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How To… The Smoky Eye

The Smokey Eye


1. Create your base: First of all, you need to create a blank canvas for your makeup.  Lightly apply foundation and concealer to above and below the eye, up to and including the brow.  Doing so will help the eyeshadow to last longer. Then, apply a neutral matte shade using a large, soft-bristle brush. Apply in sweeping brushstrokes, moving outwards from the inner corner of the eye and up to the brow bone. 

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2. Eyeliner: Use either a gel liner or a sharpened kohl – see MAC or Bobbi Brown – and to avoid smudging, apply with a fine, synthetic brush. Starting on the inside of the lower lid, follow the contour of the eye from the inside corner of the eye outwards. When applying liner to the upper lid stay as close to the lashes as possible – the liner is only meant to define the shape of the eye, not add anything to it.

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3. Start blending: Next, choose your colours for blending. It’s recommended that you use varying shades of brown, or grey, rather than black, to avoid looking over the top. Begin with a shimmering pink. Using a soft-bristle brush once again, apply the pink lightly to the eye, going all the way up to the brow bone.

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Then, add a more neutral colour such as taupe, but this time only take it up to the mid-way point between eyelid and brow bone (the crease of the upper lid).

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Change to a smaller brush and apply a dark brown to the outer corner of the eye, but only apply the shadow in the triangle between the lid and the boundary of the iris. Start off very gently, building up the colour gradually – remember, you can always add, but you can’t take away. If, however, you do find that you’ve overdone it with the dark brown, overlap it with the taupe eyeshadow and blend.  Then, apply a lighter, pink-based crème shadow to the inner corner of the eye and work outwards, to create a contrast.

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4. Finishing touches: Using your little finger, apply a small amount of cream highlighter to the brow bone, which will attract the light and emphasise the smokiness of the eye. With a fine synthetic brush/cotton wool bud apply a fine line of cream highlighter under the lower lid – working from the inner corner out. Then apply a thin line of the dark brown eyeshadow from the outer corner to the middle of the eye, then blend with the highlighter.

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5. Eyelashes: Use an eyelash curler on the lashes of each eye for three seconds, then apply either black or brown mascara (brown is recommended for blonds). For the best results, use the mascara brush to sweep the lashes to the outer edges of the eye. To avoid getting mascara marks on the area above the eye, try not to over-blink. If you do get mascara blotches on the upper eye area, these can be quickly blended in using the large, soft blending brush from steps 1 and 2. 

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