Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Beauty Tutorial >> Sultry Smokey Eyes in 5 Minutes!

smokey eye tutorial
You guys know my little sis, Morgan, as the food editor extraordinaire here at Bubby and Bean.  What you probably didn't know is that she is a serious guru when it comes to makeup.  After my super-hippie period of frolicking about the country with little more than a tube of lip balm in my bag, she was the one who taught me to apply mascara without looking like a sleepy raccoon.  She's always experimenting with new products and crazy colors, but her real talent lies in her ability to create a perfectly made-up face in a matter of minutes.  While I was visiting her this weekend, she did my eye makeup before we went to see my husband's band play, and I was majorly impressed with how she managed to make me look 100 times better (via some very sultry smokey eyes) in less than 5 minutes.  I asked her if she could recreate the look on me again the following day, and we decided to put together a little tutorial for you guys while we were at it!


T I P  >>   Work with what you have.  Morgan says this look is easy to improvise, even if you don't have all of the "essentials" shown above. 

smoky eye tutorial

STEP 1 >>  Start with a clean bare eye.  If you have an eyeshadow base or a flesh colored matte shadow on hand, apply to the upper lid. (This helps your eye makeup to stay in place.)

STEP 2 >>  Use an eyeshadow brush to sweep some dark brown shimmer over the entire eyelid and under the eye.  I used a shading brush for Melissa's eyes, but I'm not gonna lie - I usually use the cheap pads that come with plain old drugstore eye shadow.  Most makeup artists would scold me for this, but I find that they give you more control, which means a quicker makeup job!

STEP 3 >>  Add a coat of matte black shadow just along the upper and lower lash lines.

STEP 4 >>  Use a Q-Tip for quick clean-up of any loose eye shadow.  This step is totally optional, but it shaves off the time spent wiping any messes off your peepers after you're all done and the shadow has had a chance to set.

STEP 5 >>  Apply black eyeliner along the lash line all the way to the inner corners and along the lower waterline*.  Any black eyeliner pencil will do, but my must-have, every-single-day choice is Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in 'Zero.'   *The lower waterline is the bottom rim of your eye.  If you have overly sensitive eyes, you can skip this step.

STEP 6 >>  Sweep a light coat of a pale, neutral colored shimmer (I used a champagne color) along the top edge of the brown shadow that you applied in step 2, then apply a dab of white shimmer at the inner corners of your eyes.  (A hint of shimmery white shadow on the inner corners of your eye makes them look bigger and brighter.  It's like a happy little miracle.)

STEP 7 >>  Apply two coats of black mascara to your top lashes, then one coat to the bottom.  (For a great, no-fuss mascara application, look up, hold the wand at the roots of your top lashes, then gently wiggle the brush as you comb upward.  For the bottom, look up, and lightly tap the end of the mascara wand from side to side along your lashes).

TIP >>  If you're going for a more dramatic nighttime look, try adding a coat of black liquid eyeliner over the eyeliner pencil on the top lid. 

In 5 short minutes, you've transformed your already-badass self into a fierce super vixen / force to be reckoned with! 

We hope you guys have enjoyed our very first beauty tutorial!  You're now prepared to go show the world who's boss through the eyes of a goddess.  And all you need is 5 little minutes.  If you try this at home, we'd sure love to see some pictures!


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21 comments:

  1. I love this! Perfect for a former hippie as myself. :) I'm so inept when it comes to make-up, so I appreciate the pictures AND instructions. Awesome post, Melissa and Morgan!

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  2. always looking for an easy way to make a smoky eye! thanks xxo

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  3. This is so awesome!! I love how it's simple with only a few products and fast, some eye makep how-tos scare me bc they have a million steps & a million tools. The eyes look sooooo pretty, can't wait to try!! :-)

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  4. i am going to have to try this tutorial! i fail big time at eye make up! mascara and little bit of eyeliner is about all i can do. hopefully i can get the smokey eye down!

    brittany

    prettylittlevintage

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  5. i totally dig it! i've been a fan & member of the smokey eye club for years.

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  6. this is great! i always feel like smoky eyes take forever, but this is going to come in quite handy. thanks!

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  7. im gonna have to try this asap!

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  8. Love this! I really suck at makeup.

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  9. Omg this is awesome! Can you use dark colored eye shadow in place of the black? Ive been wanting to get a dark green or dark purple eye shadow.

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    1. Yep! Morgan said any dark color will work, just make sure it's a matte rather than a frost or shimmer. :)

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  10. This is so lovely! I'm always a little nervous about rocking the smokey eyes when I go out, but this makeup is just too awesome now to wear!!

    http://ahopelessnotebook.blogspot.com/

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  11. Thanks for the comments you guys! We had all kinds of fun putting this together. If only my sis lived closer and could do my makeup everyday. :)

    xo,
    m

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  12. I've been a bit lazy with my makeup routine lately, but I always love a good smokey eye. Morgan did a great job! :)

    I wonder if you could ask Morgan what her favorite foundation is? I need a new one that's good for dry winter skin but also has good coverage. Right now, my makeup is making my face look like cracked paint. Well, not that bad, but almost. Any recs would be most appreciated. xoxo

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    1. Hi! I have oily skin, so I'm not an expert on dry skin, but I'd recommend a good moisturizer and Bare Minerals by Bare Escentuals. It's kind of pricey but crazy worth it, no matter what skin type you have. Melissa's skin is super dry and she uses it too, over her winter moisturizer. It's great for your skin and you can totally control the coverage level. From the more affordable drug store brands, I like Olay Definity Color Recapture. It might be a little sheer for you if you're looking for full coverage, but you can apply a couple of "coats" and it will cover but still look natural. Both of these products have SPF too, which is always good!

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    2. I second Bare Minerals! It's absolutely worth the price.

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  13. This is awesome! I've tried smokey eyes and it takes me forever. This looks super easy and the outcome is gorgeous. Thanks!!

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  14. This is sooo pretty! Can't wait to try it out. I love the look.

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  15. Your eyes look gorgeous. I have been using the Get in Line Smoky eye stencil kit from beth bender beauty. It is very cool and does a great smoky eye. Has anyone tried this kit?

    You can take a look here:

    http://bettesboutique.com/eyes/the-original-get-in-line-smoky-eyeshadow-stencil-kit.html

    Cheers!
    Ingrid

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  16. This is awesome and I'm totally using the tutorial for an event I have tomorrow, thanks!!

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  17. I was wondering about using eyeliner on the lower waterline...I can never get mine to stay past an hour. Is there a trick I don't know, or is it just a matter of the brand of eyeliner I'm using?

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    1. Thanks for your question Shaina! Morgan says that it's pretty difficult to get liner on the water line to stay for long periods because that part of the eye is meant to flush things away... She suggests trying a waterproof liner, but says you'll still likely have to touch up every fewer hours. Hope that helps! xo, melissa

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