Step 1. Prepare Lids

Start with an eyeshadow base to remove oil from your eyelids and to keep eyeshadow from melting into your eyelid crease.

Step 2. Use Eyeliner

If you’ve chosen a typical black, brown or gray smoky eye, apply a soft eyeliner in one of the colors above the upper lash line. The line should be thicker in the middle of eye. If your choice is jewel-toned eyes, line your eyes with a purple, blue or deep green liner. Use the pencil liner from the inner eye corner to the outer. Smudge both lash lines with a cotton swab or an eyeliner brush.

Step 3. Color on Bottom Lids

To give your bottom lids the color, which will be the key to smoky eyes, apply the liner of a lighter color to the bottom lids: dot it between your lower lashes. The most important point here is to smudge it. To do it, apply a bit of shadow to get full smudge effect.

Step 4. Light Base Color on Upper Lids

Sweep light base color over the lids to the browbones. It’s better to use cream shade of mousse shadow. The shadow should also be shimmery. Thus, you have the eyeliner and the base.

Step 5. Apply Darker Color – Smoky Effect Itself

Choose a darker eyeshadow shade. Using a brush, blend in color starting at your lash line and then applying it into your crease, blending up and outward. Blend color so that the eye liner disappears.

Step 6. Correcting Smoky Eyes

Make sure your eyes match and use a Q-tip, if needed.

Step 7. Apply Volumizing Mascara

Finish your smoky eyes with some coats of black volumizing mascara you usually apply. That’s it!