Tune in to Beauty Report for more tips and tricks from Amy Morrison every Thursday from 7pm to 9pm, and join us on Twitter using #BeautyReport!
The classic smokey eye is dark and seductive in shades of black, but the new way to wear this favorite look is with earth tones. Browns, grays, and shades of purple are the new basis for smokey eyes and we’ve got fool-proof method to nail this look every time. You can pick your favorite color and work in those shades or blend multiple hues for a more dramatic effect.
What You’ll Need:
- A earth-tone color palette like the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Set
- A flat paddle eyeshadow brush
- An angled brush
- A blending brush
1. Color Choice
Pick your master color for the smokey eye (brown, bronze, beige, violet etc.). For this example, we’ll use the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Set and say that brown is our ruling color choice. Next we need to choose a darker shade and a lighter shade of that same color. Those with a fairer complexion should choose a shade like the White Chocolate. For medium to darker complexions appropriate shades could be the Milk Chocolate or Salted Caramel.
The corresponding darker shade depends less specifically on complexion and more on the dramatic look you wish to create. Some great matches for a brown smokey eye would be the Semi-Sweet, Haute Chocolate, or Gilded Ganache.
2. The Base
Using your flat paddle eyeshadow brush (it should be flat and rounded with dense hairs concentration) to apply the lighter of the two shades you selected over the entire eye lid.
3. Create Dimension
Taking the darker of the two shades you selected, use your flat paddle brush again to apply from the middle of your eyelid to the outer crease of your eye. Work from the lash line to the crease.
4. Extra Definition
For added effect, take a third shade of your ruling color (in this case the Triple Fudge eyeshadow) and use an angled brush to apply a dark coat along your lash lines, alternatively a coffee colored eyeliner can also be used. Then take a fourth shimmering shade, comparable to your lightest shade, (in this case the Marzipan or Champagne Truffle) and lightly dust the inner corner of the eye.
5. Blend
Switch tools to now use your blending brush and very lightly blend the areas where the different shades meet. The goal is to blur the noticeable line between the shades but not wash either one completely away. Blend outwards towards the outer corner of the eye.
A versatile kit like the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Set makes this natural smokey eye super easy to achieve and it comes with a deep brown eyeliner that perfectly complements these earth tones.
What color will you choose for a smokey eye look?