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Because I shoot beauty I get to work closely with many talented makeup artists. I love watching them create their magic and transform skin and faces into art. I also love the bright colors and various bottles and palettes and tubes. MUAs can attest to the fact that the moment they open their kit I’m right in there, hovering over all the pretty goodies. It is only recently that I’ve gotten the opportunity to apply some of the tips and techniques I’ve picked up on my own face. Here’s a quick tutorial for a glamorous smoky eye with green accents!

Products used

• NYX jumbo pencils in Yoghurt and Black Bean
• NYX black label lipstick in Debutante
• COVERGIRL lashblastfusion mascara
• URBAN DECAY eyeshadows in Loaded, Haight, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, and Smog (Book of Shadows III)

Eyes

I start with using NYX’s jumbo pencil in Black Bean as an eye base, roughly lining the outer corner to middle of the top lid, and doing the same along the lower lashes, creating a black semi raccoon eye. There is no need to be neat at this time because it’s going to be blended and smoked out. Just be aware that the color will migrate if you open and close your eyes, because it hasn’t fully dried (but if it happens it’s easily fixed with a cotton bud).

Then I took a small round fluffy brush (in this case NYX’s smoky brush) and applied UD’s Loaded over the top lid as the main color, blending it with the black and removing any rough edges. The color should not go past the crease (for Asian eyes) or the orbital bone (for European eyes). By layering Black Bean under Loaded it immediately creates a mysterious smoky eye, without being too dark or covering up the green shadow.

I then took Haight and applied that just above Loaded, or along the crease to lighten up the look and smoke it out further, then along the lower lash line. The iridescent blue provides a fantastic complement to the green smoky eye on the top lid.

NYX Yoghurt and UD’s Smog is applied in the inner corners of the eyes, with Midnight Cowboy Rides Again (or as an alternative Sin) swept across the brow bone as a highlight.

That’s it for the eyes. It is a really simple and easy take on the traditional smoky eye, and green really complements most eye colors. For the lips I gently dab on NYX’s Debutante for a sheer coral pink wash, but a super nude or a bright red lip would also do to make this look pop!

On my nails I’m wearing ZOYA’s Ivanka. This rest includes PORTMAN’s kaftan dress, DIVA’s square rings and large diamante pearl ring, and JOOLZ obi ring.