A smoky eye is a gradient: darkest at the lash line, fading to nothing as it moves up and out. Everything below serves that one idea.

What you need

An eye base or a little concealer set with powder, three shades — light, mid, dark — a soft blending brush, a flat brush, and a pencil liner. The blending brush matters more than the palette.

The six steps

1. Prime the lid. A thin layer of base, set with powder. Skip it and the whole thing creases within hours.

2. Mid shade in the crease first. Not the dark one. Build the shape with the mid tone using windscreen-wiper motions, slightly above the crease if your lids are hooded. This is the foundation of the gradient.

3. Pencil along the lash line. Draw a thick line right against the lashes, top and outer lower, then smudge it upward while it is still soft. This creates the dark core of the smoke.

4. Dark shadow over the pencil. Pat it on with a flat brush — patting, not sweeping. Sweeping drags the pencil into a mess. Keep it in the outer two-thirds and low on the lid.

5. Blend, then blend more. With a clean brush, soften every edge, working upward and outward. This step takes longer than all the others put together, and shortening it is the single biggest cause of a bad smoky eye.

6. Light shade to finish. Under the brow and in the inner corner, to lift the eye. Then mascara, generously.

The two beginner mistakes

Starting with the dark shade. It goes on far more heavily than you expect and cannot be taken back. Build with the mid tone and add depth gradually.

Not blending long enough. If you can see where one shade ends and the next begins, it is not finished. There should be no visible edges anywhere.

Practical points

  • Do your eyes before your base. Smoky eyes shed fallout, and you can wipe it away without ruining foundation
  • Neutrals are more forgiving than colour for a first attempt
  • Keep the lip quiet. Strong eyes and strong lips together read as costume
  • Allow twenty minutes the first few times. It becomes ten with practice

For eyeshadow placement adjusted to your eye shape, see the makeup section.