The Biggest Mistakes You're Making With Smokey Eyes
A smokey eye is a popular makeup trend, and it is not as hard as it seems. You start with a neutral shade, you add a dark shadow to the outer corners, you blend in eyeliner, and then you blend a dark eye shadow across your eyeliner (via Cosmopolitan).
However, using too little or too much of one product, not blending colors in the correct way, and using the wrong shades or tools can take this look from hot to not. That being said, it is time to cover the biggest mistakes that are made with a smokey eye.
First of all, if someone is doing a dark and dramatic eye, they shouldn't accompany the look with a dark and dramatic lip. "Pick one – smokey eye or a bold lip, but never both," noted BelleTag. Together, they can look a little clownish, and doing them separately allows them each to have their own moments to shine! Need more tips? Don't worry, we've got everything you need to know about avoiding smokey eye disasters.
With a smokey eye, keep eye shape, colors, tools, and amounts in mind
Another common error, when it comes to the smokey eye look, is not thinking about the shape of the eye. Certain makeup effects can enhance and help create a certain shape, while others can do a pretty shape an injustice. "For some eye shapes (like hooded or deep set), applying dark shadow all over can actually accentuate your top lid and make it look sunken or heavy," Makeup.com reported. Since this technique is all about a big and bold eye, make sure to use the right shades in the right places.
Speaking of the eye shadow colors and how they are applied, there are two more mistakes worth mentioning from Be Beautiful – going with too many colors and not opting for the right types of brushes. Makeup artist Tricia Sutter suggests using a beauty blender, flat brush, angled brush, and soft dome brush in order to apply a matte base, a dark color, and complementary secondary colors (via Romper).
"Rather than using your finger to blend the concealer, use a beauty blender to make sure your makeup is blended in evenly," Sutter said. "Taking this step will ensure your [smokey] eye lasts longer."