Beautiful Blogging ~ the "Eyes Have It" Part II ~ The Smoky Eye

Welcome to my weekly post "Beautiful Blogging." First I must apologize because if you stopped by last week you would have noticed that I did not post. Unfortunately, I was having DSL problems. Thankfully, that issue has obviously been resolved.

As promised, this post is about eye shadow application. If you recall we discussed the proper shade for your particular eye color. You can find that post here. I thought I would highlight the ever popular "smoky eye" for this post. I absolutely love this look and use it all of the time. It's important to note that you can use more than just the traditional colors of blacks/greys for the smoky eye. Think purples, greens, bronzes as long as it is the best shade for you! Also, please keep in mind that when you highlight your eyes with a smoky eye you should downplay the rest of your makeup. That means if the focus is on your eyes, don't wear bright red lipstick. Stick to one feature otherwise it can appear "clown" like.

The smoky eye is really quite easy. All you need is voluminous mascara and three shades of the same color ~ dark, medium, and light. The key to the smoky eye? Blending! You do not want to see any visible lines so blend away and then blend some more. The proper tools make this job so much easier too!

Step 1: Use a base to cover entire lid which will help eye shadow adhere and last - usually your preferred foundation is perfect for this. I see no need to purchase one specifically for the eyes.
Step 2: Take your darkest shade of shadow (or eye liner if you prefer) and line the top of your eye ensuring that you press into your lashes. There should not be a space between the lashes and your eyelid. Line underneath your bottom lashes too. I like to smudge this and take it out a little to make my eyes appear larger.
Step 3: Use your medium shadow to press into the lid of the eye, blending with the darker shade or eyeliner, until there are no visible lines. Remember to blend up and outward.
Step 4: Take the lightest shade of shadow and blend into the crease, using a "windshield wiper" motion. Some like to take this lightest shade all the way up to the brow bone. Whichever you prefer is certainly okay.
Step 5: Apply 2 coats of your volumizing mascara. When I do a smoky eye I actually apply three coats. It makes the eye a little more dramatic I think.

Here's some pictures of my little darling Erin. She prefers a more subtle makeup as you'll notice so we used bronze on her dark brown eyes. I did take some pictures of each step but regrettably they were not too clear and my model went out so I can't re-take!

Try a nude lip with this look. Remember too that your blush should be in the same color family as your lip color. So, if you are wearing a coral shade of blush DON'T wear pink lip color. I think you get the idea.

So there you have it. Keep in mind there are other techniques for a smoky eye. All are fairly similar but I like this one the best.

Next week we'll go over other easy eye shadow techniques.

Have a wonderful week!

OXOXOXOX,

Jacalyn