Dark Smokey Eye Tutorial

I love what a smokey eye can do for you. I love the drama and the depth and it is just plain fun. I do this technique almost everyday with variations. The depth and drama you can achieve with this look is something that can make a girl feel oh so special!


So let's get started...

First off you will need to apply foundation. I like to use liquid foundation, conceal and set with powder. Give yourself a clean canvas to work with. This is art baby!

Next I prime my eyes with a shadow base to give me lasting staying power. Above my face is all ready for the fun stuff.

The Eyes.

To give us the smokey goodness we want we will choose 3 colors to work with. Dark for depth, lighter medium shade and a highlight. The shadows we will be using is Gunmetal (Dark), Money (lighter medium) and Skimp (highlight) from the Urban Decay Mariposa Palette.

Take a medium brush to apply your Skimp (hightlight) underneath your brow and then in the inner corner of your eye making a V shape. This will brighten your eyes and will so pretty. Next take a new medium brush and pack Money (lighter medium) on your lid using short outward motions toward the middle of your lid making the shadow gradually blend.

There should be no shadow on your outer lid. Take a short bristle blending brush and pack Gunmetal (Dark) in a circle motion at the end of your eye. 

This step is important and critical to the whole look. Take the residual on your brush and extend the color along the line of your lower lash. See the different between the two pictures above? Now blend it back toward Money that is already there. 

Blending takes a little practice but keep your strokes light. You can always add more if you want it darker. You should end up with something like this when you are done. 

Take a liner brush and Gunmetal under on the lower lash line blending nicely as you go. Stop about the middle to 3/4 of your eye. You can decide for your eye shape. Ignore the sun light coming through my window blind LOL.

Take your medium brush you used with Money (lighter medium) and connect Gunmetal (dark) to Skimp (highlight).

Line your lower and upper lash line with a black pencil stopping 3/4 of the way in to keep your highlight looking bright. Add some mascara and curl. Also I fill in my eyebrows. 

Now for the cheeks!

For dark eyes like this I would use a lighter peachy shade of blush. You want the focus to be on your eyes so let's keep the cheeks on the softer side. With an angled brush apply in the hollow of your cheek in quick back and forth motion and blend in the apple of your cheek.

Next take a new angled blush brush and apply on the top of where you applied the blush. Dust what is left down the center of your nose, in between your eyebrows and up and on your chin.

The completed look- with bangs up.

And with bangs down. Smashing ain't it? What we want to do with this is darken the outer edges of the eye and draw attention there while at the same time brightening the inner eye. This will make it look clean and effortless. Use a neutral or nude lip gloss and you're all set. 

Before ........After 

Products used:

Liquid Foundation: Flower Cosmetics About Face in LF4

Concealer: Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in 20 Light 

Powder: Bare Minerals Original in Fairly Medium 

Eye Makeup Primer: StillGlamorus Cosmetics Shadow Base in Light
Eye Shadow:Urban Decay Mariposa Palette in Skimp, Money and Gunmetal
Eye Liner: Almay Intense I Color pencil in Black
Mascara: Covergirl flamed out mascara in Very Black Blaze

Brow Powder: Mac Eyeshadow Pot in Handwriting
Blush: Sigma Paris Palette Peche
Highlight: Sigma Paris Palette Lumiere
Lipgloss: BonneBell Vanilla Swirl

Disclaimer: I am not a cosmetologist. I am not an expert. I love makeup and have been experimenting with it since I was very young. The techniques described are what I have found to work for me, my skin tone and texture. Comment if you have questions. Thank you for reading! I appreciate your support.