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The smoky eye is back, here’s how to do it now

By MiNDFOOD

The smoky eye is back, here’s how to do it now

We can probably all agree beauty trends have evolved in a big way since the pandemic began. Everything has become more low-key and ‘easy beauty‘ is even trending. 

Classic makeup looks that are laboured-over and sculpted have seemed a bit too contrived.

But all that may soon change as celebrities begin to return to more traditional makeup looks, albeit with a modern edge. 

The latest is the return of the smoky eye. Once involving the blending of a number of charcoal black and grey shades over the eyelid with thick eyeliner and lashings of mascara, the new smoky eye is a touch more minimal but still gives a seriously sultry effect. 

As worn by Kylie Jenner to her sister’s romantic Italian wedding in Portofino and Eva Longoria on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, an extended, soft wing shape combines the look of eyeliner and shadow in one. 

It’s also been adopted by the likes of Bella Hadid and Megan Fox, with an extended shape and inner corner detail now being referred to as the ‘siren eyes’ trend.  Slightly more dramatic, darker around the rims of the eyes, and flicked upwards at the outer corners is the common definition although exact details vary.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Makeup Artist Patrick Ta (@patrickta)

How to get the look:

The modern smoky eye concentrates slightly more on the lash lines than concentrated colour all over the eyelid.  

To create, prime eyelids with an eyelid primer and sweep a soft nude or beige powder eyeshadow all over eyelids. 

Use a soft black kohl pencil and trace along the base of lashes on both upper and lower lids, including the inner corner and the lower waterline, inside the eyelashes. Take a small pencil-shaped brush and smudge these lines gently so there are no harsh lines. 

Take a similar colour eyeshadow and go over the liner, again smudging softly so it blends out slightly. 

Using a sharp-edged item like a credit card or a piece of tape, hold (or stick) up the edge to the corner of your eye to form a guideline for a slight extension of your shadow. Holding the card in place, use the pencil-shaped brush to gently fill the colour outwards and upwards slightly following the guideline of the card. 

Once you have an extended wing use a clean brush to blend the wing slight towards the centre of the eyelid without disturbing the sharp outer edge. 

Alternatively you can use makeup remover or micellar water to clean up the line as needed.

Top off the look with at least two of coats of mascara, concentrating pigment on the outer lashes. 

You can also apply false lashes for a more dramatic effect. Cut each lash in half and only use on the outer corner of eyes to further emphasize the winged shape of the look. You can practice lash application with these quick false lash application tips. 

Don’t think you have to stick to black, the modern smokey eye can be created with any deep colour and looks stunning in chocolate brown or a variation of plums or violet.

Image (top): @KylieJenner

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