Smokey eye is a popular eye makeup. It is a makeup technique where you have a dark to light gradient on your eye lids. The colors are darker at the lash line and lighter at the brow bone. People often think smokey eyes is a bold, dark and vamp look, but it can actually also be a soft neutral look or shimmers and everything in between. You can use one or more colors. One shouldn’t be a professional makeup artist to achieve smokey eyes nor do you need expensive products. The only thing you need is correct technique or else you will end up with a raccoon look. The following are few easy steps to achieve those classy smokey eyes.

Smokey eye with one color
Start with a primer and setting powder. Priming shall make the shadow last long and gives an intense color. Now fill in your eyelids with the color of your choice without crossing the crease.  If you’ve got the desired intensity of the eye shadow on your eyelids, then it’s time to give it a shape. Start sweeping the brush without adding more color above the crease towards brow bone. This gives it a gradient effect but do not go too high. Keep blending till you have no harsh lines. Finish the look with eyeliner and mascara.

Smokey eye with many colors
Prime your eyelids and set it with powder. Apply your base eye shadow on the lids and above the crease till halfway towards brow bone.  Now take your mid tone (darker than base eye shadow) and apply it as close as possible to the lash line and crease.  Now take the darkest eye shadow and apply it at the very edge of lash line and outer corner. Create upside down ‘V’ shape on the outer side of your eyes.  When the shaping is all done, you need to blend till there isn’t any harsh line. Complete the look by applying eyeliner and few coats of mascara.

Things to keep in mind
Blending is the key for the perfect smokey eyes look. You need to merge the colors to avoid any harsh line for that smoked out effect. Concentrate a dark color near the eye and make it fade away towards the brow bone. Remember you are creating a gradient effect. When using shimmery eye shadow for single color smokey eyes, dab the same shade on the center of your eyelids to give them an extra pop. While applying eye shadow, you can always use a tape to create a sharp edge. Simply place Scotch tape on the outer corner (from water line to end of brow). To finish off, you can also use face powder underneath the brows to give it a highlighter effect and also softening the eye shadow. Smokey eye changes your face dramatically. You can go creative with different colors and try out different textures that are flattering to you.

Rebika is a third year student of Bachelors in Development Studies at National College, Kathmandu.

Incorrect lowercase has been corrected as "Scotch tape".