So once upon a time not so long ago I thought I was pretty damn awesome at applying makeup. Fast forward a year and a half and I realize I was far from awesome. I still had a lot to learn....still do but I am learning and growing everyday! Something I notice on a lot of people is that they do not blend or "smoke out" the top edge of their eyeshadow. Check the picture below out. That was me before. I never blended out the top edge of my eyeshadow. It just never occurred to me to do it. If you prefer your edge harsh like that than by all means, keep it up. Makeup is art and art is interpretation. I am sure I do a lot of things with my makeup that other people wouldn't so this isn't a tutorial on how to do makeup but more of how I like to do mine!
Before - I really like my color combo but the whole look could use some blending.
In my opinion you only need three things to get a perfect "smoked out" eye. A fluffy brush
(Shown are MAC #222, Fluffy brush from My Glam and Studio Tools crease brush) , flesh colored eye shadow to match your skin tone ( i prefer a shimmer finish over a matte finish) and your fingers! Yes, I said your fingers. I use mine to blend out the top edge almost every time I do my makeup.
Here is my eye with my eyeshadow all applied and I am ready to blend out the top edge. I apply my eyeshadow with a small eyeshadow brush first and then comes in the fluffy brush.
Next I take a small amount of pigment or eyeshadow and dip my brush in. Tap off the excess. You are looking for a very light amount of shadow or pigment on your brush. You want it almost airbrush the top edge, not apply another layer of color. Go over the top edge of the eyeshadow until it is nice and blended.
The picture came out blurry but you want your top edge to be similar to this.
Then if the edge is not "smoked out" enough for me I use the most awesome cheapest tool ever. My fingers! Usually I use my middle or pinkie finger and depending on how much needs to be blended I rub hard or very lightly. I find that the finger blends out the top edge far better than fluffy brushes so if you do not have a fluffy brush, try your fingers!!
My last tip is to use a shadow or pigment that matches your skin tone. This really blends the top edge of the shadow into your skin and gives a perfect smokey look. I use Skimp by Urban Decay. I like using a shadow with a shimmer to it. I think it blends the edge better without muting the color of the entire look too much. I apply from the top of the eyeshadow all the way up to my eyebrows. This also brightens the area under your eyebrow.
That is it! Below is how the finished eye looks after using all 3 techniques!
( color used were Moi Minerals, Venus, Panic and Galaxy)
That is how I achieve a smokey eye! How do you do it? Do you have any other tips? I am amazed at how much I learn from other people. So many techniques and ideas that I would have never thought up on my own! Comment your tips and tricks below!!
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