8.26.2011

Start With Smokin' Eyes!

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul.....but we don't necessarily wanting someone having a clear view into our soul!  (at least not on a first meeting).  Solution: put up a smoke screen.  A sultry, smokey eye can add drama, draw attention to the eyes and make your eye colour stand out!

A traditional grey smokey eye always does the job, but one of the trends for this fall is a green or purple smokey eye which is great for enhancing eye colour.  Creating a smokey eye doesn't have to be difficult--and we're going to show you how! But first, a couple of disclaimers:

  1. I was already wearing some makeup before starting this tutorial--so in the pictures displayed I am already wearing eyeliner and mascara but normally it would be applied after the eyeshadow.
  2. You will also want to wait to do your face makeup until after the smokey eye is complete as it is highly likely that some of the eyeshadow will fall onto the tops of the cheeks from the eyeshadow applicator. In the photos below my face has already been made up, partly because the makeup artist has the skills to apply darker eyeshadows without any pigment falling, and partly because it was scary enough sitting in the Boutique without any makeup on my face, let alone have photographic evidence taken of my uneven skin tone!
  3. I am currently sporting long straight across bangs, but for the purpose of showing my full face I pulled them back with a headband which gave my a funny hair-halo, as well as displayed the fact that I have been lazily maintaining my eyebrows (or not) which are normally hidden behind the bangs.  After looking at the photos up close, I am now armed with tweezers to do some grooming...

Here are some simple steps to get a smokey eye:

  • To begin with, you need to start with a clean, even toned eyelid.  Make sure that the eye area has been moisturized and is free of dry skin.  Next apply a primer all over the eyelid.  We used the Lancome eye primer in Nude. (* the photo below I was already wearing my mascara and eyeliner, but normally these would be applied later).





  • Next, using an angled or rounded eyeshadow brush, take the main colour that you are going to be using for your smokey eye and apply it all over the lower lid and up into the crease.  (the colour shown below is Stila Pigalle).




  • Now using a crease brush (a fluffy, round tip), take a lighter complimentary eye shadow colour and put it in the along the edges of the darker shadow (in the crease and along the outside corner), making sure to blend it with the darker shade, and further upwards. (we used a golden eye shadow from Lancome). Be sure to get the inner part of the eye as well. 



  • Next take a light coloured eye shadowed and put it right below the brow bone as a highlighter (usually a shadow that is being used as a highlighter will have some sheen).  We  used Stila's Kitten, and put it under the brow bone, but also in the inner corner of the eye and along the tops of the cheeks after the final makeup was complete.
  • Using an eyeliner brush, take the darker eyeshade (Pigalle) and line the bottom lashes with it.  Make sure to connect the colour all the way around the eye, including the inside corner.  For extra drama, we used Metamorphix by Lise Watier, which is a liquid transformer that automatically turns any eyeshadow into a waterproof eyeliner. We also used the lighter eyeshadow and lined underneath Pigalle, but that's optional.



  • Line the upper lash line with a dark eyeliner complimentary to the colour on the lower lid.  We used Stila's Stay the Day Longwear liquid liner. Apply mascara on the upper and lower lashes and your eyes are done!



  • The key to a smokey eye is to blend, blend, blend!  Also, since a smokey eye tends to be fairly dramatic, keep the rest of your face simple (it's common to use a pale or nude colour on the lips.  We used Stila's Longwear Lipcolour in Adorable).
  • As for the rest of the face, this is what was used:  Stila's One Step Correct facial primer, Pur Minerals 4-in-1 powder foundation in Light, Correct & Perfect Concealer in Tone, Glamoureyes mascara, Custom Colour blush in Coral (all by Stila), Lancaster bronzer.




Try it out today!  And if you are wanting some one-on-one lessons come on into the Beauty Boutique and we would be happy to demonstrate it for you!

Thanks Christine for a great job!


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