Look: Starting the New Year with Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips

Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips
Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips

The beginning of the new year is always an optimistic time for me where everything just seems brighter, and I always feel renewed as a result! When Nordstrom reached out to work with me to create a look, those feelings inspired me to use different textures and finishes to brighten and add dimension to each feature. I went for a glittery, smoky eye with a pop of teal (you know me, when there’s a way to incorporate teal eyeliner, there’s no stopping me) paired with more neutral, subtle colors on cheeks and lips. You could easily make the look more dramatic by going for a deeper contour or substituting in a berry or plum blush. Similarly, any pop of color (or even a metallic silver!) would pair well with the eyeshadow colors, but I’m partial to teal, blue, and violet. If you want to be even more daring, try a plum or reddish lip instead; with the sparkle and lighter inner corner, it’s not a heavy smoky eye, and deeper lip colors could definitely pair with this look.

EYES: For the majority of the eyeshadows, I used Charlotte Tilbury The Rock Chick Eyeshadow Quad, which is a mixture of grays (review). I began by applying the lightest shade (top left) from inner lid to just before the outer third of the lid (so about two-thirds) and buffing lightly above the natural crease. Next, I patted the medium gray shade (top right) to the outer third of the lid and lightly faded it above the crease. To add depth, I tapped the dark gray shade (bottom right) into the crease and blended. For sparkle, I patted Urban Decay Moonspoon Moondust Eyeshadow, which is a sparkly silver-gray (review), onto the middle of the lid with my fingertip. I went back with the lightest shade in the quad (top left) and lightly blended it with the sparkly section. I highlighted the brow bone, and diffused the crease color, by applying Burberry Trench Sheer Eyeshadow, which is a satin-matte beige (review). On the lower lash line, I applied Estee Lauder Emerald Volt Double Wear Eye Pencil, which is a rich teal. To brighten and lift the eyeliner, I also patted and smudged the lightest shade in the quad (top left) along the inner tearduct and below the inner third of the lower lash line. I added fullness and definition to my brows by using an angled brush and filling in with MAC Brun Eyeshadow, a deep brown, and then running MAC Clear Brow Set through the hairs to keep them in place.

FACE: For my base, I opted for a lighter coverage, natural finish with Guerlain Lingerie de Peau Foundation with equal parts 02 and 03 (review), which I mixed with Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight The Celestial Skin Liquid Emulsion, a liquid highlighter that I prefer to mix in with a liquid foundation for an all-over glow (review). To set everything in place and diffuse the skin, I dusted and patted Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Powder in Medium Light all-over (review). I defined the cheek bones by contouring and highlighting with Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow (review). To add a little color to the apples of the cheeks, I went with Chanel Jersey Joues Contraste Powder Blush, a neutral shade (review).

LIPS: I applied Guerlain Galiane Rouge G Lipstick, a rosy beige (review) all over lips. Then I topped the lip color with Bobbi Brown Bare High Shimmer Lipgloss, a sheer, sparkly warm beige (review) to add warmth, glossiness, and of course, sparkle!

See more photos & swatches!

Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips
Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips

Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips
Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips

Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips
Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips

Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips
Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips

Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips
Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips

Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips
Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips

Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips
Look: Sparkling Smoky Eyes & Dazzling Lips

75 Comments

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Faith Avatar

Beautiful look! I love it all! I really like when you do these “face of the day” posts; it shows the products “in real use” and I love it! Now I want the Charlotte Quad. lol.

Sunny Avatar

Ahhh what a stunning look, Christine! I know with all the products you have to test out, it’s not feasible to do something like this often. Still, thought I’d let you know how much I enjoyed this post!

Jacqueline Avatar

Beautiful! What’s your favorite setting powder? I see you use the UD one a ton, like in this look, but you listed the Guerlain pressed powder in your editor choice awards…. I personally have the UD one, but I am wondering if I should try out the Guerlain one next!

BOTTÂNICA BOTTANIQUE Avatar

I fully believe that our internal peace and our happiness reflect how our exterior beauty appears.
Your photos confirm this view. You are GORGEOUS, Christine!

Johanna Avatar

What a beautiful, natural look! I don’t use greys that much but I want to experiment with pinks and greys for spring. I usually stick to neutral warm tones for the eyes, they are generally more flattering on me, but I love to experiment 🙂
But, yes, what a pretty look on you Christine! You just seem like a beautiful person, inside and out!

And side note, isn’t it so funny how many products one can use to get such a subtle natural look! I always laugh to myself every morning at the products I use for my regular makeup look for work. I look flawless (of course lol) and natural, but if you looked at the amount and variety of products I use you would never guess!

AmyD Avatar

LOVE the gray eye and dark teal combo, VERY elegant yet fun! That teal is very interesting – I don’t usually go for bright blues/teals in eyeliner, but I appreciate the darker color base in yours. Very nice, Christine!

Nancy T Avatar

This is a STUNNER, KILLER LOOK!!! You look positively radiant in this look, Christine! Love that pop of teal with the shimmery taupe-y greige eye, and that lip combo is simply perfection!

Sara Avatar

Have you reviewed the Estee Lauder eyeliner yet? I LOVE the color on you and I’m really looking forward to a review and a dupe list! I’m a huge fan of teals and emerald eyeliners, like you 🙂

Gillian Avatar

Stunning! The pop of colour on the lower lashline is pretty much the only way I wear bright colours on my eyes these days and I think it’s a beautiful look. Teal and purple are my standard colours but I dabble with other colours too.

Again, a beautiful look Christine! 😀

Adrienne Avatar

You look great with your hair down! And I’m really into the idea of these features – I need a little inspiration sometimes and this is a great way to help remind me of products that I’ve been interested in. It’s so easy to get caught up new releases that revisiting products I’ve already had a chance to purchase can be really refreshing.

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