The classic smokey eye isn’t just one technique. How you apply your smokey eye makeup should be guided by your eye shape. Fortunately, we’re here to help. Ahead, we’re sharing 10 smokey eye tutorials for different eye shapes to help you find the technique that best works for you. The sultry look is versatile, flattering, and it can easily be adapted for different situations. Plus, once you nail your smokey eye makeup technique, the glam look is surprisingly easy to achieve—which is exactly what we want out of a go-to makeup look.
Smokey Eye Makeup Tutorial for Hooded Eyes
What Are Hooded Eyes?
Hooded eyes have a fold of skin that partially or completely covers the eyelid crease, making it less visible when the eyes are open. Because the eyelid is hidden, applying shadow or liner on the lid can often be concealed when the eyes are open. The key to a successful smoky eye for hooded eyes is to create the illusion of depth and lift.
How to do start the Smokey Eye of the Hooded Eyes
Step 1: Start with brown eyeshadow
Ultra-dark eyeshadows can make the eyes appear smaller and may visually weigh down hooded eyes. As such, we recommend swapping out the black eye shadow for a medium brown shade, Use a fluffy tapered eyeshadow brush to sweep the color onto the entirety of your lid, blending it above the crease and just past the outer corner of your eye.
Step 2: Blend with a shimmer shade
Next, reach for a lighter-toned shimmery shadow. Using the same brush you used earlier, apply it just above the brown shadow. Then, lightly sweep your brush over the boundary where the two shades meet to create a blended, diffused effect.
Step 3: Define with eyeliner
Once you’ve applied (and blended) all of your eyeshadow, line your upper and lower waterlines with a creamy gel eyeliner.
Step 5: Finish off the look with mascara
No smokey eye makeup is complete without long, wispy lashes, so top off the look with a coat of mascara, which offers up to 24 hours of smudge-resistant wear.
Smokey Eye Tutorial for Monolid Eyes
Monolid eyes don’t have a visible crease, and the eyelid is usually flat or slightly rounded. This eye shape is common in East Asian populations, though it can appear in people of all ethnicities.
Without a crease, applying eyeshadow and creating depth can be more challenging. However, by focusing on blending and layering techniques, you can enhance the natural shape of monolid eyes.
How to do start the Smokey Eye of the Monolid Eyes
Step 1: Swap eyeshadow for eyeliner
Our best tip for creating a smokey eye when you have monolid eyes is to use eyeliner, not eyeshadow. This allows you to be super precise with your application—before you smudge it out. Use a waterproof eyeliner so that your eye makeup will last throughout the night.
With the pencil, draw a thin half-moon shape above your eye. The outline should start at the base of your lashes and curve up, creating that crescent shape, as if you were defining a natural crease. Fill it in before moving on to the next step.
Step 2: Blend the eyeliner out—quickly
Next, take a fluffy eyeshadow brush and use it to blend the curved edges of the shape you drew. It’s key to work quickly here because the waterproof eyeliner dries fast.
Step 3: Bring it all together with a matte eyeshadow
Once the edges are blended, take a neutral eyeshadow, and apply it where your eyeliner meets your skin. Blending the shadow on top will give you a more seamless, smokey look. Then, continue blending your shadow outward and upward to create the subtle shape of a wing.
Step 4: Add some smoke under the eye
Use the same brush and eyeshadow to smoke out your lower lash line. Finish off the look with winged eyeliner (if you want) and a coat of mascara.
Smokey Eye Makeup Tutorial for Small Eyes
Small eyes typically have a smaller lid area and may appear less open than larger eye shapes. The goal for small eyes is to create the illusion of larger, more almond-shaped eyes by adding depth and dimension.While dark eyeshadow can be stunning, too much intensity on the lid may make small eyes appear even smaller. To counter this, focus on opening up the eyes and creating the illusion of depth and space.
How to do start the Smokey Eye of the Small Eyes
Step 1: Start with a matte eyeshadow
Take a brown eyeshadow, and lightly sweep it all over your lid. Use a light hand and blend upwards to create a soft wash of color that coats the entire lid.
Step 2: Darken your outer corner
Apply a slightly darker-brown eyeshadow to the outer half of your lid, blending the color to your crease and toward your brow bone. Keeping the darker colors on the outer half of your eye can help make your eyes appear more open and, in turn, larger.
Step 3: Define your lower lash line
Use an eyeshadow brush to apply the same darker brown shadow to your lower lash line. Be sure to blend it well to create that smokey, diffused look you’re after.
Step 4: Create a wing
Next, grab a liquid eyeliner and trace your upper lash line. When you get to the corner, flick the line toward the tail of your brow to create a thin wing. You can keep it thin, or re-trace your work to create a thicker, more defined wing.If you have trouble creating even winged liner
Step 5: Create look-at-me lashes
Lastly, curl your lashes and apply a few coats of the mascara to lift and lengthen your eyelashes for a wide-awake look.
