After last week’s hair tutorial, I’ve been in a beauty mood, so I wanted to try a makeup tutorial focused on a dramatic smokey eye. This look can be dialed up for Halloween with bold false lashes like the pair I used (they were inexpensive at Target), or worn more subtly without lashes for an evening out.
How to create a dramatic smokey eye—step by step:
1. Apply a base shade across the entire eyelid. A grey smokey shade works well; choose black for a more intense effect.
2. Using a flat shader brush, pack a silvery grey shadow all over the lid up to the crease. Smudge the same color along the lower lash line.
3. Add a deeper grey or black into the crease, and smudge that color on the outer upper and lower corners to deepen the look.
4. Soften all edges with a soft, fluffy brush using a windshield-wiper motion. Blend until the smokiness looks even and seamless, including underneath the eye.
5. Line the upper lash line with black liner and smudge it for a smoked effect. Finish with mascara.
6. You can stop here for a classic smokey eye. To amplify the look for Halloween, apply false lashes with adhesive. If any glue is visible, conceal it with black liner for a cleaner finish.
Below are examples of the finished eye with and without lashes so you can compare how the look changes depending on intensity.
Photography: Amelia Tatnall
Makeup: Rachel Brewer
P.S. The day we shot this tutorial I ran into one of the studio landlords for the first time while wearing full-on dramatic makeup and the lashes—definitely an unforgettable first impression.
Will you try this smokey eye? Do you prefer the bold lash version or the more natural no-lash option?