This smoky eye on Leighton Meester (on a Herbal Essences junket in Spain) is my favourite kind. I first noticed what I like to call the “quick-line” version (cuz it’s so quick!) of the look several years ago when I spotted my pal Andrea Claire putting it on a makeover participant on “So Chic.” Her execution modernised the smoky eye for me — a soft shade made sultry by rimming just the lashlines (aka tightlining) with black. And still it prevails as the fresher-than-Taylor-Swift, more approachable way to do smoky eyes.
It’s also a great, quick day-to-night trick — in fact, I often show bridal clients this move so they can sultry up post I-Do for the evening reception. Here’s how to get the look:
1) Prep lids with a lid primer.
2) Pat a cream-coloured shadow all over lid.
3) Sweep a medium shade of brown from lash line to just above the crease, blending the top edge so it fades just under the brow bone.
4) Pat a chocolate brown shimmery shadow all over the lid, blending into the crease. Run the same shade under the lower lashline.
5) Dab a bit of sheer, shimmery white shadow in the inner corners of the eyes.
6) Use a waterproof gel liner or a creamy waterproof black pencil to line the upper lashlines as well as the inner upper rim and the inner lower rim. Smudge a little of the chocolate brown into the liner along the top lashline to soften a bit if you like.
7) Curl lashes, apply false lashes, and finish with mascara.
8) Fill brows in with a matte shadow that matches your hair.
For day, skip the liner and false lashes. After five, it’s just a quick-line job and a set of falsies to get ready. Think you can do it? With a practice run or two, you so can. Trust me.
Stay-put gel liners to try include Smashbox Jet Set, MAC Fluidline and Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Liner. Creamy budge-not pencils include CoverGirl LiquiLine Blast, Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy Forever Stay Eye Pencils, and Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes.
Here’s Leighton’s again — she’s too pretty not to show uncropped. (I should post that interview I did with Leighton soon, huh? See some of what we chatted about in The Kit.)
Dear JustJared, I’m going to name all my firstborn children after you.
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Ahh yes. I know this look, and love it. :)
There are days when I try to do a 5-minute face, but 25 minutes later I am still working on my eyes. Thanks for reminding us about this easy and gorgeous look.
I know that five-minutes-turns-int0-25 makeup move! Doesn’t happen often for me, though, only because I have so little time to put on a face when I’m in the back of a cab rushing to something. *grin*
Happy to have helped inspire today’s look — totally cute, you!
I just tried this one..and I love it…I’m also excited about my latest 100% pure cosmetics impulse buy from the Shopping Channel this week. Do you know anything about that brand Janine? Internet reviews have been…sparse and mixed.
I love that you tried and love it!
I have a gloss from 100% Pure — got it at Carrot Common on the Danforth. I have two problems with it:
1) Tiny, tiny, tiny applicator, which means 32 tries to get a nice amount of gloss on the lips
2) I’m slightly allergic to it! I get a similar reaction to the one I get when I eat certain fruits.
Other than that I don’t know the brand so well. It’s much more widely available in the US, of course. I had a peek when I was there recently.
You know what I always find next to impossible to do? Lining the lower inner rim. I’m fine with the tightlining thing everywhere else but I just can’t get in there (or possibly that’s when my fear of poking myself in the eye kicks in, I don’t know).
Must. Practice. This is my fave makeup look. Well, except for bright lips.
You can do it, Michelle — you have the technology! Maybe just gently pull the lower lid down a bit so it’s slightly away from your eye? Is it an auto-recoil reaction you get, or do you just get the heebie-jeebies?
This is my fave go to look. Love it!
It’s definitely my favourite quick-change-to-nighttime move, for sure! Big impact, little effort — the best.
I never wear eyeshadow but I still had to comment. I love her! Such a beauty!! Looking forward to reading the interview :)
Oh, and by the way, that picture of you two on The Kit is amazing. Glowing skin and amazing cheeks – BOTH of you. Jealous!
Thanks, Elise! She IS a beauty — unbelievable skin and easy-going to interview. I’ll be posting the story soon. :-)
Wow! Ok you have made this so easy! I have everything on this list and will totally do this for my next night out! She IS gorgeous.
You’re gorgeous too, Jane — will you twitpic a shot so we can see?? Please do!
Hey!!!
(belated) Thanks for the mention. XO
My pleasure! xo
the look is truely impressive,gonna try it soon.can you suggest me good matt eyeshadows.???
Absolutely. MAC has excellent matte eye shadows. Stila also has matte shadows, as does Sephora (the Sephora collection) and Urban Decay.