The smoky eye is the unequivocal king of eye makeup. A sexy smoulder suits every style and age group and can be adjusted in strength to cater to all makeup tastes. While we all seem to have got the hang of smudgy blacks and sooty greys, this season’s colourful editions might have some of us feeling out of our makeup depths.
In reality, you don’t need to have fantastic makeup capabilities for a successful smoky application. Spring/Summer 2015 smoky eyes are all about soft halos of colour that illuminate the eyes in shades of sapphire, olive and plum, set against natural skin, brows and lips.
With smoky eyes, it’s best to finish your eye makeup first and then go back and do your foundation and concealer. This means you won’t have to go back and clean up any sprinkles or smudges of shadow. Whatever your chosen strength of smoke, always start with a base product all over the eye area, from the lids to the brows to make sure you have a smooth canvas for your eyeshadow.
For a low-key, daytime smoke, prep your lids with a little concealer and a press an ivory coloured eyeshadow over the entire area to act as your base. Choose a muted matte shade of your chosen colour and with a flat eyeshadow, brush pat the shadow on to your lids and along the lower lash line. With a fluffy, rounded brush go back and blend the edges of the shadow for a super soft and hazy look. Finish with a slick of mascara on both top and bottom lashes.
Sparkling formulations and bolder, brighter pigments are great for evening and special occasions. Start with an eyeshadow primer such as Urban Decay Primer Potion all over the eye area. Blend a carbon black cream eyeshadow, gel liner ( both Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Liner and MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack work brilliantly) or kohl pencil all over the eyelid and along the lower lash line. Once this has set completely, pat your chosen bright shadows over the top. The black base adds depth and definition and really makes the colours pop. Peacock blue and emerald is definitely a combination that everyone should try at least once in their life. Go as bold as you dare with your lashes but keep the rest of your makeup soft and natural to avoid looking over the top.
Put away the blacks and charcoals and give these dreamy, prismatic hues a try.
