Oh, how I love a sultry smokey eye! I have always been a fan of black eyeliner and dark shadow. When I was in 7th grade, my mom took me out to buy my first eyeliner because I was using the mascara brush to line my eyes. I have been wearing the black liner look since then, and while I've improved at application techniques over the years, my look hasn't changed much... 

Since the mega-success of the karadashinas, my favorite look has become mainstream. An even more sultry smokey eye has become popular, and I've been trying to master that Kardasina bedroom eye ever since. I've been able to successfully emulate the shaow and liner looks without no problem, but the smudgy smokey bottom lash line has evaded me... until now.

I found an awesome tutorial on youtube, which gave me the "aha" moment I've been waiting for. The trick to the smudgey liner that creates the come hither look is created by applying brown shadow under your liner! Who knew?

Here's how you do it:

1. Apply eyeshadow primer to your lid and bottom lash line

2. Apply a shimmery brown shadow from top lash line to just above your crease, concentrating on the outer corner of the crease.

3. Using an angled liner brush, apply the same brown show to your bottom lash line, extending it slightly lower that your liner usually goes. This is going to look very strange, but TRUST ME!

4. Using a black cream or gel eyeliner and a liner brush, apply eyeliner to your bottom and top water lines. The bottom water line creates that sexy squinty look and the top water line gives volume to your lashes.

5. Now, carefully line your top and bottom lash line with the cream liner. If you prefer a pencil liner, try a crayon type, as it will glide on easily over the shadow.

6. After lining your eyes, take a small shadow brush, and go over the top liner with the shadow, pulling and blending it up into the brown you applied before.

7. With a liner brush, go over your bottom liner with the black shadow as well, being very careful not to totally cover the brown. You want to see a tiny bit of it peeking out the bottom. This is what gives that soft gradual smokiness instead of the hard line of usual black liner.

8. Take a light brown or mauve shadow, just slightly darker than your skin and apply it above the brown in your crease, blending the 2 colors together. 

9. Apply a shade slightly lighter than your skin tone just under the brow bone to hightlght, and viola, you're done!

This could also be done with a deep purple or steely gray in place of the brown, and it would be beautiful. However, I would stay away from any color that is red or pink based, as the red/pink undertones may create an puffy allergy eye look when applied under the eye.

Now, all you need is somewhere to wear this look, luckily for you, Saturday night is only 2 days away... Enjoy!

Bethany