An Easy Smokey Eye

One of the most popular questions I get is about doing a smokey eye.  Smokey eyes can either be sexy or trampy, it all depends on your blending & products.  Here's a quick & easy guide!

You'll need:
- a soft eyeliner (soft kohl)
- eyeshadow of your choice (black, brown, navy blue, deep green, purple)
- a highlight eyeshadow of your choice (I prefer shimmering champagne shades)
- a pointy smudge brush (such as MAC 219)
- a clean blending brush (Sonia Kashuk for Target has a very good one for $3.99)
- an eye shadow brush
- mascara

Let's get to work:

Step 1: use an eye shadow primer (Urban Decay Shadow Potion) & line your eyes with the soft eyeliner.  Use the smudge brush to smudge it out.

Step 2: use the blending brush and blend the dark color upward from the crease to the lid. This will give the smoky effect of your eyes. Blending is crucial in obtaining the smoky eyes look because if you don't blend enough you'll have panda eyes.

Step 3: use the same smudge brush to apply the dark eyeshadow over the place that you just smudged the liner. This will "set" the eyeliner.  Be patient and apply a little bit at a time. It's easier to add more makeup than to remove the excess.  Dust away any fallen shadow with a fan brush.  

Step 4: use the eye shadow brush, apply the highlighting color underneath the eyebrows. This will give you a clean look. Then use the blending brush to blend the highlighting color downward to erase the lines.

Bonus step: curl your lashes with an eyelash curler, then apply 2, 3 coats of mascara.

My mascara suggestions:
-Drugstore brands: L'Oreal Voluminous or Double Extend.

With smoky eyes, you can omit or add eye liner depending on the level of desired intensity. Good luck and have fun, it's only makeup!  Practice makes perfect, so don't give up if you aren't happy the first time.  Don't plan to do this before you are going out!  Do a test run on a day when you can play!