Reader question:
”Hi Helena! I have checked through all your party make-up in the blog (so so so so good inspiration that you can browse through make-up in the tab under your header!) And have fallen flat for all the different smokey eyes that you have done. I would like a step by step with the fastest and easiest way to make smokey eyes, and gladly reached tips on how to "save" it if you do not get to the fade well. And preferably cat eyes. Thanks in advance, love your blog!”
Smokey eyes is one of my favorite makeups to do, think it's so much fun! :)
My 5 best tips:
1. Do not forget the eyeshadow primer! The eye shadow becomes much more intense and it is easier to get it to attach to the eyelid without it falling down under the eyes á la panda eyes. And not to mention the durability, if you have a dark eye shadow, it will be even clearer if it settles in the creases on the eyelid after a few hours.
2. Wrap powder in the crease line before you start applying the eye shadows (not on the entire eyelid) to fix the primer there. Because it attaches so much pigment to the primer, it makes it much easier when you want to fade out the eye shadows later.
Use a brown eye shadow at the edges. Black is always harder to blend out nicely in the skin color (regardless of skin tone) if you compare with a brown shade. Brown is much easier to get soft.
4. Feel free to use a compact but slightly rounded brush when applying the eye shadow, I use Nanshy Tapered Crease to it. Why it is good that it is a little rounded is because when you apply eye shadow with a flat brush, it can often be quite sharp edges immediately, which you then have to spend more time fading out. But if you have a rounded brush, the edges immediately become quite soft and it is much faster to fade later.
5. Dab on shimmer or small glitter on the eyelid if it looks uneven. Shimmer confuses the eye and the irregularities e.g. your fade will not be as visible.
Bassmink:
Face primer - Paese Makeup Base (Matte)
Foundation - gloMinerals Pressed Base Foundation (Golden Medium)
Concealer - gloMinerals Under eye concealer (beige)
Contouring - Paese Bronzing powder (1m)
Rouge - gloMinerals Powder blush (papaya)
Powder - Paese Bamboo Silk Powder
Makeup fixing mist - Pixi makeup fixing mist
Eyebrows - Benecos Eyebrow Designer (Blonde) & Maybelline Brow Precise Fiber Filler (Soft Brown) (adlink)
Lips - Benecos Natural Lip Liner (Red) and gloMinerals Suede Matte Crayon (Demure)
What do you think? :)
- Eyeshadow primer on the entire eyelid and powder in the crease line. The primer is Kryolan Eye Shadow Primer, is testing this but would not recommend it to a smokey eye, it did not last all evening.
- Brown eyeshadow along the globe line, Paese Opal Eyeshadow Trio (Caffe Latte). Apply with Nanshy Tapered Crease.
- Fade the eyeshadow with Nanshy Blending Eyeshadow Brush.
- Dab on black eye shadow with Nanshy Tapered Crease. Paese Kashmir (602)
- Gold eye shadow in the corner of the eye and dabbed on the entire eyelid, Pixi Fairy Dust (Gold Dust)
- Brown eye shadow also along the lower lash line.
- Black eyeliner, Paese Liquid Eyeliner
- Black mascara on all lashes, Magnetic Lash Mascara
I made the eyes in 20 minutes last Saturday before work, and would have done it in 10-15 minutes if I did not take photos + if I had been more planned and not rooted in the boxes after every other product;)
And it's so fast because, thanks to the tips at the beginning of the post, I do not have to work much with the brushes at all to get a soft fade. Because that is usually what takes time (and provokes swear words) when you have to do a dark sweeping haha.
Shout out if you have any questions ♥