How-To: Apply Smoky Eye Makeup

Smoky eyes are probably the most popular eye makeup look of all time, and with their smoldering come-hither style (seen left on Diane Kruger), it’s not hard to see why. Still, applying smokey eye makeup correctly at home can be tricky business, so here’s a guide with tips and tricks on how to pull this ultra-sensual makeup look off.

Do your attempts at smoky eye makeup always seem to make your eyes look tired? According to André Drykin, a makeup artist for Giorgio Armani, blue shades can create the appearance of undereye circles. Opt for eyeshadows and eyeliners in shades of black, gray, brown, or dark green instead.

Here’s my step-by-step guide on how to apply smoky eye makeup:

   1. Apply MAC Paint Pot in Painterly (any eyeshadow primer or your regular cream concealer will work just fine) all over your eyelids to create a smooth base for eyeshadow and give your smoky eyes staying power.
   2. Use a pencil eyeliner (black or gray looks best; I’d recommend one with a blending tip like Estee Lauder Artist’s Eye) to trace your upper lashline from the inner corner to the outer corner. Make generous dots in between your lower lashes with the pencil, then smudge both lashlines with the pencil’s blending tip. (If yours doesn’t have one, you can use a cotton swab or eyeliner brush instead.) Make sure to hit the inner rims of upper and lower lashlines too.
   3. Sweep a powder eyeshadow (brown, gray and dark green all work with black or gray eyeliner) all over lids and into the crease, blending the color up and outward. Use the tip of your eyeshadow brush to dab the shadow just under your lower lashes, stopping about 3/4 of the way in. Blend a slightly lighter matte shadow on the bottom half of your browbone, making sure that some of the darker shade is still visible when you open your eyes.
   4. Dust a lighter, neutral eyeshadow in a color like ivory over just your browbone. (Keep shimmery shades to a small area just under the eyebrow to open eyes up.) Apply a highlighter pencil like Benefit Cosmetics Mr. Frosty to the inner corners of eyes, making a small arrow shape on either side.
   5. This look is too severe with sparse eyebrows, so fill those babies in with your favorite brow powder or pencil. Finish with two coats of black mascara, and don’t be shy about hitting lower lashes. To avoid a spidery look, apply mascara to lower lashes only where they’re above the eyeshadow.