Hello Beautiful people! I had a request for a Smokin Smokey Eye tutorial. This is a look that a lot of people request-online and when I worked at MAC. I was going to take this opportunity to do my first video tutorial. I was a little nervous putting my voice and face out there like that but I was excited to do it none the less. By voice I mean....how country and kiddish I think I sound (but maybe you all would have been able to understand my "I write as if I am talking to you" and could have had a voice with the blog! Well.....about half way through the look (which was filming really well and I was happy with) my camera dies!
Massive FAIL Amelia!
Not only did it die, but I can't get it to come back on. :( I didn't want to wait any longer to get this tutorial up and running so I had to redo the look and take pictures with my phones camera. As soon as I can get a video tutorial up and running I will do a video for you all.
This smokey eye is the quick and easy version. I wanted to make sure it was easy and basic because not everyone who tries this look is going to be an expert or have a million eyeshadows. I could sit in front of a mirror and go to town on a smokey eye that would use a million shadows and pigments but that might not be feasible for everyone. So here it is. The Smokin Eye:
This is what you will need
- 1 good black eyeliner (preferably waterproof or water resistant)- you should be able to have some play time with your eyeliner before it "sets" to waterproof. Usually 60 seconds or less. If you don't have one I would get MAC's Engraved or MAC's Smolder (it is not waterproof but works really well.) Or use the one I used for this look. I used my new Tarte smolderEyes pencil in Onyx. If you need a drug store brand, go with L'Oreal.
- 3 Eyeshadows- Dark, Medium, and Light. In the same color family. I used MAC Club, Texture, and Vanilla
- Mascara and some brushes!
First let me define a smokey eye. WAY back in the day when I was a young budding makeup artist. HaHa. The "Smokey Eye" was pretty simple. All it is is graduated color starting with the darkest all the way across the lash line and lid and then gradually getting lighter as you work your way to the brow. The dark shadow also is smudged under the eye and blended with your eyeliner. It basically encased the top and bottom lash line in smokey smudged darkness.
Remember It does NOT always have to be black, brown, grey.....the "Smokey Eye" is a technique and it can be used with any color.
Flash forward a few years and the smokey eye had morphed into a wide range of techniques and colors. It still keeps true to the idea of darkness around the lash line but can cover the whole lid, the outer corner, or the inner corner and outer corner but keeping center of the lid light, all while applying shadow to the lower lash line for "smokiness"
This tutorial is the basic smokey eye which is a good place to start. With this look you can build, change, and add different colors and techniques.
A little collage of the placement and the colors and brushes I used
Also, remember if you want your smokey eye to be darker and more dramatic all you need to do is bring the darkest color higher on your lid and into the crease so when your eyes are open you see the dark shadow. For the look I did I kept it simple and used only the medium shade in my crease (that is what you see when my eyes are open.) This is a good daytime smokey look and if you want to add more drama for evening just go back in the crease and add the darkest color to it and add a thicker bottom line under the eyes. You'll see what I mean in the pictures below!
1. Start with a clean primed eye. You can prime with foundation and powder like I did you with a neutral colored primer.
2. Take your black eyeliner and start lining your upper lash line as if you were applying your normal eyeliner. Continue making the liner thicker and thicker until almost your entire lid is lined with black liner.
3. Take your finger or a firm eyeshadow brush (I used MAC #252) and spread/thin the eyeliner out all across your lid and crease. It's ok if it looks messy just make sure you at least have a decent curve at the crease and it's not super blotchy. If you need to add more eyeliner and blend it out in certain spots then do so now. This creates your eyeshadow base.I am using black because it allows you to get the dark smokey look quickly and shadow really stands out and pops when applied over black.
Notice it isn't perfect and that's ok but it's not blotchy and it has a nice shape
4. Once you have your decently smudged out eyeliner looking the way you want (remember, if you want it more dramatic make it darker in the crease) you can now start to add your first eyeshadow (you can use the same brush, you may need to wipe it off with a tissue though.)
5. Use a small amount of your darkest shadow and pat it on your lid. I used MAC's Club. It is a reddish brown green grey. I know, sounds like the color of mud but it is so pretty over black eyeliner and has a little shimmer to it. I normally only use it over black liner. If used alone it does look a little muddy.
6. Now here is a cool trick. Turn your brush upside down so the top bristles lie on top of your lash line and make sure you pack that color as close to the lash line as you can. This is a good way to make sure it stays darkest at the lash line. Apply and blend the darkest color onto the crease but not above the crease (unless you're going for more drama)
This is what it should look like once you've applied the dark color
7. With a fluffy brush (mine-MAC #217) apply your medium tone shadow. I used MAC's Texture which is a tan red brown. Now BLEND BLEND BLEND in the crease. Do circular swirls and/or back and forth like a rainbows arch from inner corner to outer corner. Once you start doing this you will start to see your look come to life. This is an important part and can make or break your look, this is what most people see when your eyes are open. You can never blend too much. Also, if you want it a little darker dab a little of the dark shadow and a little of the medium shadow and blend some more.
This is what it should look like once you've blended in the medium color (notice that blob of black eyeliner base is gone:)
8. With a soft flat brush (mine-MAC's #239) use your lightest color, I used Vanilla by MAC, as your brow highlight. I like to sort of wiggle the brush under my brow as I move it around. Then pull down just a little to meet and blend with the medium colored shadow.
9. If you need to go back and forth between step 7 and 8 to make sure the graduated color is well blended please do. That's what I do. It's almost as if you want to blend so you can't tell where one shadow ends and the other begins. This can easily be achieved by repeating the steps till it looks the way you want.
10. Apply your liner to the lower water line and lower lash line then use a pencil brush (MAC's #219) to go back over the eyeliner and smudge it out. This should create a smudgey smokey look. Then if you would like, line your top lid (like you would normally.)
The line does not have to be too thick (see above) because it will thicken as you smudge it with your pencil brush
See how it thickened a little. It will softly thicken as you do step 11 below
11. Next using your pencil brush use a little of your darkest color mixed with your medium color and go over the eyeliner and thicken the blurry smudgey line to your desired thickness. The thicker it is the more dramatic is will look.
Yes, I had to use the same picture as above...but you get the idea :)
12. Apply mascara.
YOU'RE DONE!
The finished product
I know it seems like a lot of steps but it's not- I just talk A LOT. I really like to break it down for you. That is why I need to get my video stuff straightened out ASAP. It's a lot shorter that way(and FUN.) Once you get this down you'll be doing it in no time and switching out the colors to have a blue, purple, green, or whatever color you desire smokin smokey eye.
OPTIONAL STEP- This last step is optional but I highly recommend it if it doesn't bother you. Line the water line of your upper lashes. This is called "tight lining" It makes the lashes look thicker and you won't see any lightness from your skin which can make all your hard work look "unfinished." All you need to do is gently lift the lid a lid a little or tilt your head back while looking in the mirror and run your pencil along the area where your lashes grow. It's just like lining your waterline on the bottom. Some people have a hard time with it because it tickles.
I do this all the time. It's a great way to thicken the appearance of the lashes (and then apply mascara) when you want a defined eye but don't want to wear eyeliner on the top part of your lash line.
Alert- Eyeball close up! This shows you where I am referring to when I talk about "tight lining"
On a side note- Don't be afraid to use your fingers to help blend and blur your eyeshadow. Just don't press too hard or drag your finger across your skin. The warmth of your fingers can help move product around but make sure you do it ever so lightly!
I hope this tutorial is helpful to you. If you have any questions please feel free to comment!
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Thanks again and have a Beautiful day!
-A
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This was so informative! I have been wanting to try this look.
Im so glad! please let me know what you think after you try it! :)