Do It Yourself Makeup: Smokey Eyes (VIDEO)

By Melissa Barlow on September 22nd, 2009

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Hi there! I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately on how to do a good smokey eye, so I decided to do a video for you. I grabbed by BFF, the always stunning Laurie Percival and bribed her with Starbucks to be my model. In the video, I am using the Stila Original Smokey Eye palette, Cat Cosmetics Smoulder Eye Pencil, Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara and various eye shadow brushes.

To Apply: Always remember that you need to start slowly with a smokey eye. You can always add more color but it’s really hard to take color away without removing all your make up and starting again.

Step 1: Apply a neutral base color on the entire lid from the lash line to the brow bone. I like a nice champagne or beige shade with a little shimmer.

Step 2: Apply a neutral gray shade to the outer corners of the lid and in the crease. I wouldn’t use black for this part. It gets a little too Morticia Addams (I think Morticia is fabulous. I’m a former spooky girl).

Step 3: Line the lids with a dark pencil. For this part I don’t even care about a precise line I just smudge it out anyway. As long as the lash line is covered just draw it on. I then use a brush with dark shadow on it to smudge and blend the eyeliner onto the lid. Do not blend above the crease. It gets to goth after that.

Step 4: Apply mascara as usual. For a smokey eye I like a ton of mascara.

TIP: To keep your application even make sure that whatever you do to one eye you do to the other at the same time. Don’t focus on one eye otherwise you will have a really hard time recreating the same look on the other eye.

A good smokey eye takes practice. Don’t get discouraged if you make a mess on your first attempt (I know I did). Keep practicing. You can do it.