Carol Kim

Line the upper and lower lash lines with a dark eyeliner to create the base for your smoky eyes. “I like to use a pencil because it’s waxy and holds onto the eye shadow, making the look last all day or night,” says makeup artist Elizabeth Ulloa, who works with Ellen DeGeneres.

The trick is to focus on the upper lash lines, particularly the outer corners, when it comes to the dark liner. For bottom lash lines, don’t pencil all the way in; save the inner corners of your eyes for a lighter color.

Remember, you don’t need to be exact.

Blend, Blend, Blend!

Smudge the eyeliner with a cotton swab or small-tipped eye shadow brush. This will soften any hard lines and create an illusion of a smoky eye even before you apply the shadow. Having this base adds dimension to your eyes. Once the black liner is blended, you can use black, gray, plum or brown to create the rest of your smoky eye.

Apply Colored Eye Shadow

Smoky eyes are all about layering, so apply a colored eye shadow on top of the liner to intensify or add color. (You don’t have to use that much shadow since you’ve already created a smoky look with the eyeliner.) Stick with one color, applied up to the crease and also along the lower lash lines, blending well with your finger or small shadow brush.

“I love metallic hues like bronze, gold and gunmetal because the shimmer adds another beautiful dimension and reflects light but still looks smoky,” says Ulloa. She prefers cream shadow because it’s easy to glide on and smooth out with your finger.

Highlight Inner Corners

Highlight the inner corners of your eyes with an ivory-pearl shadow, creating a small sideways V shape. The light color opens up the eyes and adds dimension to your dark, sultry look. You may want to avoid shimmer or frosty shadows on the inner corners as they can get messy.

Swipe on Mascara

Use an eyelash curler to lift lashes. Clamp near the base and gently hold for about five seconds, then slide up and repeat until you reach the tips.

Finish the look with black mascara on both the top and bottom lashes. Wait about 15 seconds between coats. “If you let it dry completely between coats, the mascara can clump. If you don’t wait long enough, your lashes will be too wet and the second coat will slide off,” says Ulloa. Apply two or three coats on your top lashes.

Carol Kim is a New York-based writer who contributes to Us Weekly, InStyle, Seventeen, Lucky and Elle.com

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5 Steps to Smoky Eyes