Smokey Eye Tutorial | How to Get Dramatic Eye Makeup

Maybe you don’t want to go as far as to channel your inner Kardashian, but a dramatic smokey eye is a must have look for anyone wanting to vamp it up. This smokey eye tutorial will show you how to create a long lasting shimmery appearance that can be customized to create endless combinations. This looks is easy for anyone to achieve and lasts all day.  Enhance the look from day to night by simply adding more shadow and false lashes.

Supplies:

• Eyeshadow: light nude highlight color, shimmer accent color, and black
• Concealer
• Mascara
• Eyelash Curler
• Black Pencil Liner
• Black Liquid or Cake Liner
• Brushes: one medium size, one pointed, one angle brush, one liquid eyeliner brush

Step 1:

Start with a clean and moisturized face and pin your hair back if it is long and will get in the way. Prep the eye area first and set with powder, which helps prevent two common problems with smokey eyes: shadow getting all over your face, and staying power through the day and night.

Step 2:

Apply concealer to under eye and eyelid area, as well as the top of the brow bone, to highlight. Don’t powder the lid right away so the eyeshadow has something to stick to. This will also aid in smudging the pencil liner later.

Step 3:

Apply the black pencil to lower inner lash line/waterline and apply a thick line to upper lashes. Work from the inside of the eyes outward elongating the eye by pointing the liner at the ends of the eyes upward. Accent the bottom outer corner of the eyes with pencil liner as well to enhance that smokey cat eye effect.

If you need help drawing an even line try making small dots and connecting them from the inner corner of the eye out. You will be smudging these lines later so they do not need to be perfect, but should be even on both eyes.

Step 4:

Use a small angled brush and the black eyeshadow to both smudge and set all the pencil liner you just applied. Apply the black with a smooth sweeping motion all the way to the outer corners. Apply to the bottom lash line too.

Step 5:

Build the shadow intensity gradually back and forth between both eyes to keep the shape symmetrical. Smudge as you go to blend the look together.

Step 6:

Use a medium eyeshadow brush and sweep the highlight color all over the lid. Continue blending the black with the nude color.

Step 7:

Apply the shimmer accent color over the top of the black liner and shadow with a pointed eyeshadow brush. Keep the same sweeping motion and apply on the top and bottom. Blend as you go with the highlight color, sweeping the shadow upwards on the outer corners following the eyeshadow.

Step 8:

Blend the colors to your desired intensity. More black can be added for a more dramatic smokey eye with the pointed or medium eyeshadow brush. This technique of setting the pencil liner with shadow helps the makeup last longer, and you will have more success with pigment staying on the lids. This tutorial uses a gray gunmetal shimmer, but the same technique can be used with any color over a black shadow to create endless variety.

 Step 9:

Top off the shadow with a liquid liner across the pencil you applied to finish off the look. Many people prefer the thin liner brush with cake liner, but any variety of liquid liner can be used.

Step 10:

Curl eyelashes and add mascara. False lashes could also be applied at this point to add drama to the look.

Step 11:

Finish the look as desired. Dust off any eyeshadow fallout from under your eyes and apply foundation as normal. Keep the rest of your makeup simple when doing such a dramatic eye. Here we finished with a powder and a simple pink nude lip gloss.

You have now created a dramatic smokey eye, time to rock that look! What colors will you be trying next?

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