How to Get Smokey Eyes With Makeup

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Co-authored by Camille Sanghera and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: November 26, 2024 Approved

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• Classic
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Smokey eyes are dramatic, daring, and bold, and they’re perfect for everything from a night out to a special occasion. Even better, with a little practice, anyone can pull off this versatile look. Any color can be used to create a smokey eye, although you will need at least three shades of a similar hue. While black and gray are common options for smokey eyes, you can use brown tones, or you can get creative with purples, greens, blues, or any other color you like!

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Classic

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1. 1
   Apply eyelid primer. Eyelid primer creates a smooth base for your eyeshadow. Just dab a thin layer onto your eyelids using your fingers before you start doing your eye makeup. Not only will the color go on more easily, but it will last longer and the colors you use will be more vibrant.

   • You can find eyelid primer wherever beauty products are sold.
   • If you don’t have eyelid primer, you can use regular face primer instead.
   • For a fun way to create a long-lasting smokey eye, try using colored eyeliner as your eyeshadow base. Smudge the eyeliner where you want it, then blend it out with your finger or an eyeshadow brush. Then, layer on a little eyeshadow to set the pencil. However, avoid using waterproof eyeliner for this, because it will dry quickly and won't smudge well.
2. 
   2
   Sweep your medium shade all over your eyelid. Take your middle eyeshadow shade and apply it over your entire eyelid. However, stop when you get to the natural crease on your lid, rather than brushing the color all the way up to your brows.

   • A dome-shaped eyeshadow brush is perfect for applying color all over your lids.
   • You might also want to stop just before the inner corners of your eyes, since that’s where your highlighter will go.
   • For example, if you’re using a brown palette that contains dark espresso, warm honey, and a shimmery gold shade, you’d use the honey all over your eyelid.
   • To pick out the right color for you, consider which colors will complement your eye color and skin tone. For instance, green eyes look particularly good with a gray and plum smokey eye, while blue eyes pop with gold or copper. Brown eyes look great with shades of navy and gray.
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3. 
   3
   Apply the lightest color to the inner corner of your eyes and under your brow. The lightest color in your palette is known as the highlighter. Using your eyeshadow brush, dab the highlighter on the inside corner of your eyelid on both your upper and lower lids. Sweep it directly under your eyebrows as well, from the beginning to the end of your brows. Then, use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to blend the highlighter into your middle shade.

   • A small, flat brush is great for getting eyeshadow into the inner corners of your eyes, but you can use the same brush you used for the medium shade, if you want. Just be sure to use a cloth to wipe off any of the old color before you switch to a new shade.
   • If you’re using the brown palette from above, this would be the warm honey shade.
   • Figuring out exactly where to place your eyeshadow is the tricky part of a smokey eye, since everyone’s eye shape is different. Just practice and have fun!
4. 
   4
   Begin layering your darkest color onto the outer corner of your eyes. Starting at the outside of your eyes, sweep on the darkest color in a ‘C’ shape. The dark color should go about halfway down your lash line, out to the corner, and back in about halfway down the crease of your eyelid. Whenever you need to apply more of your dark shadow, start at the outer corner of your eye and blend it inwards or upwards. For the best results, work in thin layers, rather than applying a lot of product all at once.

   • A small, flat brush is good for applying color to the crease, although you might prefer a fluffier brush that’s tapered at the ends.
   • Don’t apply the shadow to the too far in. Depending on the shape of your eyes, the inner third or half of your eyelid shouldn’t have any dark shadow at all. This will help your eyes look open and bright.
   • In the brown palette, this would be the dark espresso color.
5. 
   5
   Blend your eyeshadows together. Swirl a fluffy eyeshadow brush from the outer corner of your eye in along your crease, then along the bottom of your eyelid, and all the way up to your brow bone. Keep blending until the shadow fades gradually from the darkest color all the way to your skin tone without any obvious or harsh lines. It can take a little while to get a fully blended eyeshadow look, so be patient.

   • Blend all the way up to your brow bone, and all the way from the outer corner to the inner corner of your eyelid.
   • If you need to, you can apply more color while you’re doing this.
   • If you don’t have a separate blending brush, use a cloth to wipe off all of color from your eyeshadow brush before you start blending, so you don’t transfer the colors.
6. 
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   Add dark eyeliner along your lash line if you want. To make your smokey eye more dramatic, apply pencil, cream, or liquid eyeliner from the inside corner lash line all the way to the outer corner of your eye. To create a cat eye, which is often paired with a smokey eye, add a small upward flick of eyeliner at the outside corner of your eye, pointing up to the outside edge of your eyebrow.

   • For a smudgy look, draw a thick line across the top of your lash line, and then use your fingertip or a small eyeshadow brush to smudge and blur the line.
   • To add more drama to your smoky eye, tightline your eyes. This is when you use your eyeliner to draw a line on the inner-rim of your eyes, located directly under your upper lashes and above your lower lashes. This can be difficult for some, as it involves using eyeliner very close to your eyeball.
   • To line along your lower lash line, either apply your eyeliner or use an angled brush to sweep a little of your dark shadow along your lashes. You may want to only put the dark shadow on the outer half of your lower lashline, so it mirrors the dark color on your upper lids.
7. 
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   Add mascara to define your lashes. Carefully apply your mascara, wiggling your brush between your lashes to help define them. Add no more than two coats to avoid clumps and an unnatural appearance. Apply a single coat to your bottom lashes, as well.

   • Try curling your lashes to make your eyes appear bigger and more open. You can even heat your curler with a blowdryer first to get a more dramatic, long-lasting curl.
   • Replace your mascara every 2-3 months. When it starts to dry out, it can flake off while you're wearing it, which can irritate your eyes.
8. 8
   Clean up any fallen eyeshadow or smudged mascara. If any eyeshadow or mascara fell onto your cheeks below your eyes, use a large, fluffy makeup brush to sweep it off in quick, broad strokes. If any of your mascara smeared along your eyelid or cheeks, use a q-tip dipped in makeup remover to take it off, and then use your blending brush to fix any extra makeup that may have been removed.

   • Once you’re finished, you’re ready to rock your smokey eye!
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Dramatic

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1. 1
   Apply a thin coat of eyeshadow primer. Eyeshadow primer is great because it helps lock your eyeshadow in place, creating a longer-lasting look. In addition, you’ll get a more intense color payoff, and the color will go on more smoothly, so it will be easier to blend.

   • If you don’t have eyeshadow primer, use regular face primer or a brightening concealer instead.
2. 
   2
   Place the lightest color on the insides of your eyes and under your brow. Use a small eyeshadow brush to pat the lightest color, also called the highlighter, onto the inside corners of your eyes. Then, sweep the highlighter directly under your eyebrow, above your crease, as well.

   • If you’d like, you can also sweep the highlighter underneath your eyes a bit on the inside corner. This will make your eyes look wider and more open.
   • This color can be a pearlescent shimmery shade, a pastel hue, or a color that's close to your natural skin tone.
3. 
   3
   Blend your darkest color along your upper and lower lashline. Take your darkest eyeshadow and use your brush to sweep it along the entirety of your upper lash line. Swirl your brush up toward your crease to blend out the dark shade.

   • Your eyeshadow should be the darkest near the roots of your lashes, especially the outer corner, and then blend upwards toward your crease.
   • Apply a little of the darkest color on the lower lash line, but only near the outer edge. Use a small, angled or flat brush to sweep the eyeshadow about halfway across your lower lashes.
   • You might use black, dark brown, forest green, plum, or navy blue as your darkest shade.
4. 
   4
   Add your middle tone along the center of your eyelid. Take your medium shade of eyeshadow, sometimes called a transition shade, and apply it starting about halfway up your eyelid. Sweep the middle color up toward your crease, and blend it down so it creates an ombre effect with the darker shade.

   • You can blend this color upwards beyond your crease and into your highlighter if you want. The goal is for your eyeshadow to get gradually lighter from your lashes to your brows.
   • You can also use a little of this middle shade to blend the dark shadow on your lower lash line. If you want, you can even add it on the inner half of your lower lashes, all the way to the inside corner. If you do this, you don’t need to wear eyeliner on your bottom lashes.
   • This color might be gold, light gray, taupe, or peach, for instance.
5. 
   5
   Blend your colors with a fluffy brush. Take a small, fluffy blending brush and sweep it in soft, broad strokes across your lid at the places where the different shades of eyeshadows meet. Keep sweeping and swirling the brush until there are no harsh lines between the colors.

   • Make sure that your lash line is the darkest part of your eyelid, and if necessary apply a bit more of your darkest shadow directly to your lash line as you blend upwards.
   • Blend out, toward the edges of your eye, so that your shadow softly fades into your natural skin tone. The same should be done for the color that has been placed underneath your eyes.
6. 
   6
   Add your eyeliner. For an ultra-dramatic smokey eye, it is best to use a smudged eyeliner look. Use a chunky eyeliner pencil to draw a thick line across your upper lash line only. Then, use your makeup brush or fingertip to blur the edges upwards.

   • Tightline the inside rims of your eyes to add extra darkness. To do this, draw a line on the part of your eyelid that is nearest your eyeball, directly under your upper eyelashes.
   • If you add eyeliner on your bottom lashes, only bring it as far in as the dark color goes on your lower lashes. Be sure to taper the end of the line though, and blend it into the shadow so that it doesn’t look too harsh against the color.
7. 
   7
   Add your mascara. Carefully apply your mascara to avoid getting any on your eyelid. Wiggle the brush between your lashes to help separate and define them. Avoid using more than two coats of mascara so that you don’t create unsightly clumps and lumps in your lashes. Apply it to your upper lashes first, and then a quick coat to your bottom lashes.
8. 8
   Clean off any excess makeup from your cheeks. If any of the eyeshadow or mascara spilled onto your cheeks, sweep it away with a large makeup brush. Use big, fast strokes to avoid smearing it into your skin. If you do happen to accidentally smear your eyeshadow, use a cotton swab dipped in makeup remover to erase the mistake, and then use your blending brush to fix any lines in your makeup.
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Smokey Eye Chart

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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How can I make my eyeshadow look more pigmented?

  

  Stephanie Navarro
  Professional Makeup Artist

  Stephanie Navarro is a professional makeup artist and hair stylist based in Los Angeles, California. Represented by The Rex Agency, Stephanie's recent work includes grooming for John Legend and makeup and hair for Selma Blair. Her clients include Dermalogica, Virgin Airlines, and Wrangler Jeans. With over 15 years of makeup and styling experience, she holds a cosmetology license from the Marrinello School of Beauty and a makeup certificate from Elegance International.

  

  Stephanie Navarro

  Professional Makeup Artist

  Expert Answer

  Intensify an eyeshadow by wetting your brush a tiny bit first. This is a great way to get more range out of the colors you already own, and it will especially make sparkly eyeshadows pop.

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• Question

  What smokey eyes look great for bright blue eyes on a teenager?

  

  Community Answer

  You should use a dark brown, a nude and a white eyeshadow and make sure you blend it all well.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
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• Question

  Is there an easier way to apply the smoky eye shadow look?

  

  Community Answer

  Take a pencil in whatever color you chose and make a thick line on your upper lash line. Smudge it on the lid with your finger and pat matching shadow on top of it, blending it out into the crease. Smudge out any harsh lines. Line your lashes with black pencil and you're done.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
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Tips

• Consider applying undereye concealer and setting powder before you get started, since this dark look may accentuate dark circles.
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• Using loose powders gives you the best blending ability, which is necessary for creating a great smokey eye. However, loose powder tends to have a lot of “fallout,” meaning the powder may fall down onto your cheeks and face. Be sure to sweep off any errant powder before heading out the door.
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• If you want a sharp edge on the outside of your eye, use some tape to make a stencil and gently peel it away when you're finished
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