The smokey eye look has been a favourite in the makeup community for a while. It accentuates your eye colour and gives you that mysterious vibe that everyone is drawn to. While many think that creating a smokey eye is difficult, we’re here to prove you wrong. By the time you read this article, you will be able to create a seamless smokey eye.

In this article, we will cover five important general tips, as well as specific guides that are based on your eye shape:

• Blending
• Using tape
• Tapping off excess product
• Using a good eyeshadow primer
• Gradient eyeshadow

So, what’s the perfect makeup for my eye shape and how can I create a stunning smokey eye? Let’s learn.

1. Blend, Blend, Blend

When you think of that perfect smokey eye look, what do you notice from the get-go? The blend, of course! The iconic smokey eye look is known for soft lines and seamless colour transitions. So, don’t leave any harsh and unblended lines. And, black and other darker eyeshadows are the main culprit for harsh lines because they’re the hardest to blend.

When using darker colours, especially black, go slow and layer the colour. Pick some shadow up with your brush and tap off the residue. Then, go in soft and slow. Here’s a cool tip - when aiming for that perfect blend, hold your brush near the end with your fingers. This will allow you better control over your blending and it will create softer lines and smoother colour transitions.

2. Use Tape to Get Clean Lines

If you’d like to get a perfectly-defined outer crease, then you can use scotch tape to define that line. The smokey eye is all about softness and precision. This tip is especially suitable for individuals with downturned eyes, which we will go a bit more in-depth further in the article. 

Take a small piece of tape and align it with your waterline. Stick the tape to your face and leave it on until you’re done creating your smokey eye. Once everything is in place, remove the tape. When removing the tape, make sure to start from the bottom part and go upwards. Brush off any excess shadow residue and you’re good-to-go. Isn’t that precise, sharp line superb?

3. Tap Your Brush

As we have mentioned multiple times throughout this article, a seamless blend and no harsh lines are the key ingredients for a perfect smokey eye look. And, using too much eyeshadow is where fellow makeup lovers often go wrong. When getting eyeshadow colour with your brush, your brush picks up quite a lot of product.

If you don’t tap off the excess from the top, you will have way too much eyeshadow on your eye, making the blending process much more difficult. Instead, just tap off the excess before you go in to blend the colour. Also, when going in with your brush, use light motion to pick up the eyeshadow. Otherwise, you’re wasting an expensive product for no reason.

4. Use a Good Base

Using a good and reliable eyeshadow base is the key to having a long-lasting smokey eye. However, durability isn’t the only reason why a high-quality eyeshadow base is required. Eyeshadow primers also impact the colour payoff. Thanks to eye primers, your shadows will be bold, co, and saturated.

You can also use a high-coverage concealer as your base if you don’t have a primer at hand. However, I don’t recommend this particular tip for individuals with oily skin. On oily skin, concealers tend to slip off, so using a proper eyeshadow primer is preferred. Or, if you don’t have any at hand, you can use a concealer, but make sure to set it with face powder or a light eyeshadow.

5. Use Different Eyeshadows

While most smokey eye looks appear as though they were created with only two to three eyeshadow colours, every professional makeup artist will tell you that that’s not the case. For example, if you’re going for a brown-black smokey eye, instead of using just one shade of brown, try using multiple shades.

Here’s a pro tip. Start with a light brown colour to set the eye and blend it slightly above the crease. Then, take a darker brown shade and place it inside your crease. Next, use a brown colour that’s two shades lighter and blend out the darker brown. This will create a seamless colour transition. Lastly, put a tiny bit of black on your outer corner and blend it inwards.

Smokey Eye Makeup for Different Eye Shapes - Tips and Tricks

The tips we listed above are suitable for all eye shapes. However, when it comes to the actual shadow placement technique, you should take note of your eye shape and follow specific tips below.

Smokey Eye Makeup Tips for Hooded Eyes

Hooded eyes can be tricky to wear because they have excess skin on the lid. However, with some practice, you will nail that smokey eye like a pro. We recommend avoiding placing a dark colour all over the lid to make the eye look less heavy. Instead of going with colour inside your crease, place the shadow slightly above the hooded area of your eye. Lastly, add a shimmer shade to your inner corner.

How to Do a Smokey Eye on Deep-Set Eyes

Deep-set eyes are known for having accentuated brow bones. So, when creating a smokey eye, you should think of a way to pull your eyes forward. Use a lighter, perhaps metallic, shade on your brow bone. Then, use a slightly darker colour on your crease, starting from the outer corner and blending it just below the brow bone. We highly recommend Smolder Shadow - it’s so buttery and easy to work with.

Smokey Eye Makeup Look for Monolid Eyes

Monolid eyes are great for smokey eye looks because there’s a lot of eye space to work with. However, the key here is to add some dimension. Use a dark shade and blend it closely to your lash line. Then, use a slightly lighter colour on the upper part of the eyelid to create a nice gradient effect.

Smokey Eye Step By Step for Downturned Eyes

For downturned eyes, we recommend going in with eyeliner and creating that perfect cat-eye. You can use a liquid or a pencil liner - whatever you feel the most comfortable with. We recommend buying the Best Smudgy Eyeliner Pencil because it’s soft and beginner-friendly. And, use tape to get a precise line. Use dark colours on the outer corner of the eye, and lighter colours the inner corner.

Final Thoughts

Creating a stunning smokey eye look doesn’t require much effort, just a couple of days worth of practice. If you follow our guide, you will become a smokey eye pro in no time. Just make sure to adjust your look to your particular eye shape, to achieve the best results. Have fun blending!