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How To Conquer The Smokey Eye

Hey guys!!! I know that a lot of people have trouble getting down the perfect sexy smokey eye...so today I am going to give you guys a few little tips that may help you perfect the look. If you find this post helpful and/or want  to see a full smokey eye tutorial, leave a comment below and let me know. If that is something that interests you guys, I can do a tutorial on my YouTube channel.
The smokey eye is one of my favorite looks because it matches everything. It is basically just gray, black and white so most of the time you don't have to worry about it clashing with your outfit. The smokey eye can be done in several different degrees of intensity depending on where you are going. Personally, I like to wear it as an every day look instead of neutrals. Of course, for school my smokey eye is lighter than for nights out with my friends. Today I am going to talk about tricks for every day and for a night on the town...so lets get into it!

Every Day:
1.) Use shimmery colors. If you are going for an every day smokey eye, the worst thing you can do is attack that crease with a matte black. Go for a black that has some shimmer to it. The shimmer will dull the color a bit so that it is not as intense.
2.) Take a shimmery gray and pat it onto the outer corner, and then work it into the crease. The gray will give a lighter effect then just pure black.
3.) Use a pink color for the high lite. I know that probably sounds a bit unusual, but using a pink shadow for the high lite will complete the look. Blending it down a bit into the gray crease will soften the gray and make the atone a bit more suitable for every day.  
4.) Do not line your tight line and your water line. Just doing the lash lines. Only lining the last lines will give you that black liner effect without being too dark.

Products to Try:
1.) Maybelline has a eyeshadow quad that has a pink, a white, a gray and a black. All of the colors are shimmery and make the perfect every day smokey eye. The shadows are a fabulous texture and with a little bit of concealer, stay on all day. I like this quad for the every day smokey eye because it is not too pigmented. Usually, you want your colors to be very pigmented. However, in this case, it is better to go with a less pigmented color and build it up then starting with too much color and having to blend it out. Another great thing about this quad is that it is inexpensive and it has all of the colors that you need for the look in one pallet. My friend got me this pallet for my birthday last year, but I have seen it in target so I know that it is pretty easy to find.
2.) Lancolme crayon eyeliner. Okay, so this product is a bit more pricy. However, it is totally worth the investment. This liner goes on really smoothly and can really be used for any intensity. Light pressure when applying it will give you a light line while dark pressure will provide you with a thicker line. Another great thing about this liner is that it comes with a little blender brush on the end. I love this particular blender because it actually blends. I think that a  lot of blenders that come on eyeliners just smudge everything out and make a mess. This blender is not like that, it really does a good job of blending that line out.

Night Out:
1.) Gel Eyeliner. It honestly does not matter what brand. I have heard that Mac has a nice one but right now I am still working on finishing up my Maybelline one. Gel eyeliner is an essential for that fierce, dark liner look. It is the perfect texture for lining the tight and water lines. It comes out the blackest of blacks and can really complete a look.
2.) Use concealer and and eyeshadow base. I know that usually you go for one or the other, but if your want the fiercest smokey eye...go for both. I like the Maybelline color tattoo's but you can use any of them. Apply a white shade from your lid all the way up to your brow. Then in the crease, use a gray color or black if you prefer.
3.) Winged eyeliner. This is a must. It will add so much drama to your look and make it look perfect. I know that a lot of people have trouble doing winged eyeliner and my number one tip for that is practice practice practice. I was going to try to explain my tricks to it here but I decided to make a video about it instead so keep an eye out for that video on my YouTube. It should be up in the next week or so.
4.) Add some rhinestones to the corners or some sparkles to your eyebrows or cheeks. Ulta has a really nice shimmery shadow that you can apply as a high lite on your cheeks or work into your brow to add a bit of sparkle to your look....after all....you can never shine too brightly.
5.) LINE YOUR TIGHT AND WATER LINE. It makes a huge difference. 
6.) Use a good vloumeizing mascara and a good lengthening one. The goal is to get those lashes looking big and bold and dark. If you are not a fan of mascara or do not have very good luck with it, try fake lashes. Most drug stores sell ones that will do the trick.

Products to Try:
1.) Gun Metal Gray by Ulta. It is the perfect crease gray for a nighttime look. It comes in a single pot so you do not have to purchase an entire kit to get it.
2.) Victoria's Secret Sultry Look Palette. I do not know if they still sell this because I got it in the mail as a sample a few years ago. However, this is like the ultimate guide to the smokey eye. It comes with four shadows and labels where to put each one. The colors are all very pigmented and you do not need to use a lot of product in order to obtain a fierce look. The palette also comes with a blush, a highlighter, a lip gloss and a lipstick. I absolutely love the lip color! It is seriously my favorite lip color that I own, I am not allergic to it and it is moisturizing so I never need to apply lip balm over it. If you can find this palette, deff check it out. You will not regret it, I promise!! (One little note, I am allergic to the highlighter so if you have make up allergies...do not use it. You should be fine with the rest of the palette though.)
3.) Revlon Grow Lushes Plumping Mascara. This is my favorite mascara ever. I know that I have probably talked about it before but it is seriously amazing. It makes your lashes look so full and it is just perfect. It is a drug store mascara so you can get it really inexpensively. The only downfall with this mascara is that you should use a lengthening one to go alone with it. I like the Nutragina volumizer. I know that it is so post to be for volume but it really lengthens well for me. However, I have not been able to find it in the stores lately soooooo....

And those are my tips for conquering the smokey eye!! Again, let me know if you want to see a tutorial, and my how too for winged eyeliner will be up on my channel shortly. I hope that this post helped you guys a bit. The smokey eye is a hard look to master...but with a little bit of practice....it is far from impossible.

xoxoxo

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