WINGED SMOKEY EYE | TUTORIAL

 Here is my first tutorial - and admittedly it didn't go quite as planned! I had taken photos as a step by step tutorial but annoyingly they all came out in appalling quality and didn't show the method clearly enough. So this tutorial will be more of a description rather than photos of me doing my makeup - many apologies!

The look I will be showing you today for a night out/party look, is the winged smokey eye, making the eyeshadow wing out in the corners and also some added techniques which create an illusion of a deeper eye. Enjoy!

1 - Creating the Depth Illusion
After priming your eyes (optional - I used the NARS Pro Primer), take a dark matte brown eyeshadow on a small flat brush - here I have used MAC's Charcoal Brown. Blend this into the crease of your eyelid/eye socket outline and blend to the outer edges of your eye and back down the sides of your nose. This will create an illusion of your eyes being bigger and deeper. Don't apply too much as you don't want to make your skin look too dark. If you are pale skinned I recommend using a lighter brown for this contouring.

2 - Blending
A fluffy blending brush is going to be an essential for this look. Two examples would be MAC's 217 brush or the Urban Decay Naked 2 fluffy brush end. For this look I used the Naked 2 brush as it was readily available as I was using the palette itself. Using this brush, blend/smudge the matte brown eyeshadow so it gives the effect of a natural shadow rather than a harsh line.

3 - The Wing

This part is how you create the winged look. I can't take credit for this as I've seen other bloggers using this method, but it's a very good one to use. So, taking approximately 4cm of Sellotape, stick it from the outer corner of your eye diagonal to the end of your eyebrow (avoid trapping your hair of any eyelashes). Don't worry, it doesn't hurt and is easy to peel off!

 4 - Eyeshadow Base

Now, using my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, I am taking the colour Snakebite, which is a dark shimmery brown, and sweeping it across my eyelid. Take it right to the edge where it meets the Sellotape so it covers your whole eyelid. The beauty of such a simple piece of tape is that any eyeshadow that accidentally goes out of your eyelid 'zone' will be peeled off at the end.

 5 - Eyeshadow Centre

Now for the centre of your eyelid you can use whatever colour you want as long as it compliments the base. My two choices would be either Busted, for a darker smokier look, or YDK which adds light and a more pigmented shimmer. Simply sweep an average amount over the centre of your eyelid with your chosen shade. After this take your fluffy blending brush and blend the eyeshadow (including the original base) into the crease of your eyelid until the pigmentation begins to fade to give the smokey effect.

 6 - Inner Corners and Brow Bone
 Next I use one of my all time favourite MAC products which is the Vanilla Pigment. This is a very fine, pigmented powder in a shimmery snow-white. Taking the smallest amount of this on the end of the Real Techniques' Detailer Brush, blend this into the very inner corners of your eyes near your nose and then sweep a slightly larger amount on your brow bone, particularly beneath the arch. This will make your eyes seem bigger and brighter as well as creating a light to dark effect, and also making your brows appear more shapely and prominent. I recommend filling in your brows if you want to do this as it looks better overall.

7 - The Smokey Wing

 Now onto the smoke. Using a black eyeshadow - here I have used Blackout with a hint of silver sparkle running through it, I am blending this into the very outer corners of my eye where it meets the Sellotape. Make sure to blend this into your eyelid crease as well so it's not just a patch of black on the side of your eye.

8 - The Eyeliner Wing

 Keep the tape still in place and select your liquid liner. I'm using Revlon's Colorstay which I love, as it has a strong nib and produces a smart black line. Draw this carefully along your lash-line and wing it out where it meets the Sellotape. Don't make the line too big or bold as you want the eyeshadow to be the main attraction. This wing just adds an illusion of thicker eyelashes and gives a gorgeous cat-eye effect. With another black eyeliner - here I have used Loréal's Superliner which is a black crayon, line your waterline to make your eyes look darker. For a smokey look black is definitely a must have. After you have done this, you can carefully peel off the Sellotape and you will have a perfect wing.

 9 - Eyelashes

To finish off, I recommend using eyelash curlers. They may look quite scary but they're really quite easy to use - here I have used the No7 ones. This'll make your eyelashes face upwards rather than forwards, allowing them to look fuller. Next take your favourite mascara, mine is Benefit's They're Real! and fill in your lashes using a zig-zag motion to create volume. Make sure to do your bottom lashes as well as this will really bring out your eyes. Feel free to add false eyelashes if you want to make your eyes even more dramatic.

 10 - The Overall Look
And you're done! Additionally, to complete the look I recommend a nude lipstick (I used MAC's Creme Cup, you can see what this looks like and other lipstick ideas in one of my previous posts, MAC lipstick guide) and bronzer rather than blush as you don't want to draw the attention away from your eyes and remain using subtle but striking shades.

I hope you enjoyed this post and apologies again for not having photos of me showing the steps! If you do try this look I'd love to see, so feel free to tag me on Instagram - @ellieeveleigh.