The Smokey Eye look has been around for a while and appears to be a popular long stay. Here's how you can do it yourself.
Blending is the key as well as using colors that are complimentary. Most manufacturers will package flattering eye shadows together for your benefit. You can also look in glamour and beauty magazines for some great eye looks and copy the look for yourself.
You want to pair light base colors with rich dark colors. For example: Maybelline has a quad (four colours in one compact) of browns (I recently tried) that are complimentary and work best. At first glance they may appear darker than what you may be used to, however, remember a little goes a long way and once you blend them they will soften and really draw attention.
Begin by prepping your eye lid. To keep your eyeshadow from creasing, use a primer, or eye shadow base. Dab a little on your eye lid before applying eye shadows. this helps minimize the oil.
Next is the eyeliner. Use a liner that is complimentary to the eyeshadows if possible, for example if you are using browns, use a brown eye liner. A typical black, brown or gray smokey eye, apply the liner in one of these colors above the lash line. Draw the line thicker in the middle of the eye. For a jewel-toned eye, in purple or violet), line eyes with a purple, blue or deep green liner.
Bottom lashes. For color on the bottom, which is key to smokey eyes as well, use a lighter eye liner. Here, you want to "smudge" the liner. Eye shadow along here also works well for color and smudging effect.
Base coat to lid. Next you will want to apply a lighter base coat, i.e. cream, for the lid. Sweep the shadow over the lids up to your browbone. Taupe and pearl are great accents.
Apply a darker eye shadow along the crease of the lid. This is the area just above the eyeliner up to where your eye lid has a natural crease. Its usually about 1/4", if that, or 1/3 of the eye lid, on average. Apply light even strokes and then use a brush to blend the shadow upward. Blend color into the lash line so the eye liner disappears. Stop deep color at the crease.
If you are doing both eyes at the same time, stop and check your work to ensure they both match (blending, depth of color, etc.)
I use all four colors in the palette. The lighter color is for the lid up to brow, one is for the crease, one is for the lid and one is for the corners. Apply them lightly and then blend or smudge. This takes only a little practice and then you will be achieving a glamourous look for day or evening wear. Use some good brushes, applicators can be messy and you have more control with a brush. Use an eyeliner brush to apply eyeshadow as a liner, if you choose.
Finale. Finish off with mascara. Finally you will want to complete your look with a mascara that one, is complimentary, black or brown, and also gives volume, length, depth. There are many mascaras to choose from, its always good to have a few in your make up arsenal. Apply two coats to the top lashes and one or two to the bottom lashes. I've also enjoyed using a blue mascara to draw in attention.
Also keep in mind, that if you are enhancing the eyes, i.e. with the smokey look, then keep the lips more natural or with minimal color and liner. You don't want huge eyes and big, red lips. This would be overdoing it. If you notice models, actresses, etc., go for either an eye look or the lips, but never both.
For the jewel-toned look, for girls with blue eyes, you can do the smokey look, however, stay away from dark browns and blacks. Go for the purples and blues, many vibrant colours this year.
