Eau du Smoke: Smokey yet Simple

I really love pulling makeup inspirations from requests. I think it brings about a different pace to the blog and really gets me thinking about what looks I am able to do well and what i need to work on. This weeks makeup looks are all going to be based on the classic makeup look that is the smokey eye and it's all because of Fiona, the blogger behind Love Your Tresses.

Love Your Tresses is a London Based blog all about embracing and nurturing your hair and building a healthy hair routine. Fiona's Blog documents her personal journey to get healthier hair and is rammed full of hair advice, regimes, recipes and easy to do hair styles. Love Your Tresses is a great online stop off if you want to pick up practical hints and tips on how to manage hair; relaxed or natural.

Fiona has really got me pulling a 'First' on Epiphannie A. She has asked me not only to do dark smokey eyes (which suprisingly I haven't done yet) but also to do a step-by-step picture tutorial on how I do the look *nervous scream*. I have never done a tutorial before so this has been very interesting to do looool but i love it because it gives you a chance to see the madness that goes on behind the looks i do. Fiona's Eau du Smoke Inspiration is going to be running all week and will comprise of 3 looks; A simple smokey eye today, petrol black look on Wednesday and a summery smokey look on friday, so without further ado . . . Let's get smokey!!!

Eyes

NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black

MAC Eyeshadow in Carbon

MAC Eyeshadow in Texture

MAC Eyeshadow in Ricepaper
MAC Eyeshadow in Black Tied

Barry M Dazzledust Pigment in Irridescent gold 27

L'oreal Paris Superliner in Carbon gloss

MUA Cosmetics Eyeliner in Black

Preparation - I have already done my eyebrows and primed my eyelids with an eyeshadow primer

1. Starting off with a clean eye,

2. Apply a dark base (NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black) on your eyelid. Taking a flat shader brush, blend the base all over your lid ( Add a bit more if it looks a bit streaky as we DON'T want a streaky finish)

3. Taking a small blending brush, apply a highlight eyeshadow (MAC Eyeshadow in Ricepaper) to the highest part of your brow bone, dragging your brush downwards and outwards.

4. Using the same brush, take a shade close to your skintone (MAC Eyeshadow in Texture) and blend downwards in a sweeping motion, stopping at your crease

5. Taking another blending brush, blend a black eyeshadow (MAC Eyeshadow in Carbon) all over your eye lid and into your crease. When applying the eye-shadow into your crease, it helps if you keep the brush at a 45 or so angle.

6 & 7. Taking a White gold or Silver Pigment (Barry M Dazzledust Pigment in Irridescent Gold 27) apply this to the middle of your lid and blend in

8. Now we are going to take a black eyeshadow with just a little bit of shimmer (MAC Eyeshadow in Black Tied) and blend this over the white gold pigment into the eyelid.