< Beauty How to > Smokey Eyes

From left to right clock wise: NARS creme shadow in Mykonos, Trucco by
Sebastian powder shadow in Brun, NARS duo shadow in Cordura, NARS
shadow in Night Clubbing

Clea de Peu concealer in Beige, UltraFlesh mascara in The Gold Standard //
We also recommend Lancome Definicils Pro & Hypnose Drama mascaras

We love a smokey eye.  Who doesn't? The result gives a sultry but striking look to the eyes, especially if paired with a nude lip (as last discussed here).  Many people have asked us how to achieve the smokey eye look, so we decided to share our secrets with you!  There are many ways to get the same look with various dark shades, it's not always necessary to use black or dark grey shadows which most people mistakenly believe. I personally like browns as opposed to grays and black because they are not as harsh as black and yet still compliment my skin tone because they are warmer colors.  


Always stick to these basic color pairings:  Blacks/grays (See NARS colors above and MAC Knight Divine); browns/taupes (NARS above, or MAC Amber Lights, Woodwinked); purples/light purple shades (MAC Sable, Nocturnelle), dark blues/metallics (MAC Blue Edge),  dark green (MAC Humid)/metallics.  Just play around with the colors that you feel compliment your skin tone, and go from there.

Creme base; Apply shadow; blend blend blend!!

Continue blending; add highlighter; liner and mascara

Here is how to apply: 

1. Rub NARS Mykonos creme shadow on the entire bare lid.  If you want to start with a dark creme base, MAC's Dangerous Curve also works.    
2. Go over the creme base with a matte brown. I like Trucco's Brun, but any brand will work. This will set the creme base. 
3. Take a more vibrant brown {ie: MAC Woodwinked or Amber Lights} with some shimmer and start from the inner corner of your eye covering your entire lid and move towards the outer corner of your eye
4. Take the darker brown shimmer in the NARS Cordura duo and using a more precise brush sweep the shadow along the crease of your eye.  Your brush is key here for precision. 
5. Finally take a matte black shadow {actual shadow not pictured} and dab it only on the outer corner of your eye and BLEND BLEND BLEND. Blending is the key to achieving this look {with any color}.
6. Take an eyeliner brush and dip it into NARS Night Clubbing and follow the natural curve of your eyelid and wing the ends out. {A tutorial on winged liner is coming soon}.  Use your brush to smudge the line so it doesn't look too perfect.
7. Proceed to cleaning under the eye so no excess shadow changes the concealer color.  Using a brush or your finger, gently dab concealer under the eyes and blend. 
8. Add liner under the bottom lashes and smudge.
9. Don't forget your highlighter shadow {very subtly} on the top arch near the brows.
10. Lastly, finish with applying lots of mascara {on top and bottom} to complete the look.

Good luck and most importantly, have fun and experiment with other colors and add your own twist to it!  If you have your own tips, share them here with our readers!  What are your favorite colors to get this look?