How To Achieve A Smoky Eye Look 

Mastering a smoky eye look that is applied with confidence and finesse is an achievement for many of us. Very often the smoky eye application is overcomplicated, but it only takes a professional technique paired with a bit of practice before you’re the queen of the smoky eye.  

So whether you’re using a classic colour palette of smoky greys or browns or experimenting with brighter colours blended effortlessly to create a dramatic eye, a smoky eye is a fantastic way to define your beautiful eyes and make them really pop. You can dial the drama up or down depending on the occasion, so the best thing about a smoky eye is that you can rarely go wrong.  

We’ve previously shared some basic smoky eye tips, but now we’re taking things one step further having paired up with the professional makeup artists at Illamasqua. Here, the Illamasqua team show you how to amp up your makeup for a more dramatic and refined smoky eye look that is so simple and yet so effective - people will think you’ve had your makeup professionally applied! 

How To Do A Smoky Eye Look 

Want to know the trade secrets for achieving the perfect sultry smoky eye look? Watch the expert step-by-step video below and you’ll be well on your way towards the ultimate smoky eye application. 

7 Easy Steps To Create The Ultimate Smoky Eye 

1. Start with a bold base. Instead of choosing a classic neutral base for your smoky eye, instead, cover your lids in a pop of a brighter colour. Here, we used a rich coppery orange as our base shade. 2
2. Choose a light highlight. This helps to stop the smoky eye from looking too heavy by widening the eye area. Sweep the light highlight colour under the brow bone and into the inner corner of the eye. 3
3. Go for mattes to define. A neutral matte will add a subtle shadow to the crease along with the eye socket. A dark matte will blend the shadow shade and your bold base together for a beautifully defined look. 4
4. Gel liner is your best friend. For a rich, dark lash-line, a gel liner is perfect. Apply it along the top lash line and blend out for a dark smoky eye. 5
5. Blending is key. For that professional finish, blending is essential. At every step, just use a fluffy brush to soften everything so you have no harsh lines. 6
6. Shimmer makes for drama. To make everything a little richer, popping a touch of shimmer pigment just on the middle of the lid where the light hits is the ideal finishing touch. 
7. Don’t be scared of pairing with a bold lip. A dark, rich lip that ties in with the tones of your smoky eye can bring out the richness and drama so if you want to be bold, go for it. 

Once you’ve followed the 7 easy steps above, your eyes will be looking seriously smoking. Achieving the ultimate smoky eye will take a little patience and practice but there’s so much fun in experimenting with all your favourite eyeshadows.