Subtle Smoky Eye

I'll be the first to admit that it took me forever to get the hang of the smoky eye look. It's tricky business, what with all the bold colors and the contouring. Mistakes are obvious and precision is key, so it's difficult to do it in a hurry. Needless to say, I reserve this bold eye for leisurely weekend nights when I have more time to correct and adjust.

Last night, I was trying to go for a cat's eye that turned into a smoky eye instead. Originally, I wanted a cat's eye with some mild contouring, but I got a bit heavy-handed so it became something in-between. The results were satisfying though, so I went with it.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="472"] Day-friendly smoky eye[/caption]

I find gray/black eyeshadows a little severe, so I prefer to use browns and pinks together most of the time. When the mood for gray strikes, I use the shadows sparingly. With contours, I don't want to "carve" out my features too much because I don't want that huge contrast between having no makeup and being decked out.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Not-too-smoky eye and not-too-nude lips[/caption]

This is the kind of technique I'd use for when I'm feeling dramatic, but don't want to look like Kim Kardashian. (I love her, but her makeup is not wearable to the grocery!)

The Makeup:

EYES - H&M Eyeshadow Palette in grays and blacks (Mine's the old version. They've re-launched it into this).

CHEEKS - I used Ever Bilena Mousse Blush in Aster (PHP 150 original price, but it's often on-sale for much, much less). It's a shimmering bubblegum pink that looks too bright on the pot, but works fantastically with fair skin. The shimmer particles are fine, so there's no "smeared with body glitter" look. This is my default blush.