Learn the tricks to mastering a bold, black, smoky eye

Want to really turn heads? A smoky-eyed makeup look is a surefire way to catch someone’s attention. Before you grab your blackest black products, think about building color one layer at a time.

This bold look uses a combination of peach, brown and black eye shadow to create a dramatic effect. Beginners often make the mistake of using one dark color for the entire eye area, but combining peach and brown above the crease and below the eye creates more dimension.

Neutral cheek and lip makeup keep the focus on your eyes, so opt for pinkish nude lipstick and coral blush.

Materials
- Hydrating mist (Caudalie Beauty Elixir)
- Pore refining facial serum (Caudalie Vinopure Natural Salicylic Acid Pore Minimizing Serum)
- Moisturizer (Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré)
- Green color-correcting primer (Smashbox Photo Finish Reduce Redness)
- Liquid foundation (L’Oréal Infallible 24 HR Freshwear)
- Foundation brush
- Beauty sponge
- Concealer (L’Oréal Infallible Full Wear Waterproof)
- Loose powder (Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder, Pound Cake)
- Bronzer (Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer, Private Island)
- Fluffy brush
- Coral blush (ColourPop Super Shock Blush, Between The Sheets)
- Angled cheek brush
- Eye shadow primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion, Original)
- Matte peach eye shadow (Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Palette Volume I, Silk Crème)
- Blending brush
- Matte brown eye shadow (Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Palette Volume I, Mocha)
- Matte espresso eye shadow (Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Palette Volume I, Soda Pop)
- Black eye shadow (L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24 HR, Eternal Black)
- Pencil brush
- Small shadow liner brush
- Black pencil eyeliner (Sephora Collection 12hr Colorful Contour Eyeliner, Black Lace)
- Black mascara (Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Volume, Lift & Curl)
- False eyelashes (not shown)
- Tweezers (not shown)
- Lash glue (not shown)
- Pinkish nude matte liquid lipstick (Huda Beauty, Wifey)
- Setting spray (Cover FX Dewy Finish)
- Gold highlighter (BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter, Champagne Pop)
- Tapered brush

Instructions
1. Spritz your face with hydrating mist.

2. Pat and press a dime-sized amount of pore-refining facial serum onto the oil-prone areas of your face, such as your T-zone, using your fingers.

3. Prepare your skin for makeup by applying moisturizer with your fingers. Wait a few minutes before proceeding to make sure your skin has fully absorbed the product.

4. Apply green color-correcting primer to your cheeks, chin, nose and forehead.

5. Apply liquid foundation to your skin, and use a foundation brush to gently press the product into place.

6. Remove excess foundation by pressing a damp beauty sponge against your face. This extra step also eliminates brush marks.

7. Brighten the area under your eyes by applying concealer with the applicator wand. Press the product into your skin with the damp beauty sponge.

8. Set the concealer by pressing loose powder below your eyes with the damp sponge.

9. Warm up your complexion by swirling bronzer below the cheekbones with a fluffy brush. Sucking in your cheeks will help you locate the hollow so you can place the color properly.

10. Restore color to your cheeks by patting coral blush onto them with an angled cheek brush. Apply the product from the center of your cheek outward toward the hairline diagonally toward the top of your ear. Swirl the brush to blend away any harsh edges.

11. Pat eye shadow primer onto your eyelids with your ring finger. Wait a few seconds before applying eye shadow.

12. Use a blending brush to darken the outer corner of the lid as well as the crease of the eye with matte peach eye shadow.

13. Sweep matte brown eye shadow into the crease with the blending brush.

14. Use the blending brush to deepen the outer corner of the crease with matte espresso eye shadow.

15. Use your ring finger to pat black eye shadow onto the lid. Blend the color up into the crease with the blending brush. Tip: When applying dark-colored eye shadow, using a finger instead of a brush lessens the likelihood of fallout below your eyes. It also makes the color more intense.

16. Apply matte brown eye shadow below your lower lashes with a pencil brush.

17. Press espresso eye shadow up against your lower lashes with a small shadow liner brush.

18. Fill in your lower waterline with black pencil eyeliner.

19. Apply black mascara to your lashes.

20. Hold the false lashes with the tweezers, and apply a small amount of lash glue onto the lash band. Let the glue set for 10 seconds before applying the lashes just above your upper lashes.

21. Apply pinkish nude matte liquid lipstick to your lips for a neutral look.

22. Set the makeup by misting your face with setting spray. Hold the bottle at least 6 inches away from your face to avoid getting wet droplets on your skin.

23. Accentuate your cheekbones and nose by sweeping gold highlighter onto them with a tapered brush.