You may just be gearing up for your Christmas party or even a New Years Eve party (where did you get your baby sitter from?) and want a change from your usual everyday look – which I’m all over! I love a good transformation and this one is gold when it comes to a night out with your girls, or your partner.
Let’s bring sexy eyes back…
Here are a few tips to follow when applying a smokey eye that I have learnt over the years of sitting in the makeup artist chair…
- Add a creamy concealer to your eyelid – at the moment I am using HourGlass – it’s brilliant, very good with cover and vegan (but they don’t go on and on about it being vegan – hurrah).
2. Next add a pressed powder over your entire eyelid to minimise eye shadow creasing. I like to use Laura Mercier (Space NK always do well out of me when I visit… they stock both Laura Mercier and Hourglass)
3. Take a black eye pencil and trace your top lash line from the inner corner to the outer. I’ve been using Maybelline master smokey shadow pencil. It’s brilliant (and you can pick it up on the high street). Once your line has been drawn, turn the pencil around and use the smudge brush on the other end. Blend this in et voila! You have the beginning of a smokey eye. So simple!
Now add a little bit more to your bottom lash line (not as much as the top lash) and again use the smudge brush to blend.
4. This can be enough for me sometimes, so if you’re happy with this, go to step 5. If you want to add more smokey effect, I like to add MAC eye shadow in ‘BRUN’ – and if you’re not that confident in the whole blending aspect of it all, use this fantastic LUXE Studio blending brush… it’ll look like a pro did it for you. Top Tip – Always blend your shadow upward and outward into the crease of your eyelid.
5. Next is to highlight your angles and create contrast by dusting a small amount of the lighter shadow over your brow bone. I use a light coloured eyeshadow by MAC called ‘VEX’. I also like to apply this on the other half of my eye lid (towards your tear duct) for maximum effect.
6. Now to add the mascara – and lots of it! I’ve been using Arbonne’s ‘It’s a long story’ mascara… again it’s Vegan and such good mascara! It doesn’t crumble, or clog together. Add 2 coats to the top lashes and only 1 to the bottom. Top tip – wipe the mascara brush with tissue over and over before you apply to the bottom lash.. looks much better!
7. If you want to add a little bit more smoke to your eye, use your Maybelline pencil again and draw onto your water line of the eye.
There you have it – it takes minutes to apply but sooo gorgeous and trust me, you’ll feel and look like you’re ready to paint the town red… school uniform can wait until the morning!
Now go and show everyone just how much you can sparkle!
You’ve Still Got It!
