Smokey eyes look beautiful and dramatic, but it takes practice to get them right. With the right smokey eye makeup tips, you can make your eyes look glamorous and prevent them from turning into ghastly raccoon eyes. Unfortunately, we often mess up the shades of eyeshadow or the techniques we need to achieve perfection. Smokey Eyes is an extremely versatile evening eye make-up look that, with the right tips and tricks, looks stunning on all eye shapes. Keep reading this article to achieve that eye candy!
A. Smokey eye makeup tips for smaller eyes
Some people have smaller eyes compared to the overall size of their face. Smokey eyes for small eyes take a very different approach. So if you’re one of them, these tips might help:
Prepare your eyelid; This is the first step. Then apply a concealer as a base on the lids, under the brow and to conceal the dark area around the eyes.
Next, if you like, you can apply small dabs of foundation and blend it well over the area where you may have dark circles. It is very important to cover these. Instead of one thick layer, you can also apply 3-4 thin layers of concealer. Avoid powder as it only reveals wrinkles and lines.
Be careful not to use too dark, brown or black or bronze or purple for smoky eyes on small eyes. Depending on your skin tone, choose an eyeliner that isn’t too intense and doesn’t overwhelm your eyes.
Do not apply dark cosmetics all over the eyelids.
Use a cotton swab or applicator to apply the dark color only from halfway down the end of the eye to the brow bone, but not reaching them in a tail.
Use a lighter color to make the eyes pop on the front lids.
Line your upper lids with a very thin line of liner. You can add a slight winged touch to the ends, near the outer ends of your eyes. Preferably with a hue close to black but not jet black. The more black, the smaller your eyes appear.
You can also line the bottom of the eyes, but for some people it works and makes the eyes pop, but for others it’s worse. So do some trial and error to line the bottom fringe. You can also line your bottom edge with a milky white eyeliner.
Now take a shimmery white or silver eye pencil and simply place a dot between the nose and eyes. Also, cover the area just below the brow with silver shimmer to highlight the brow bone.
If your eyelashes are small, don’t hesitate to use false eyelashes. Before and after applying the mascara, make a double sweep for the upper and lower lashes. You can also use individual lashes instead of strip lashes.
B. Smokey eye makeup tips for big and oblong eyes
Big eyes are a canvas to play with. Smokey eyes on big eyes are simple and easy to do. You can even play with the darkest shades and multiple shades at once by mixing 3-4 colors together. You can use either a matte, metallic, gloss or glitter eyeshadow or a combination of these.
Prime your eyelids, then use concealer and foundation (if needed) as usual for a natural and nude canvas.
Sometimes it seems like your eyes appear out of proportion and too large than your face area. In such cases, you need to focus on using richer and darker colors. If you want your eyes to appear smaller, dark colors are key!
Smokey eye makeup for bigger eyes
Use a bronze or dark mauve shade (a shade lighter than dark purple) etc. for each color like blue or green and line your eyelids in front. Plum is the perfect color to make green eyes look even greener.
Next apply a darker shade like black for bronze or dark violet for lilac etc. to the crease.
smoking eyes
Now blend this darker shade from the extreme extremity of the crease to just below the brow bone to a shade that is almost black.
Apply a very small amount of Shimmer White to the browbones, using a thin line just below the browbones. Keep the center of the eyelids light, with a shimmery white shadow under the browbones.
Smokey eye makeup with a touch of shimmer on the brow bone
Use an eyeliner in a darker shade, jet black is best, and line it thickly.
Also trace the lower rim line. Nothing to experiment with here since your eyes are big enough. Just make them proportional by using kajal, kajal or liner, whatever you prefer. Apply an eyeshadow to the liner, it softens the look and adds longevity to your makeup.
Smokey eye makeup with kajal liner
Use mascara with false eyelashes if you don’t have eyelash extensions but want big, sexy dark eyes. You can curl the lashes before applying the mascara.
Apply mascara freely to both upper and lower lashes. Apply the mascara to the corners, making sure to apply it extra heavily to the outer lashes.
For the starting point of the eyes near the nose, you can use just a small dot of a shimmery white pencil (Elle 18 eye sparklers work well).
In summary, achieving a stunning smoky eye makeup look depends on adapting the technique to the specific eye shape. With smaller eyes, it’s important to avoid obtrusive dark colors and focus on using lighter shades for a subtle, elongated effect. On the other hand, those who have large and elongated eyes have the freedom to play with darker and more varied shades, creating a more dramatic and intriguing look.
For both eye shapes, it’s important to start with a well-prepared eyelid and use concealer and foundation to create a smooth surface. Using the right shades and blending techniques can enhance the appearance of the eyes and create a stunning smoky effect.
