Scouse Bird Problems – How to: A Smokey Eye

Posted On: 10/06/2014

By: Zoe Yak

I asked a friend of mine, Zoe, to grill her make up artist mate and get us the low down on how to perfect that smokey eye step by step. After all it’s a Scouse Bird necessity….

“The Smokey Eye has become an essential for all women wanting to look good. Along with knowing that the higher the heel, the better you feel, and that a good layering of fake tan makes you appear slimmer – knowledge is knowing that the Smokey Eye is the ultimate short cut to looking sexy and glam.

I’m a shit girl though and my attempts at a Smokey Eye make it look like I’ve been jogging without a sports bra on. I am a lucky bitch though and one of my best mates, @hrtsandanchors , is an award winning make up artist. I visited her shop last weekend for an afternoon of prinification and got her to reveal ‘The Cheats Guide to a Smokey Eye’.

1. Firsts things first, get rid of all the make up off your grid – the best artists needs a clean, blank canvas after all. Prime your eyes with a small amount of primer and buff into the eyes with a buffer brush. This will stop your eye shadow creasing. (If you’re on a budget, priming your eyes with your usual foundation and setting it with a loose powder works just as well.)

2. With your black cream shadow or gel liner, apply to the ball of the eyes using a firm shadow brush. With a clean blending fluff, going in small circular motions go in an upward and out direction to blend the cream shadow to avoid any harsh lines. This should not go much further past the crease of your eye!

3. With the same blending fluff, use a little of your black eye shadow (powder) to go over the balls of eyes, to just under the area you have blended up to. Look out for any patchy areas. Going over any in a blotting motion to fill in any gaps.

4. Time to go back to the firm shadow brush – apply some black shadow along the lower lash line going thinner the closer you get to your inner eye. Then from the outer corner with your blending fluff, you will start to blend out a little more to perfect the shape for your eye. I find going from the outer corner, up in long light sweeps to the inner corner going lower as you go in. This will get your natural shape.

5. Using a warm colour (my preferences are brown or purple) I like to warm up the Smokey Eye (A bit of make up foreplay, if you will). Wiping any excess off your blending fluff onto clean tissue. Add the colour of your choice just below the area which is most blended. This should result in a polished look, with no harsh or joined up lines. Make sure there is room to highlight the brow bone and with a little space below. This can be more difficult for smaller eyes but just practice and remember – blend, blend, blend!!

6. Line the top lash line. The easiest way is to go across the lash line in a dotting motion so then they can be joined up. For flicked liner, use the bottom lid as your guide. Going from the outer corner in the line that would point towards the end of your eyebrow. Getting perfected lined eyes can be tricky so adopt the motto that practise makes perfect. And remember, ‘Never ask a girl with perfectly winged eyeliner why she’s late.’

7. If you feel you wanted a bit more adding to your eyes dust over some shimmery loose pigment. Fill in brows (Again, if you’re on a budget, a brown eye shadow works perfectly well). Start from the arch with an angled brush filling in the tail of the brow then going from the bottom line in light sweeping strokes. Apply some mascara to lashes and of course, add some falsies (Primark Sultry one quid eyelashes are fab – on a budget or not!)

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8. Wipe away any dropped shadow from under your eyes and the rest of your face. Apply primer if necessary. Then it’s time for your foundation, concealing any areas you feel its needed. Set with your loose powder. Add any bronzer and blusher.

9. Highlight the brow bone, inner corners of eyes, centre of nose (but not to the tip) cupids bow. Finish with adding it above your cheekbones towards the temples for a fresh glowing look.

10. Finish off by adding some gloss or lipstick.

You might not get this right the first time but just practice and remember to blend.

@ZoeYak

@hrtsandanchors