The smokey eyeliner look is a staple for many. The blend of neutral colours matches any outfit and as far as application goes, it certainly doesn't require a professional makeup artist. A look that can be subtly worn during the day or paired with a bold lip at night, anybody who wears makeup should know how to do a smokey eyeliner. However, here at Eyeko we believe that achieving that smokey eye doesn't need to be complicated or time-consuming. With the right tools and products, anybody can master this look.
There are plenty of variations of how to do a smokey eyeliner look, some more questionable than others (we're looking at you, Julia Fox). In this guide you will find three to choose from that will still turn heads, but for the right reasons. Keep reading for our guide on how to do smokey eyeliner for three iconic eye-looks.
How to smudge eyeliner for smokey eye makeup
The first smokey eye style is created by smudging your eyeliner. This technique results in an effortlessly chic finish that we often see the likes of Hailey Beiber pairing with a leather jacket and ripped jeans. To create this eye-look, you really only need three things:
- The Limitless Long-Wear Pencil Eyeliners in Law of Attraction (black) or Magnetism (brown)
- Eyeko Limitless Eyeshadow Palette 1 or Eyeko Limitless Eyeshadow Palette 2
- Eyeko Lash Alert Mascara
Step One: For the best seamless smudge, the pencil eyeliner should be creamy, long-lasting, and applied before anything else. With this technique there’s no real need to prep the eyelid before-hand. It's up to you here whether you want to use the shade Law of Attraction for an intense smoke or the shade Magnetism for a more subtle look.
Step Two: Draw little dashes along the lash line with your eyeliner from the inner to the outer corner. Draw the dashes as close to the lashes as possible so no skin is showing through. Don't worry about how precise you are, it doesn’t have to be one fluid line. All we want is the general shape of eyeliner to be mapped out with as much colour as possible.
Step Three: The Limitless Longwear Pencil Eyeliner dries quickly, and when they do, they don’t budge. So, as soon as the line has been drawn, use your baby finger to gently blend the liner outwards at the edges and smudge to create a soft, smokey eye makeup effect. Smudging with your fingers is perfect if you’re lacking in brushes and want to achieve this look, fast. However, you can also use a small, firm blending brush to smoke the product out.
Step Four: Use the forefinger to swipe the shade Blunt from the Limitless Palette across the lid, blending into the lash line. From the Limitless 2 palette, you can also use the shade Oath here. A dark brown matte shade works best. Buff the eyeshadow around the eyeliner to diffuse and soften the line, keeping the rest of the lid as light as possible.
Step Five: Finish by curling the lashes and going over with a coat of the Eyeko Lash Alert Mascara.
How to do smokey winged eyeliner
Moving on to how to do a smokey winged eyeliner, the perfect look for a night out. For this, you'll need:
- Eyeko Black Magic
- Eyeko Limitless Eyeshadow Palette 1 or Eyeko Limitless Eyeshadow Palette 2
- Eyeko Lash Alert Mascara
Step One: Begin by prepping the eyelid with a shade that matches your skintone. For light skintones, this could be Drape from the Limitless Eyeshadow Palette 1. For medium or dark, the shade Morale/Stark from Limitless 2 would work better. Use your ring finger to lightly dab the powder all over the lid. This will mattify your eyelid and help the liner stay in place throughout the day.
Step Two: With the fore finger, lightly dab the shade Blunt into the outer corners of the eyes and blend into the crease. With darker colours, always start light and apply more as you go. You can also use a small fluffy blending brush as an option with light, circular motions to blend.
Step Three: Using the Eyeko Black Magic Liquid Eyeliner, sweep the pen along the lash line, stopping at the outer corner.
Step Four: Draw a line from the outer corner towards the tail of the brow, stopping when your wing is just the right size for you. From the end of the wing, glide the brush tip back to meet the lash line.
How to use eyeshadow as eyeliner
To achieve the look below, you can always swipe the Limitless Long-Wear Pencil Eyeliner across the lid and smudge. However, sometimes we simply don't have the room to pack pencil and liquid eyeliners everywhere we go. That is why it's important to know how to use eyeshadow as eyeliner, because yes, it is possible. All you'll need for this look is an angled brush and Eyeko Limitless Eyeshadow Palette 3, plus some mascara which goes without saying.
Step One: Run the angled brush under the tap and shake off any excess water. Dab it into the shade Creator for a jet black finish. The shadow will chalk up into a paste-like consistency on the brush.
Step Two: Using the back of your hand, mix the powder and liquid together to create a smooth paste and get rid of any clumps.
Step Three: From here, how to use eyeshadow as a liner doesn't differ much from how you would use a regular gel liner. Swipe the brush across the lid and as you get to the outer corner of the eye, thicken the line.
Step Four: At the end of the lash line, angle the brush towards the tail of the brow and stop when the wing is the right size for you. Just as with the eyeliner pen, from the end of the wing, sweep the brush tip back to meet the lash line. For a smokier, smudgier eyeliner, simply use dry eyeshadow!
Step Five: Like always, finish with a coat of mascara for the perfect, smokey eyeliner look.
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Experimenting with different eye makeup looks? To master the funky cut crease, take a look at our guide on How To Do 60s Eye Makeup.
