Method 1: Classic/Natural Smokey Eye
What you will need:
- Three eyeshadow colours or an eyeshadow palette
- A small eyeshadow brush
- Tissue
- Black liquid eyeliner
- Mascara
Step 1: Choose three colours that you wish to use to create your smokey eye. One must be light, one must be medium and one must be dark.
Step 2: Take the lightest shadow (this is known as the highlighter) and the eyeshadow brush. We recommend a fluffy eyeshadow brush. Dip the brush into the shade so that there is a good amount of color on the brush.
Step 3: Starting in the corner nearest your nose, gently brush the highlighter in the corners and sweep out the color so that it covers up to the middle of your eyelid. Make sure to take the color upwards towards your brow bone as well.
Step 4: Now that the corners are covered, it’s time to move onto the medium shade. Wipe your eyeshadow brush onto a piece of tissue to rid it of the previous color, and then dip the brush into the medium shade, ensuring it is well covered.
Step 5: Brush the medium color all over the rest of the uncovered eyelid, ensuring that you move your brush in a circular sweeping motion to blend the line between where the highlighter ends and this color starts. You don’t want any harsh lines. Take the medium color just up to the crease of your eyelid, and not any higher.
Step 6: Dab your eyeshadow brush on the tissue again to get rid of the remaining medium color, and then dip the brush so it is well covered with the darkest color.
Step 7: Start on the very outside corner of your eye and sweep the dark colour in to about the middle of your eyelid. Make sure you are using a ‘C’ shaped motion, taking the colour above your lash line into the middle of the eyelid, back to the corner, then along the eye crease and into the middle. This will result in a dark look which is perfectly blended. Do NOT sweep the dark color too far into the eyelid, you don’t want any further than the middle to have any dark color at all.
Step 8: Now it’s time to blend! Clean your brush and then start with the highlighter, using your makeup organizer as needed. Move your brush gently from the highlighter, through to the medium shade and then onto the dark shade. Make sure there are no harsh lines. When you are finished, it should look as though the colors resemble a gentle ombre look across your eyelid.
Step 9: Next, apply a black liquid eyeliner just above the lash line, starting in the inner corner, and taking it out towards the darkest area of the eye. We recommend L’Oreal Paris Telescopic Precision Liquid Eyeliner because it’s super smooth and lasts all day long.
Step 10: Last but not least, apply a black mascara to your upper and lower lashes.
Method 2: Dramatic Smokey Eye
What you will need:
- Three eyeshadow colours or an eyeshadow palette
- Eyeshadow brush
- Tissue
- Pencil eyeliner
- Mascara
Step 1: Choose three colours that you wish to use to create your smokey eye. One must be light, one must be medium and one must be dark.
Step 2: As with a classic smokey eye, you will need to apply the highlighter (lightest color) first. Start by applying this color into the corner closest to your nose. Gradually sweep this color across to the middle of your eyelid, sweeping it up towards your brow bone as you go.
Step 3: Clean your brush by dabbing the excess color off onto the tissue. Now it’s time for the darkest color.
Step 4: Starting on the outer corner, gently sweep the dark color along your lash line, taking it to about the middle of your eyelid, don’t mix it in with the highlighter which is right in your inner corner. Then start to blend upwards towards the middle of your eyelid. The darkest color should be on your lash line, and it should slowly fade out as it reaches the middle area.
Step 5: Once the darkest color is nicely blended, dab the excess color off your brush and onto the tissue. Make sure it is free from any of the dark color otherwise the next step will be ruined.
Step 6: Now it’s time for your medium color. Dip your brush into the medium shade and then begin in the middle of your eyelid, where the dark color ends. Sweep this color all the way from left to right on the upper part of your lid, taking it all the way up to the crease. You can take it beyond the crease as well if you want.
Step 7: Add the remaining color to just below your lower lashes for an extra pop of color.
Step 8: Next, blend! First, make sure your brush is clean, and then start under your brow bone and slowly work your way down to your lash line, moving your brush in a left to right sweeping motion. You want the finished look to result in an ombre look where it goes from dark (on your lash line) to light at your brows.
Step 9: To complete the ultimate dramatic smokey eye look, we recommend using a thick and dark eyeliner pencil. This is so you can smudge the color and make the lash line appear even darker. With the guide of your lighted makeup mirror, apply the pencil liner starting from the inner corner, and gradually blending it out towards the outer edge. Add the pencil liner to your waterline too.
Step 10: And then of course you need mascara to finish the look! Coat your upper lashes will 2-3 coats, and your bottom lashes will one small coat.
Method 3: Extra Dramatic All-Over Smokey Eye
What you will need:
- Two eyeshadow colours or an eyeshadow palette
- Eyeshadow brush
- Angled brush
- Tissue
- Concealer
- Primer
- Pencil eyeliner
- Mascara
Step 1: Ok, so for an all over smokey eye that doesn’t smear, smudge or wear off, you need to apply a primer. We recommend this primer as it still allows you to blend and doesn’t make your eyeshadow stick. First thing’s first, apply a small blob of primer all over your eyelid and underneath your brow bone.
Step 2: To ensure the focus of your all over smokey eye remains on your eyelids and not on your dark eye bags (we all get them!), then you need to cover those bad boys up. Using a concealer on the dark circles will also brighten your eyes. We recommend a creamy concealer, as the consistency tends to settle better onto your skin and last longer. Dab a few spots beneath your eye and gently blend into your skin using your ring finger.
Step 3: Take a dark eyeshadow (but not the darkest one) and your eyeshadow brush and slowly start to sweep the color from your lash line all the way up to your eyelid crease. Use a sweeping motion from left to right to cover the whole lid.
Step 4: Now take a smaller, angled eyeshadow brush and your darkest color and gently blend this color in just above the lash line.
Step 5: Blend, blend blend! Use your fluffy eyeshadow brush (after dabbing off the excess color onto a tissue) to blend the colors together so that there is no harsh lines between the two.
Step 6: Time to line. Use a black pencil eyeliner and to line your lash line. Start from the inner corner and drag it out to the outer corner. Make sure there is no gap between the liner and the skin. You can add the pencil to your waterline too if you want.
Step 6: To open up your eyes and to draw focus to them, you are going to want to use a highlighter. This can either be a shimmery eyeshadow, or an actual highlighting liquid or pencil. Apply a small amount along your brow bone.
Step 7: Coat your upper and lower lashes in mascara and there you have it, an all over smokey eye!
So there you go, those are the three best ways for how to do a smokey eye that will be sure to turn heads! Whether you want a classic/natural, dramatic or extra dramatic look, these are the most simple yet effective ways to create your desired look. Good luck!
Jen Miller is a former electrical engineer and product specialist with more than 20 years of product design and testing experience. She has designed more than 200 products for Fortune 500 companies, in fields ranging from home appliances to sports gear and outdoor equipment. She founded Jen Reviews to share her knowledge and critical eye for what makes consumers tick, and adopts a strict no-BS approach to help the reader filter through the maze of products and marketing hype out there. She writes regularly and has been featured on Forbes, Fast Company, The Muse, The Huffington Post, Tiny Buddha and MindBodyGreen.