What is it about eye make up application that has many of us bemused? Is it the endless videos on the internet detailing the minutae of shading and blending techniques and baffling us with tips on exactly how to do it like the celebrities do? Maybe. Or is it just the mistakes we’ve all encountered; uneven eye flicks, eye shadow that an hour later seems to have relocated to different parts of the eye socket, not to mention the cheekbones. Smudges, creases, wrong colour choices, the list goes on. I can hold my hand up as a wuss – I apply, reapply then whisk it off with a cleansing wipe and go au naturel or with just a sweep of khol eye liner. Far too safe and just a little lazy. Make up artist Frances Prescott, queen of the smoky eye, assures me her ten minute technique is simple and effective, plus I’ve quizzed five beauty gurus about what this make up look means to them and their favourite tools to achieve it. The result? I’ve shopped, I’ve tried, I’ve converted. Now, where’s the party?
Smoky eye icons; Debbie Harry, Cara Delevingne, Kate Moss, Beyoncé, Kiera Knightly, Brigitte Bardot, Helena Christensen and a 70 yr old Debbie Harry STILL rocking it. (Images c/o Pinterest)
Over to Frances and her lighter touch smoky eye shown here on model Kirsty Davies;
Frances creates her perfect smoky eye in just ten minutes. Her hero products (just three) include; Stay Don’t Stray, Benefit. Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette – Mind, Stila and Phyto-Khol Perfect, 1 Black, Sisley
MUA Frances Prescott’s Step by Step;
1.”Dont overthink it. It’s sometimes a good idea to ‘put’ your eyes on first to allow for a bit of spillage when blending so it can be quickly cleaned off skin before you’ve used your foundation or tinted moisturiser.
2.Start by using a good eye primer. I use Benefits ‘Stay Don’t Stray’ It has a dip and dab wand that makes application quick and easy, it also comes in shades to suit fair to dark complexions.
3.Then use a mid to darker brown shadow using a good firm shadow brush to blend and create the shape you like. I used the shadow close to lashes along top lid, winging it out to corners in a ‘triangle’ shape then blending underneath bottom lashes.
4.Dont overload the brush and make sure you blend well.
5.Do build up little by little depending on how strong you want your smoky eyes to be. I used a shadow from Stila’s ‘Mind’ palette, but there are heaps of gorgeous mid to darker brown shades out there.
6.To finish off, use a good soft black Khol liner, I used Sisley in the black matt shade (as above), but if you want a little sparkle in you smoky eye try Rimmel’s Exaggerate Auto Eye Definer in Starlit Black, £3.99 or Barry M Kohl Pencil in Black Glitter, £2.99.
7.Line the top lid really close to lashes then add a little under bottom lashes and on inner rim of eye.
8.Finally – add lots of mascara and then youre good to go”
WHAT THE BEAUTY EXPERTS USE:
Journalist and author of Pretty Honest: (‘The Straight Talking Beauty Companion’) Sali Hughes says; “People think of the smoky eye as the holy grail of beauty, requiring complex technique and umpteen products, but I most love the simple sexiness of its pared down form. Just line the upper lid and lower water line with Burberry Effortless Kohl in dark brown or black, then smudge with a brush. Add a line of smoky shadow like Surratt Brun Fumée over the top if you like. It takes seconds and looks gorgeous.”
Burberry Effortless Blendable Kohl in Jet Black £17 Surratt Smoky Eye Baton in Fumée Brun £26
Woman & Home Beauty Director Jo Glanville-Blackburn says; “The smoky eye was an eternal enigma to me until Charlotte Tilbury created her everlasting never to stray ‘Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencil’. Rub it, smudge it, then watch it stay in place an entire day and night, tears included. Now I never wear lipstick.”
Enchanting Indigo Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencil, £19
Freelance Beauty Director & Consultant, Karena Callen says “My smoky eye icon? Debbie Harry, who stills rocks it at 70. I’m still working up to full-on Harry smokiness, but the discovery of Urban Decay’s Naked 2 Basics Palette allows me to go as smoky as I dare (when I’m feeling rock n’ roll) while letting me be subtly smoky on those other days.”
Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette, £38.50
Cosmopolitan Beauty Director, Inge van Lotringen says “The smoky eye I love is far more Kate Moss than Kim Kardashian. The diffused, lived-in quality takes the harshness out of dark shades but really makes eyes pop. Topshop’s Smoke Sticks are genius for this look, they have a soft, charcoal-y finish that does the job for you in a stroke or two, but once on, they don’t run.”
Topshop Beauty Smoke Stick £6.50
Celebrity make up artist and Cruelty Free Ambassador, Justine Jenkins says; “Chunky eye liner crayons are a great invention for making a smoky eye application easier and quicker than ever. Their soft formulations go on seamlessly and blend beautifully. You don’t have to be as precise with a chunky liner as they are designed to blend. Apply to the lash line and immediately smudge for that sultry look. The Nars Velvet Shadow Sticks and Wild About Beauty Eyeshadow pencil duos are some of my faves.”
Nars Velvet Shadow Sticks £20 Wild About Beauty Eyeshadow pencil duos £10.15
What does Make up artist Frances Prescott use on herself when going out? This Bobbi Brown Longwear Cream Shadow Stick, Taupe £20 (not forgetting the Benefit Stay Don’t Stray eye primer)
AND….if you are feeling bold, those good people at Topshop made a video on how to achieve the ultimate party smoky eye. Enjoy.
Fashion & Style Director Shelly Vella
Main Model Photograph by William Garrett
Make up Frances Prescott
Hair Jonothon Malone
Model Kirsty Davies at Models 1
Montage images / Pinterest
Photographed on location at Shoreditch Studios, Over The Road space.