Your Beauty Mission Should You Choose To Accept It: Smoky Eyes
Creating a smoky eye is likely one of the most intimidating
makeup missions a girl can tackle. The results of a successfully accomplishing
the look, however, are undeniably sexy and well worth a bit of extra effort.
According to Murale makeup artist, Emily Benson, the smoky look may seem
daunting, but can easily be achieved with her simple tips and tricks. I
recently visited Benson at one of Murale’s Calgary locations for a tutorial in
smoky sex appeal. Check out the results and get a how-to lesson after the jump.
-Make sure the skin is prepped with a good moisturizer and
eye cream before any makeup application, it allows the make-up go on smoother
and makes the foundation look perfectly flawless.
-It’s so important to prime the skin. Apply a pea size
amount of primer (Bare Minerals primer is Emily’s favourite) before
foundation and blend on face from t-zone outwards. This will make your
make-up last as long as you need it to.
-Apply a foundation that suits your skin tone. Coverage is a
personal preference. From moisturizing, oil-free, tinted moisturizers, luminous
to matte finish, a Murale expert can help you find the perfect formula.
-Add concealer under the eyes and to any imperfections. You
can apply under eye concealer after you do your smoky eye too, just in case
there is fall out from the eyeshadow.
-Powder is one of the most important steps because it
prevents the foundation from moving, but make sure not to apply too much or you
will start to look cakey. Just press on the powder with a puff or a brush.
-Now it is time to add bronzer and/or blush. If using
bronzer, apply on temples down to the cheekbone, then under the jaw line, kind
of like the shape of a three. Apply blush on apple of the cheek and blend
upwards on cheekbone. Blush should always be two finger widths
away from the nose to avoid looking red. Shimmer (like Benefit’s High
Beam) is a nice fresh touch. Apply it sparingly to the upper cheekbones, down
the nose and across the forehead for a glowy, radiant highlight.
EYES:
- An eyeshadow base makes creating a smoky eye a lot easier
as it makes the shadow more blendable and makes the colour stick better without
darkness falling all over the cheeks.
- Purples, greys (dark and light), blues (dark), golds,
silvers, and blacks (any cool colors) are the hottest shades for smoky
effects right now so consider straying from the traditional neutrals if you
are really looking to make an impact.
-Take a short bristle brush (the smaller the brush
the easier with dark eye shadows), with a dark color on it,
darkest in the pallet or the darkest one you have and press it onto the eyelid,
going up to the crease of eye and across the lashes staying within
the eyebrow frame. Then take a blending brush and blend out the edges of the
shadow until they are soft.
-After the darkest color is on the eyelid, take a
lighter shade of the same colour and blend it in the crease.
-Some people leave the bottom lashes clean, but for a
more dramatic look bring the dark eyeshadow and blend a soft line in the bottom
lashes with the small smudge brush.
-Add some pencil or ink pot eyeliner in the water line
of the eye. Connect the shadow to the dark color on top, kind of
like a sideways V. Blend so there are no edges.
-After everything is all nice and blended, finish with
a highlight color just under the brow to finish off the look. A soft
shimmer is nice, but if you’re using a lot of shimmer on the lid a matte
highlight is preferable.
-Apply eyeliner (a smudged line or a hard liquid line)
finishes off the look.
- Curl the lashes and apply a healthy dose of
volumizing mascara. This look could also benefit from false lashes if you are
feeling adventurous!
-Finally, fill in eyebrows for more definition using a brow
wax, powder or pencil.
Here's a super close-up for reference
LIPS:
-Typically, if you are going heavier on the eyes, you
will want to go lighter on the lips.
-A nice nude or very sheer lipstick (neutral or
baby pink, or pale pink with a silvery metallic) is ideal. However, if your
smoky eye uses warmer colors, you can even go with a very sheer golden
lipstick.
-Add a nice sparkly gloss like YSL golden gloss or Chanel's
glossimers are the perfect finishing touch.
You tell us: Think the smoky eye is too much work? Already
mastered the look and love it to death? Have and tips and tricks of your own
you care to share? Know of a perfect smoky shadow palette? We want to hear
about it!
By: Meghan





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