Clearing Up The Confusion of The Smokey Eye

The good ole' smokey eye. Everyone wants it, everyone wants to learn how to achieve it. 

Here's the issue: A smokey eye is not any one look, it's a style. We tend to run into a bit of confusion when it comes to each individual's opinion of what defines a smokey eye. Personally, I would consider a smokey eye to be the image on the right...However; a majority of my clients would consider the look on the left to be more of what they were looking for.

Essentially, in my opinion, a smokey eye is any makeup application in which a darker shade is applied to the lid and blended upwards into a lighter shade. Thus giving a "smoke cloud" effect.

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Editorial style dark smokey eye

Wearable blue/grey smokey eye

Clearly the second image is more wearable than the first, but you get the idea. Achieving a smokey eye is more about color placement than anything. Whatever colors you choose, you want to focus the darkest color close to the lash line and fade upwards towards the brow, where you will apply the lightest shade.

So why such confusion? I have noticed a lot of people confusing a smokey eye with a contoured eye. Although a contoured eye photographs beautifully, and makes the eye appear larger and elongated, it isn't necessarily smokey.

Light contoured eye with winged liner

Contoured eye with grey on the outer corner

If the look of a contoured eye is more your style then the color placement will be quite different from that of a smokey eye. The key is to focus the lightest shades on the inner corner of the eye and the darkest shades in the crease and outer third portions of the eyelid.

So next time you guys are out shopping for makeup you know what to ask for! And whether you go for more of a smokey or contoured look, the color palette is up to you!