Hot for the Holidays
Smoky eyes have been synonymous with come-hither appeal since sex kitten Brigitte Bardot pranced her way to movie stardom in the mid-’50s.
While beauty editors and fashion critics have often hailed the return of the smoky eye, savvy makeup artists know that this classic eye design has never gone out of style.
“The smoky eye allows you to create a neutral, heavy or light application with equally great results,” says Wanda Alvarez, Makeup Artist for Aquage. “For this holiday season, consider foregoing neutrals for deep, colorful shades. To add an even more festive look, apply a light dusting of shimmer over the entire design.”
How do you avoid creating garish raccoon eyes? “The key to any smoky eye application is to carefully blend each shadow and, when you think you’re done, blend some more to ensure seamless transitions,” Alvarez explains. “With more colorful applications, this technique also creates new shades where the shadows overlap, making your entire design more sophisticated and unique. For our model, instead of using black or brown, I applied deep purple and a little bit of green mixed with gray for a modern twist on this timeless classic. Other combinations that would look equally great: navy blue and slate gray, or burgundy and chocolate brown.”