A smoky eye is one of the most iconic makeup techniques. It can transform your look from plain to pretty, from simple to sultry. But simply doing the same smoky eye over and over can get boring and predictable! You want to stand out from the rest, don’t you? Spice up your style with the following techniques for your smoky eye:

Draw a Cat Eye
Thanks to celebrity icons like Adele and Amy Winehouse, cat eyes are currently all the rage in fashion. Drawing a cat eye with eyeliner can really pump up the drama of your usual smoky eye look. Try using our Liquid Eyeliner for dark, precise lines. Depending on your personal style, your cat eye can be long and thick or skinny and subtle. No matter how you draw it, it will transform your look from ordinary to extraordinary.

Change the Colors
Gray, black and brown tones are not the only colors you can use to make a smoky eye. Purples, blues, and greens can be used to create the perfect smoky eye look. If you want to try a different color on your lids, make sure you choose tones that are of varying hues, ranging from light to dark. Our 28 Color Smoky Eye Palette has a color combination that can be used for a traditional or colored smoky eyes.

Add Fun Accents
Try adding your own personality to your smoky eye style! A conservative dash of glitter can show off your fun side and make your eyes really pop when caught in the light. Additionally, adding metallic colors to strategic points on your eye, like under your brow line or in the crease of your eye, can be a subtle way to highlight your eyes. Shiny colors in these areas can brighten your eyes, making you look younger and night-ready in an instant.

Your eyelids are like a canvas, and you can paint them however you want. Making these small changes to your usual smoky eye look can send your beauty off the charts, and will ensure you stand out in the crowd.

I was in a huge rush on Saturday night as I was out all day, and then had to get ready for a last-minute event. I had 30 minutes to get ready before going out again, so there was no way I was going to wash my face and start over on a blank canvas. I wanted to create sultry eyes to match the warm nighttime atmosphere, so I simply worked with my daytime look to create these smoky eyes:

Like? Here are simple steps to achieve this look:

• First, re-enforce your medium tone by using the Blending Brush and a deeper, warm taupe satin/shimmer texture shadow over the entire lid and crease for a well blended base.
• Follow with a matte black shadow from the 120 Color Eyeshadow Palette 5th Edition (to bring more drama to the look you may use the matte black shade with golden flakes) and stipple it over the entire lid with the Contour Blending Brush. Begin by stippling from the lash line up toward the crease for a smooth build of color.
• Dip the Blending Brush into a cool matte brown shade and blend the black and taupe shades together.
• Apply an additional coat of mascara and a bright color to your lips, and you are out the door!

If you’re not familiar with our 120 Color Eyeshadow Palette 5th Edition, here are several swatches I took:

Tell me your smoky eye tips in the comments below!

-Julia