Looking for a smokey eye that isn’t brown or grey? Here’s a smokey eye with a twist, using navy on the lid, a matt brown in the crease and white on the inner eye corner. It’s pretty easy, have a go! The great thing about this look is that you can easily copy the technique and substitute the navy eyeshadow for any dark colour (brown, grey, green, etc). Have fun and get creative!

What you need

Makeup

1) Navy eyeshadow. I used Contrast by MAC
2) A matt medium brown eyeshadow. I used Latte by Makeup Geek
3) A white eyeshadow (ideally with some sparkle). I used White Lies by Makeup Geek
4) A nude eyeshadow the same colour as your skin, ideally with a bit of a sheen to it. I used Vanilla Bean by Makeup Geek
5) Eyelash curler
6) Mascara. I used Maybelline the Falsies (waterproof, this holds the lash curl better!)
7) Lipstick of your choice. I used Make Me Pink by Maybelline

Brushes

• A flat stiff brush (for placing colour onto the lid and for brow highlight). Mine is a 16P brush from Inglot.
• A fluffy brush (for blending out the crease colour). Mine is from Makeup Geek
• A stiff angled brush to line under the eyes and fill in the brows. Mine is from QVS (from Farmers)

What to do!

1 Start with a blank canvas (if you have an eye primer, prime your eyelid. I used Urban Decay Primer Potion).

2 Place navy eyeshadow on eyelid: Using your stiff flat brush, place the navy eyeshadow on the outer one third of your eyelid, stopping at your crease. It doesn’t need to be tidy – we’re going to blend it!

3 Crease colour and blending: Using the fluffy eyeshadow brush, get some of the mid brown colour and swipe it through your crease/eye socket. Blend in a backwards forwards, window wiper-like motion! Blend it until the edge of the navy eyeshadow is well blended into the top edge of the brown shadow. Blend the brown eyeshadow up towards your browbone. If you ease off on the pressure of the blending as you swipe upwards, the colour will blend out seamslessly 🙂

4 Apply white eyeshadow and more blending: Clean off the brush you used in step 2 (wipe it off on a tissue). Pick up some of the white eyeshadow and apply that in the inner two thirds of your eyelid, e.g. where there is no eyeshadow so far! Don’t go over the navy eyeshadow – you want the white to stop just where the navy eyeshadow starts. On the seam.join of the navy and white eyeshadow, blend the two colours gently together with your (clean) fluffy brush from Step 3. At this stage, if you think the navy isn’t dark enough, apply a little more! Lastly, clean your brush off again, pick up some more white eyeshadow and apply this in a small circular motion to the inner eye corner (e.g. the side closest to your nose!). This is an instant eye brightener.

5 Apply eyeshadow along the lower lash line. Using the stiff angled brush apply a little white eyeshadow along your lower lash line, from the inner corner, two thirds of the way along. Apply navy eyeshadow on the outer third. Blend the navy eyeshadow by going running the angled brush back and forth.

6 Curl your lashes. Yes, this is optional, but wow, it makes such a difference and really opens up the eye!

7 Apply two coats of mascara

8 Apply brow highlight. Using the (clean) brush from step 2, apply the nude eyeshadow under your eyebrow, e.g. along the brow bone. I used Vanilla Bean from Makeup Geek for this step.

9 Fill in your brows! (I used Mocha eyeshadow by Makeup Geek).

Lastly, apply a lipstick of your choice. I went for Maybelline’s Make Me Pink, which is a gorgeous soft pink, not too bright, not too pale, just the perfect shade!

Hope you enjoy!

Lou x

PS: Where to buy…

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows: They sell eyeshadows as individual compacts too (not just in the pan like mine!). The compacts are US$6.99, or the pans are $5.99. These are really inexpensive, quality eyeshadows. They are cruelty free have no nasties (talc or parabens). I highly recommend them. I use these just as often as my higher end eyeshadows. In terms of ordering from the USA, I’ve bought from Makeup Geek a LOT – and have had consistently great service and quick delivery (as fast as I’ve ever experienced when purchasing overseas that is!)