How to apply smoky eye makeup

Get glam in five easy steps

Nothing says evening glamour quite like sultry, smoky eye makeup. Makeup artist David Goveia shows us how to achieve this sexy look in just five easy steps, with the help of the 2010 Best Health Challenge winner, Cora Coady.

Step 1: White shadow

Using a smaller eyeshadow brush, lightly apply white shadow to the inner corner of the eye, the top of the eyelid and just under the arch of the brow.

“By adding the white, you’re adding a highlight and drawing attention to the corner of the eye rather than the dark circle below it,” Goveia explains. “Applying white shadow to the arch of the brow creates a face-lifting effect.

Tip: For more precise application, use your pinky finger to apply the shadow to the corner of your eye.

Step 2: Black shadow

Black shadow can seem intimidating, but with the right application, anyone can wear this colour.

Using an eyeshadow brush, apply the shadow starting at the upper and outer corners of the top lids. Then gently work the shadow in toward the middle of your lid and stop there to see if your eyes look dark enough.

“You can still do a smoky-eye effect without putting black all around the eye, which can sometimes make the eyes look closer together,” Goveia explains. “If you have smaller eyes, keep the black to the outer third of the lid.”

If you prefer a darker look, apply the black shadow to the outer third of your lower lash line.

Step 3: Blend

Soften up the look by using a cotton swab to smudge the shadow. Start at the upper corner of the lid and blend the black towards the white to create the smoky effect, and then wing out the dark shadow to make your eyes look larger.

Step 4: Curl your lashes

“If you want to look va-va-voom, concentrate on curling the outer lashes, which many people ignore,” Goveia suggests.

When using your curling tool, make sure to curl all the lashes on the outer third of your upper lid. This will make your lashes look longer and fuller.

Step 5: Mascara

Now that your lashes are curled, it’s time to give them extra volume. Here too, you want to concentrate on applying mascara to the outer third lashes, which will make your eyes look bigger, says Goveia.

Apply a light coat of mascara to all your lashes, and then add more coats to the outer lashes until you really start to notice them. And don’t be stingy-Goveia says he’ll use up to 30 coats of mascara on the outer lashes.

“When you do a good job on applying mascara, it makes the lashes look so much bigger,” he says.

The makeup

Goveia used L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara (pictured right) and Studio Secrets Color Smokes in Blackened Smokes.

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