A couple of weeks back, I learned a 5 minute smokey eye or defined eye makeup look that I was just bursting to share with all of you. We all know how hard it is to ensure a nice defined eye, especially when we sometimes don’t have much time to get ready. Or, maybe you want to convert your eye makeup from day to night, or just tone it down and wear it in the day.
This is a very simple look you can do with any colour combination, and all you need is 1 finger (or optional brush), 1 fluffy blending brush, 3 eyeshadow colours, eyeliner and 5 minutes 🙂 I’ve got a lovely pictorial tutorial right here.
- Pick a dark eyeshadow colour. Using your 4th finger (or a brush), pick up a dab of colour and dab it on the outer lid, just above the lash line. Don’t worry if its not smooth.
- Then, lightly blend the colour inwards so there are no harsh edges.
- Take the medium or lid colour with the blending brush, and in a gentle side to side motion, blend it a little way at the eye socket area. Blend the two colours together.
- Take a light highlight shade, gently blend the inner portion of the lid and ensure there are no harsh edges. You are practically done at this point!
- Take an eyeliner (gel, liquid or pencil) and draw in your eyeliner, top and bottom. For the bottom, I prefer to take it just part way for the day or even evening. Its less harsh this way for my eyes.
- Take a dense eyeliner brush or the sharp tipped sponge applicator, apply some powder shadow over the liner to help it set. Use a deep shade at the outer edge and a light shade on the inner rim to open up the eyes.
And you are done! It is incredibly quick although it looks complicated. Give it a go and see 😀
You can pair this smokey eye look with either a nude or light coloured lipstick or a bright red lip. I realised that nude lips tend to wash me out so I prefer to go strong on the lips. At the counter, they paired me with a bright fuchsia lip that I loved! I know this breaks all the rules about focusing on just one part of the face, but heck! Rules are meant to be broken! 😀
Blush: Benefit Hervana; Lips on Left: Dior Angelique Pink Right: Le Metier de Beaute Framboise
If you still aren’t sure how to achieve the effect you want, or you want something more natural, you can head down to any Estee Lauder counter, and request for the mini makeover. Its complimentary and part of their Signature Service that anyone can ask for, whether or not they buy anything. You get to try colours, learn your foundation shades and if the products intrigue you enough, pick them up 🙂 But the key thing is, its complimentary to start.
Does this little smokey eye tutorial help you? Are you wont to go with the regular black smokey eye or are you more adventurous? I used purple because its different and because I just discovered this Estee Lauder Surreal VioletVelvet Orchids eyeshadow palette and am thrilled that I can wear purple on my eyes without looking like someone punched me! 😀
Paris B
Gorgeous palette and really like the way you apply it. I really need to take my palette, sit in front of your post and do it step by step.
Thanks Jyoan 🙂 I don’t think you really need the tips anyway 😉
Nice purple look, dressed up or down! I never quite thought using fingers for eye shadows are approved by makeup artists since I always seen them with brushes. But heck, it really does save a lot of time. Thanks for the tip!
Thank you 😀 I know, most of the time, we are so used to people using brushes but many makeup artists I’ve spoken to tell me its just quicker to use fingers! The Japanese ones usually are more likely to use their fingers to apply colour and then use a brush to blend. Its much quicker and colour can go on more intensely 😀
I just love the color purple! Looks beautiful!! It really makes brown eyes stand out. I just love palettes that have all the colors you’ll need in one place!
Thank you 🙂 I have a thing for palettes too – its just so much easier having all the colours you need in one place 🙂
wow, this looks so amazingly flattering on you! really sultry but so well done that it’s still appropriate (hope you get what i mean ;)) and it definitely looks like one has put a lot of effort into it – in fact my eye make up doesn’t differ much from your result even if i needed 15 minutes for it, so YAY from my side! i’ll definitely try this technique the next time!
thanks a lot for sharing!
Hi there! Thank you and I totally get what you mean 😀 I love the way you do your eye makeup too – its very pretty! Do let me know if this method will work for you. I’ve been putting the dark colour first for a long time but its the first time that a makeup artist has told me its alright or even better to do so 😉
Great look there Paris! Prefer you with the red lipstick though. Looks really chic. But then again, i’m a bold girl! 😀 Great tutorial btw.
However, I always do my eye makeup the reverse way from yours.
1) primer on eyelids.
2) highlighter on brow bone.
3) Medium coloured e/s on the whole of eyelids.
4) Darkest coloured e/s at the side of the eyelids and slightly above the folded eyelids.
5) Eyeliner – if i want a subtler look, i go for dark brown. If really want the eye to pop more, then black.
Thank you Sharon and thanks for sharing your tips too!
Nice look, Paris! And I think the bright red lip is definitely your signature. LOL.
I’ve tried the purple smokey eye quite a few times myself, and I find blending it out with a greyish/silver shade helps keep it from looking “punched in the eye”. At least, it worked for me. =)
Thanks Syen for the tip! I think the trick is to cool down the purple shade because most times, the bruised look comes with red toned purples that are just too close to the colour of a bruise LOL!
I only have 3 words, PB! Love, love and love. hehehe.. 🙂 Very sultry and wearable at the same time. Purple is one of my favourite colour, so definitely will try this. As well as all other colour that i have. Simplicity with maximum effect. LOL.. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Nani, I hope you managed to try it and that you got a good effect out of it 🙂 Its easy to wear this for the day or to just deepen it for the evening 🙂
Very pretty, dear. You do these looks so well.
Thank you Mag, you’re very kind 😀
Will email this handy guide to my I’m-not-really-into-makeup sister who greedily goes through my Chinese language makeup mags! 🙂
Haha I hope it prompts her to be a I-will-give-makeup-a-go-because-its-so-easy! 😉
eh i expect something more dramatic when you mentioned smokey..ehhe..this is nice for day not too heavy…
Ah sorry to disappoint 🙂 But its quite easy to vamp this up for the evening although its still quite deep even for the day, unless of course one has a flexible sort of day life 🙂
I have seen it more recently in magazines and stuff bold lips and eyes so actually you’re right on trend…:-)
Thanks Alisha, that’s always good to know! 😉
You look great but I’m always afraid I’m going to look like one of those girls in the Robert Palmer “addicted to love” music video…LOL.
HAHAHA! Oh dear you made ma laugh so hard 😀 I actually had visions of those scary looking girls in my head 😀