I recently held a make-up lesson with two amazing and quick-learning clients (thanks A. and S.!). We focused on doing a smoky eye look for the lesson, and it reminded me how (understandably!) many women have questions on how to do it or how to improve on it.

The template at right (an oldie but a goodie!) is meant to be an approximate guideline for where the shades of eyeshadow go. Keep it in mind (and click it to enlarge it) - we'll refer back to it frequently throughout the next few posts we do on the smoky eye technique.

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Smoky Eye FAQ #3: Do I need to spend on expensive brushes and eyeshadows?
Not necessarily - there are great products out there at all pricepoints. Yet, as a make-up artist and a make-up lover, I will admit that I have found better success (in other words, less frustration) using products (both on others and on myself) when the products are of department store quality, particularly for brushes. Some drug store brands may seem like a good deal, but you can dig and dig at an eyeshadow for barely any colour pay-off, while some brushes are too rough or stiff for a delicate area like the eyes!

a good quality crease brush is a kit essential

I know it can be quite the investment to spend on brushes and good quality eyeshadows, but well-pigmented eyeshadow will last you well towards (even past) their expiry date (of approximately 2 years) and brushes will last you for years to come, provided that you take care of them properly!

Moral of the story: the tools you work with make a difference.

See here for more info on specific brush types that really help me with achieving a smoky eye.

I recently held a make-up lesson with two amazing and quick-learning clients (thanks A. and S.!). We focused on doing a smoky eye look for the lesson, and it reminded me how (understandably!) many women have questions on how to do it or how to improve on it.

The template at right (an oldie but a goodie!) is meant to be an approximate guideline for where the shades of eyeshadow go. Keep it in mind (and click it to enlarge it) - we'll refer back to it frequently throughout the next few posts we do on the smoky eye technique.

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Smoky Eye FAQ #2: How do I know where to start and stop the different shades?
Keep in mind everyone's eye shape is different, and that's where the smoky eye often gets tricky - knowing where to start and stop the different shades, how far upwards to take the darkest (contour) colour and how/if to line the bottom lash line.

Small or deep-set eyes:

keep the contour colour below the crease toward the lashline
For smaller or deep set eyed beauties, keep the contour colour (b - the darkest colour) below the crease of the eye and tight towards the lashline. To frame the eye and give more of a smoky effect, blend a bit of the darkest colour on the outer third of the bottom lashline. Don't take the bottom line too far inward nor line the inner rim, as applying too much eyeliner on the bottom can make the eyes appear to recede and look smaller.

Larger Eyes:

extend contour shadow upwards, but still keep the it beneath the hollow of the eyelid

Larger-eyed beauties can use darker eyeshadows more liberally without the fear of making the eyes looking too small (I know, lucky ladies, right?!). For larger-sized eyes, you can smudge eyeshadow on the bottom lash line all the towards the inner corner. You can even apply eyeliner in the waterline (the inner rim of the eye) for a full-on smoky look. Lining the inner rim will help to brighten the whites of your eyes and make the look extra sultry.

Where to start and stop?However far up you blend it, the transition between the shades should be seamless, so well-pigmented eyeshadows and quality brushes are key to getting the look, bringing us to our next FAQ!

I recently held a make-up lesson with two amazing and quick-learning clients (thanks A. and S.!). We focused on doing a smoky eye look for the lesson, and it reminded me how (understandably!) many women have questions on how to do it or how to improve on it.

The short answer? Practice and experiment! The great thing about make-up is that even if you don't get it right the first time, you can easily wipe it off and try again.

I thought it would be useful to revisit the technique and answer some frequently asked questions about smoky eye questions here on the blog. With the holiday season upon us, hopefully you'll find the info useful, as it's the perfect time to try something bold for all those parties you'll be attending!

The template below (an oldie but a goodie!) is meant to be an approximate guideline for where the shades of eyeshadow go. Keep it in mind (and click it to enlarge it) - we'll refer back to it frequently throughout the next few posts we do on the smoky eye technique.
Smoky Eye FAQ #1: What colours do I use?
Once you have the smoky eye technique down pact, you can pretty much use any colours you prefer, but keep the shades used within the same colour family (in other words, save those purple and green colour combinations for the runway!). The best colours for you are ones that enhance your eye colour and skin tone.

Some universally flattering shades that work well for a smoky eye look on all skin tones are grey, brown and black. For instance:

Brown

taupe as your neutral base (area 'a' in the diagram above, all over the eyelid but just beneath the browbone)

dark brown as contour (area 'b' in the crease of the eye down toward the lashline

an off-white (to highlight area 'c' just atop the browbone and on the inner corner of the eye)

Grey

midtone grey as the base (area 'a')

dark grey/black as the contour (area 'b')

an off-white to highlight (area 'c')

Once you get the hang of the smoky eye, you can very well interchange the colours above and do a smoky eye with green/purple/blue/burgundy as the base, rather than as grey pictured above. You can even use different textures such as frost, shimmer and glitter for an added festive look! One of the beautiful things about the smoky eye is that with one technique, you can get so many looks. So keep on experimenting to see what you come up with! :)

Just in time for the winter cold: hat head, be gone! Check out my latest Q&A on wnetwork.com :)

I must be the easiest person to shop for. Similar to an obsession as a young girl with Barbie dolls, with make-up I want it all and I can never have enough. I have plenty of stuff for the both the personal and professional make-up kit, and as cost-effective as I try to be with purchasing make-up items, I’ll inevitably find something new that I love. To ease the feelings of guilt, I use the terms ‘updating the kit' as an excuse to rationalize its purchase! After all, why would I use a product on one of my clients that I can’t say I’ve tried and swear by for myself? Right, Rhia…riiight.

One of the nice things about Christmas shopping is the abundance of gift sets. From fragrances to make-up, there are plenty of deals out there that give you more value for your Christmas shopping dollar. My favourite of all these are of course the make-up gift sets! You can get everything in ‘minis’ - mini brush sets, mini glosses, palettes.

Now, this is MY idea of good things coming in small packages!!

Here are some gorgeous make-up sets that would make great gifts for those lucky, lucky people on your list (ahem...hint, hint…nudge, nudge).

Lancôme Juicy Tubes Holiday Set ($49 CAD)
Often imitated, but hardly duplicated, Lancôme's Juicy Tubes are a make-up classic. The Holiday Set includes eight glosses in shades that are both suitable for everyday wear or for a night on the town! The travel-sized tubes are perfect for popping in your purse or make-up kit, and with 8 shades to choose from you'll have a different one for every day of the week! The set includes two of my personal faves, Touch of Light and Miracle. Touch of Light is a pale cream gloss that looks gorgeous when worn on its own and when layered atop a lipstick. Miracle is a bubble gum pink with high-shine - can you say yum?!

MAC Mischief Makers Pigment Sets ($38.50 CAD)
It happened to me the other day where I walked into my local MAC store to refill on ‘necessity’ items for my client kit, but somehow I ended up gravitating towards the holiday gift sets (they were packaged like candy - can you blame me?!). I ended up buying the necessity items I had originally intended AND a couple of gift sets. Well, sorta gifts...uhh, for myself - I mean the kit!

There were many mini kits to choose from (believe me, I had to restrain myself from puchasing more!), but I instantly fell in love with the Pigment Sets. For anyone who's ever bought MAC Pigment before, you'll know the product lives up to its name and glides on amazingly intense! Yet for being as multi-purpose as they are, sometimes it's hard to use the entire jar, as you only need a little to get a concentrated look. The Holiday Pigment sets are an awesome value - you get 5 mini pigments for the price of $38.50 (one regular-sized pigment retails for $23.50), and although they're mini in size, the product will go a long way!

MAC also offers sets of mini glosses, mini brushes and palettes all at great prices. The gift options are endless...until they're sold out! Go early to avoid disappointment!

NARS Everlasting Love Palette ($87 CAD)NARS holiday sets, you had me at hello. Guaranteed any make-up lover will fall in Everlasting Love with this NARS palette! The palette offers a winning combination of colours for achieving the coveted smoky eye plus nude lip look, across a variety of skin tones. Everlasting Love includes NARS best-selling shades Orgasm blush and South Beach the Multiple, along with four eyeshadow shades and four lip shades. Mix and match to your heart's content, and get holiday glam all in the convenience of one gorgeous palette.

Time to write that note to Santa... :)