Holiday season is smoky eye season. Between office parties, family dinners, galas and New Year's Eve, this is the time of year my clients ask for a little more drama around the eyes. After twenty-plus years doing makeup in my Houston salon, I can tell you the smoky eye has a reputation for being hard, but it's really just a few steps done in the right order. The secret is building it softly, so it looks smoldering and polished instead of heavy. Here's exactly how I do it, plus how to make it last until the last song.
The difference between a pro smoky eye and a messy one usually comes down to three things: a good base, blending in layers, and clean edges. You don't need twenty brushes or a dozen shades. One great palette, a gel liner, mascara and a little patience will do it. If you want the right tools, our 12-Piece Brush Set covers every step below.
Start with clean, moisturized skin and give your eye cream a few minutes to sink in, because a slippery lid makes shadow travel. Then apply a thin layer of Eye & Lip Primer from lash line to brow bone. Primer evens out discoloration, helps shadow look true to the pan and keeps it from creasing. Set it with a sheer dusting of JA Hi-Def Loose Powder or a skin-tone matte shadow so your blending stays smooth.
Pro tip: do your eyes before your foundation. Dark shadow can fall onto your cheeks, and it's much easier to clean up bare skin than to fix a finished base.
With a fluffy blending brush, sweep a soft matte brown or taupe through your crease using windshield-wiper motions. This shade is a bridge between your lid and your darker colors, and it's what keeps a smoky eye from looking like a harsh block. Our 12-Well Eyeshadow Palette in Nude Ambition has the soft neutrals I reach for here. If you have hooded eyes, look straight ahead with your eyes open as you place it, so the color sits just above where your lid folds.
Now the smoke. Pick a deep shade, like a rich chocolate, plum, charcoal or black, and press it onto the outer third of your lid with a small flat brush. Then use a clean, smaller blending brush to soften it up and out toward your transition shade. Go slowly and add color in thin layers. It is always easier to add than to take away. For more intense holiday drama, the 12-Well Eyeshadow Palette in Handcuffed and single shades like Black Star and Date Night give you plenty to play with.
A smoky eye looks most flattering with a touch of light in the center. Tap a satin or soft shimmer shade onto the middle of your lid with your fingertip, which deposits more shine than a brush. A soft, matte light shade on the brow bone and a tiny touch in the inner corner will open your eyes up. Browse our full eyeshadow collection and palettes to find your mix.
This is the step that makes it a true smoky eye. Line your upper lash line with a long-wearing gel pencil like Pencil Eye Gel in Black Caviar, then immediately smudge it with a small brush before it sets. Press a little of your deepest shadow over the top to lock it in. For the lower lash line, a softer brown eye pencil smudged along the outer half keeps the look smoky without closing your eyes in. Keep pencils sharp with our Dual Sharpener for clean, precise application.
Curl your lashes and apply two or three coats of Black Longwear Mascara, wiggling at the base and pulling up through the tips. Then frame it all with groomed, filled-in brows. A swipe of Brow Fixx sets the shape so your brows balance the drama of the eye.
Use a cotton swab or a flat brush with a little concealer to sharpen the outer edge of your shadow and clean up any fallout. Then do your base, blush and lips. With a strong eye, I like a soft, neutral lip so the look feels balanced. A sheer gloss or a rosy nude from our lip collection works beautifully. If you'd rather go bold on the lips instead, see our fall lip color guide and keep the eyes softer.
Houston holiday parties can still be warm and crowded, so for more long-wear tricks see how to make makeup last in Houston humidity.
Mature eyelids can have more texture and less space, and that's no reason to skip a smoky eye. Choose satin and soft-shimmer finishes over chunky glitter, smudge your liner instead of drawing a sharp wing, and keep the shape lifted toward the outer corner rather than dragging it down. So many women in my chair tell me that feeling glamorous again was part of how they found their confidence in midlife, which is a big part of my book MENO POSSE. Read more in Menopause and Makeup: What MENO POSSE Taught Me About Midlife Glow.
Janelle Alexis Cosmetics are cruelty-free, made in the USA and ship from the USA, and our formulas are good for all skin types. I built this line from what I actually reach for in the salon, so every shade is made to look beautiful in person and on camera.
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Prep lids with an eye primer, set it with a light dusting of powder or a neutral shadow, and build color in thin layers. Pressing shadow on with a flat brush before blending also helps it grip.
Yes. Keep your eyes open and looking straight ahead while you place your transition shade, so it sits just above the visible crease. Smoke the liner along the upper lash line and keep the darkest color close to the lashes.
Do your eyes before your foundation, or tuck a little loose powder under your eyes while you work and sweep it away at the end. Tap excess shadow off your brush before applying.
Absolutely. Choose satin or soft-shimmer shades over very glittery ones, smudge liner instead of drawing a hard line, and keep the shape lifted toward the outer corner.
Yes. Janelle Alexis Cosmetics are cruelty-free, made in the USA and ship from the USA.
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