you shape them yourself or did you have somebody wax them for you? I really need mine done but I’m afraid that the lady will mess them up. (They will be no better if I do them myself, though)

Christine

I fully advocate seeing a professional brow shaper/groomer/waxer/threader once in your life. I also recommend you grow your brows out if they’re really thin or the shape is really off, so that the person has more than they need to work with. I think once you’ve got the shape, you can maintain it on your own if you want to.

I get mine threaded every so often (I think the last time was probably 4 months ago) to help clean up the shape. 🙂 I like my brows to be sort of thin, but not SUPER skinny… but not totally a full brow either.

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

I get mine threaded every 4 months or so (kind of whenever I have time, and if I haven’t cleaned them up lately). I recommend looking into some reviews (try Yelp!) and seeing if you can find any one that is highly recommended in your area. It’s SO worth it to have a professional shape them once in awhile. I personally prefer to maintain the shape myself (cheapskate I am!) but will go in if I feel the shape has gotten wonky.

MariaPaula

Christine, my foundation does that as well!
I guess I have terrible lighting in my room, cuz my foundation looks right. But when I go to take a photo, it looks all weird & what not. UGH! But in daylight… it looks fine.
I love your lip color for this look!!

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

In the end, I’d rather have it match me in person 🙂 If I know I’m taking photos (like at a party or whatever), I wear a different foundation any way!

Thanks!

SABRINA

Hi Christine! I know how you feel about matching the foundations. I had trouble with this problem in the past untill my makeup class taught me to use daylight light bulbs so the foundation appears the same as if you were outside in daylight or out during night time. HOpe this helps!

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

I’m too lazy to change the bulbs in my apartment bathroom, and they’ll charge me if I don’t remove them and replace them with normal ones, and they have about 12 in there 🙁

The foundation matches in natural (daylight) light, though 🙂 The problem is it reflects light in photos so it doesn’t match in photos!

penelope

later on today im going to church. tomorrow im going to a boutique with my mom to go shop for a dress for my 8th grade graduation!

Stephanie

I love this look! The lips are perfect, I need that color combo! I have the same foundation problem. I’m usuall NC30, it looks fine at home, then I go outside and it’s about 2-3 shades darker than my neck! And to make matters worse, every MA I go to for a color match gives me something even darker. So i’m afraid to ask for something lighter than normal because they always try to talk me out of it. I think you and I are nearly the exact same color, could you tell me what you are using for foundation/concealer? Thanks =)

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

Thanks, Stephanie! 🙂

I’d just ask for something lighter – a sample, of course – regardless of what they say. MAC lighting is also terrible, so I’d never trust what a mirror says *in* store. I’d ask to take the mirror out.

I’m using Dior Skin Nude in Linen (I believe that’s #021). I have always been NC30 in MAC, and I grabbed NC25 in SFF a month or two ago, but even that seems a bit dark now. I’d say I might be as light as NC20, which I do find hard to believe :/

Shanna

Love the look! =D
I hope this isn’t too nosy a question lol: Your upper lip is always SO SMOOTH. Do you wax it or… what? My creams just aren’t cutting it for me lol and whatever you do is clearly working.

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

Thanks, Shanna!

Nope, it isn’t, because I know some of us have the upper lip “problem.” It’s natural, we can’t help it, y’know?

I like Sally Hansen’s at-home waxing strips, which you can just rub between your hands and then use. I find those work well. I also use Eve Pearl’s travel razor to get growth as I need to. Sometimes I just don’t want to waste a wax strip on a few hairs, yeah? I’ve used creams, too, but I find they feel more damaging to the skin than the wax strips.

Sometimes I pluck if I just have a few stragglers!

AmyLou

Honestly, I don’t think the foundation is that bad at all. Add a little bit more bronzer and it probably would be perfect. Also, with a flashbulb inside the house, you’re not going to get the same exposure as you would in natural light.

I have the problem where my face is about 2x darker than my neck, but my chest is fairly dark. I end up with a slightly lighter foundation and then use bronzer to make it all blend in. HTH!

Good post!

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

It matches in real life, which is the important part 🙂 When I know I’m being photographed (special occasions and the like), I make sure to wear a foundation that doesn’t have SPF so it doesn’t reflect light as this one does!

pia

I honestly think the lip combo works with the smokey grey. Fab even! A famous MAC trainer for Asia said you don’t need to match the color of your face with neck. In fact, in some of his workshops, he didn’t apply anything on the neck area. That’s very liberating for me.

Christine
Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »

Thanks, Pia! 🙂 I don’t apply foundation *to* my neck, but I try to get my face color to match my neck so that you don’t see any lines between the two!

Sash

Cuteeeeeeeeee, Chris!
Love the lips. I love the eyes too, but I’ve seen you with similar looks. I can’t wait for you to go BOLD!!!

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