How to: Brown Smokey Eye

What’s the one makeup look that is fail-proof, doesn’t take a lot of time, and is effortlessly sexy to complement almost any look? A smokey eye, of course! The great thing about a smokey eye is that it’s super versatile, in the sense that you can switch out colors to work with your outfit or eye color. You can also play with the application to achieve the right amount of drama for your personal taste.

I’m going to give you a step by step smokey eye tutorial using soft browns, complementary to any eye color and skin tone and perfect for all occasions. I’ve broken it down into five easy steps for you to follow to become an expert in how to apply a brown smokey eye.

Step 1:

First, you want to apply a light color on the inner corners and brow bone that will act as a highlighting agent for your smokey eye. The light ivory color I used is great for keeping the eyes opened up, so they don’t look too small with the high concentration of dark colors that will come later. This will also help your eyes pop.

Step 2:

To open up the eye even more, you then want to use a soft brown shade and apply it to your crease. You’ll take this shade all throughout the crease, while trying to avoid the inner corner that you just dusted with your ivory color. Don’t let the color reach the brow bone; aim to have it extend until where the ivory starts under the brow bone. Once you do this, you’ll notice your eyes look bigger and beautiful. 

Step 3:

Take a darker brown shade and concentrate the color on the outer corners of your eye. You’ll want to blend this into the former warm transitional color to make it look seamless. You can take the brush you used for your crease color and dab it into the corner to blend the colors together, or simply use a finger to make the colors mesh. I also like to take this color and brush it carefully on my bottom lash line. This opens up the eye a little more and adds some definition. 

Step 4:

Now you want to take a dark brown liner to the inner rim of your eyes and the top lash line. This can be a little bit tricky, but it’s absolutely essential to avoid that gap between your eyelid and lashline that can diminish the look of a smokey eye. Just take it very slow and take a break every now and then to blink if you’re not used to it! A tip to remember: if you want to use black liner, keep in mind that it can make small eyes appear smaller.

Step 5:

Lastly, it’s all about making those eyelashes bold and curled! I use several coats of mascara to ensure all of my lashes are covered with color and stand right out. I also add a few individual lashes for that extra volume. Consider adding a few to the outer lash line for a finishing touch.

This five step process for achieving a smokey eye is super simple, and there’s no way you couldn’t achieve this look in a pinch! You can definitely have more fun with a smokey eye by adding more colors or playing with intensity. Nevertheless, a brown smokey eye is a perfect go-to, flawless and gorgeous makeup look perfect for any woman, and now you can achieve it in only five steps! 

Click Here for my Brown Smokey Eye Video

The brushes you use to apply your smokey eye makeup can definitely play a role in how your smokey eye turns out. I’ve written here about my favorite brush set, which is an investment but definitely a must-have.  Let me know if you try out this step by step tutorial and share your finished looks with me!