Is there such a thing as an anytime smoky eye?  Many associate a smoky eye with a dramatic, bold, brazen look and one that is worn only once in a blue moon to a very formal or special event.  But one of my favorite looks is a smoky eye but done in a more understated manner that can be worn to dinner, drinks with friends or even a casual night out.  It’s fits my lifestyle and personality more when I can take a makeup look and dial it down to a subtle finish rather than being afraid to go smoky because I have nowhere fancy to go.  I have makeup and I want to wear it, darn it!  And I want to wear it NOW!  Here’s is a look I do often for a night out, casual or  dressy but one that I can wear anytime and almost anywhere but still feel glam.
This Stila Stay All Day Foundation and Concealer is one miracle makeup I tell ya.  Just a little bit goes a long way with this product and is applied best with a buffing brush to create a flawless and airbrushed finish. Using the Hourglass Ambient Light Powder in Dim Light (also available in the new palette here) along my cheeks and hairline, I get a subtle glow that’s more than a highlighter but less than a bronzer.  A few swipes of the YSL Touche Eclat in shade 1 under my eyes for extra brightness, and then I prime my lids with the Hard Candy liquid eye shadow duo.  Using MAC Charcoal Brown on my brows gives a good shape to my face and eye area.  Blending the two darkest shades (plum and gray) of the Dior “Grege” palette together on the eyes gives a gorgeous plummy-brown look, and then I finish off by sweeping the dark plum shade through the crease to give a little more depth.  Taking MAC’s eye kohl in Smolder, I rim my inner water line and smudge it softly with the dark plum shade from the Dior palette, and then line the upper lash line with Bobbi Brown’s gel liner in Caviar Ink.  I finish off the eye look with the Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill mascara in black for a dramatic lash.  I rarely put mascara on my bottom lashes because it smudges too easily with my eyes, but will do so if I am going for an intense look where the smudges won’t be noticed amongst the shadow. 
Tarte’s blush in Dollface is a bright pink in the pan, but reads more peachy pink when on my skin, which works well with brown and plum tones on the eyes. I use a heavier hand on the blush because with stronger eyes, I like to have a stronger cheek.  I finish off the look with what has become one of my favorite shades of all time – Ilia Beauty’s “Nobody’s Baby” – the perfect natural lip color that both looks AND feels great on the lips.  And there you have it – a polished smoky eye fit for almost any occasion.  To see more of my finished looks, click here to see previous posts.

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