Smokey eye makeup looks and how to recreate them along with some helpful tips.
While attending a special event or an occasion, you can bet on smokey eye makeup to instantly draw attention to your look. This celeb-approved eye makeup application is even famous on the red carpets and the runways. If you can wear it properly, it will give you a dramatic and gorgeous look that is sure to make head turns.
First off, what makes a smokey eye? It’s a blended and diffused version of 3-4 shadows where a dark shadow is the primary colour. This shadow creates the smokey look and adds dimension and depth to the eye. If you’re going for smokey eye makeup, you can keep the rest of the makeup subtle to keep a balance and tone down a bit. Other than the iconic black smokey eye makeup, you can also create that smokey effect with other shadows like blue, pink, green, and red.
How to do the smokey eye makeup
1. The classic black smokey eye
Start off with priming your lids with concealer or eye primer to make your smokey eye stay longer. Then apply a neutral shade as a base shadow and use a gel liner to coat your upper lashline. Now the fun part begins— take your pencil brush and start blending the liner outwards that’ll help to soften the harsh lines and create a smokey effect. Next, layer over it using a dark tone of black shadow while also blending it on the lower lashline.
To take this classic look up a notch, use a high-shine metallic gold shadow in the inner corners. Top of your lashes with 3-4 coats of mascara as a finishing touch.
2. The go-to brown smokey eye
For this look, pick an eyeshadow palette with brown shades. On freshly primed eyes, apply the lightest brown shade all over the lid and then sweep across a lighter shade all over the lid. This will help to add more depth to the look. Now choose a deep brown shade and blend it on the outer eyes. Highlight your inner corners with a shimmery shade and use a liner to compile the look together.
3. Dreamy blue smokey eye
This look is elegant yet simple. To recreate it, use a shimmery blue shadow on the inner two-thirds of the lid and then a navy blue shade on the outer corners. With a blending brush, blend everything out to soften the transition. Carry out the same process on your lower lashline, and lastly, use a few coats of mascara or a pair of falsies to make your eyes stand out more.
4. Intense green smokey eye
Start by pressing it to the inner two-thirds of the eye evenly with a green eye pencil and fill the crease with a light green eyeshadow shade. Now take a deep emerald shade that’ll be your main colour in the look to apply it in the centre of the lid and blend it back and forth to create a blurry effect. Then use a shimmery green on the inner eyes. To finish off this smokey eyeshadow look, line both your upper and lower lashline with a black gel liner and create a cat-eye shape with it.
5. Pink and black smokey eye
If you love a dramatic and dark smokey eye look that isn’t black, you’ll love this look. Take a deep tone of pink shadow to apply as a base and blend it until the edges soften. Then apply a shimmery shade on the lower part of the lid closer to the lashline. Use that same shade to define the brow bone. For getting that smokey effect, use a black shadow on the outer crease and blend it well.
6. The bronzy gold smokey eye
For this eye makeup, use a fluffy blending brush apply a rich bronze shadow, then continue blending it back and forth to build an even layer of shadow. Then, take a dark brown shade to sweep on the outer crease area and blend it outwards depending on how dramatic you want the look to be. Pat on some shimmery gold shadow on the inner two-thirds of your eye using your fingers and your look is complete.
7. Glittery red smokey eye
Apply a light shadow on the crease area that’ll act as a transition shade and then proceed to use a gorgeous red shadow on the centre of the lid and blend it outwards on the outer parts of the lid. Whatever else will be left in that brush, apply it to the beginning part of the crease. Then choose a sparkly red shadow to layer over it.
8. Matte neutral smokey eye
If you’re bored with all the glittery and shiny eye makeup looks, skip all your shimmer shades and choose a palette with tons of matte shadows. Then, using the same process, create a gorgeous smokey eye look like the one above.
Smokey Eye Makeup Tips
- Using a primer before continuing with your smokey eye look is a must. It helps to give an excellent colour payoff and will stay in place for a long time. This also creates a smooth base to make the blending process easier and faster.
- Talking about blending, this is the one technique that can make or break your smokey eye look. Make sure to keep blending until all the harsh lines are gone and at the end, you get a beautiful blurry effect.
- Whether you’re a makeup newbie or in a rush, creating your smokey eyes with kajal is the best solution. It’s simple and time-saving.
- While building the smokey look, keep in mind that the shadows don’t exceed too much further down your lower lashline. Otherwise, you’ll end up looking ghoulish.
