In terms of eye makeup, the sexiest and most sophisticated look has to be the smoky eye ? as seen on our very own stunning Grace Oni Smith shown to the left.
Almost every page in every magazine available today will sport a picture of a model or celebrity sporting the smoky eye look, as it has such a universal appeal. Many people shy away from creating this look at home, though, as if it goes wrong you can end up looking like you are off to a Halloween party! But don’t worry, the experts from Born are here to share a step by step guide to ensure you get great results every time.
Prep Your Eyes
Every artist will tell you that a great work of art starts with a good canvas, so make sure you prep your eye area before you start to work your magic. Apply a light shade of concealer over the under eye area and all over the eyelid. This will act as a concealer on the under eye area, and give the shadow something to cling onto on the eyelid.
Tape It Up (optional)
This is going to sound strange, but trust us it’s the best way to achieve a clean line! Get some scotch tape – nothing too sticky as you don’t want to struggle getting it off. Take a strip about ten centimetres long and place it on your hand to get some of the stickiness off. Then place it running from under your eye past the outer corner of your eye and up to the eyebrow making sure it runs past your lash line. Repeat for your other eye, making sure both pieces of tape are placed evenly.
Apply the First Shadow
Now, apply a matte eyeshadow in a similar colour to your eyes (iris). Use a large brush to cover the entire eyelid, and make sure you blend it well into the creases.
Apply the Second Shadow
Next, take a dark grey eyeshadow and brush it along the tape line above your eyelid. Don’t make it too dark, though, as we will be adding more shadow and you don’t want to overdo it.
Blend It Away
Now, take a really light shade of shadow – lighter than your skin colour, and blend it over the dark grey shadow. This will make the grey shadow less intense and more natural, and will also brighten your eyes.
Add Some Black Shadow (optional)
If you want to really vamp up the sexiness for night-time, then now is the time to add some black eyeshadow. Just add it over the top of the grey shadow along the tape line – as the grey is already there as a base you will get a more gradual look but it will still be striking. Remember to blend again using a light shadow to give a more sophisticated look.
Pencil Time
Now is the time to line your eyes. Using a black eye pencil line both the top and bottom rims of your eyes, making sure you get right into the lash line.
If you have smaller eyes, just apply the liner from the middle of the eye on the bottom – this will make your eyes appear larger. If you have big beautiful eyes, then feel free to line your eyes from corner to corner.
Top Tip:? If you are using liquid eyeliner, place dots on the lash line then use these like a dot-to-dot to fill in the line. This will help you to get a straighter line.
Remove the Tape
Now you can take that ridiculous tape off and see the perfect line you have created 🙂 Now it is time to blend again, by using a lighter shadow in a neutral tone all over the eye area. This will help you to soften the look a little and graduate it outwards for the perfect finish.
Don’t Forget Your Lashes
Although the eyeshadow is the main element of the perfect smoky eye look, the lashes are important too. Curling your eyelashes will really open up your eyes and make them stand out. After curling your lashes, apply a few generous coats of your favourite mascara. You want you lashes to stand out against the grey smoky eye makeup after all.
Add Some False Lashes
To really sex up the smoky eye look, add some false lashes. These might be too much for daytime, but for a glamourous night time look the bigger, the better! False lashes really help to get that sexy cat eye look.
Clean Up Time
Have a good look at what you have achieved, and clean away any “mistakes”. Use a soft brush to remove any shadow that has fallen below the eye, and use a cotton bud to remove any smears. If you are having trouble removing any bits of eye shadow, use some scotch tape to pick it up without smudging the rest of your makeup.
Now that you have achieved the perfect smoky eye be careful who you look at! You will be setting some hearts on fire for sure!
Are you a trans woman? Do you Feel like a lift or a boost in confidence? Why not book in with us. We have people in Manchester, Birmingham and London. Call 0161 235 0788 or drop us an email hello@born.uk.com. We can?t wait to help you become who you need to be.