Tutorial : Bronze Smoky Eye

As a blue eyed girl, I naturally gravitate towards a bronze rather than grey smoky eye. The copper toned eye shadow accentuates the natural blue in my eyes and provides a definition that is less harsh than a black shadow against my pale skin. This is my go to eye look and I would love to share a tutorial of how I achieve it.

Firstly I use a bonze cream shadow all over my lid as a base and to increase the longevity of the eye shadows I place on top. This is especially important if you have oily eyelids like myself. Here I have used the Maybelline Eye Studio Colour Tattoo in the shade 'And On Bronze' and I have patted this onto the centre of my lid with my ring finger. I then used a fluffy brush to blend this out through my crease and create the perfect base for a gorgeous, long lasting smoky eye.

I followed this by using a shimmer shadow over the centre of my lid. Here I took a gorgeous copper toned shade from my L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Quad 'Beige Trench'. Any copper shade will work perfectly here as the slight orange tone placed in the centre will emphasis the colour of your eyes and cause the blue to pop. I patted this on with a flat shadow brush and then used a clean fluffy brush to blend it out through my crease. To achieve a flawless smoky eye it is important to always apply the shadow in stages and blend each colour out as you go.

Next I applied a matte dark brown shade to the outer corners of my eye and through my crease. Here I have used the shade M1 from my Smashbox Full Exposure Palette and I have applied it to my outer corner before blending it up towards the end of my eyebrow to create a winged effect. Once again, I then ran a fluffy brush through my crease to ensure all of the eye shadows blended smoothly into one another.

(Left to right: Maybelline Colour Tattoo, L'Oreal Colour Riche, Smashbox M1, Smashbox S4)

I then applied the Maybelline Eye Studio Master Smoky Eyeliner in the shade 'Chocolate' to my upper lash line and outer corner of my lower lash line. This is a gorgeous deep brown and creates a soft definition that is a lovely alternative to a black eyeliner. I used a smudge brush to blend this out along my lash line and create a smoky eye. I also applied the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in the shade 'Nude' to my lower water line to help widen my eyes.

(Left to right: Rimmel nude, Maybelline chocolate)

I finished the look by applying a highlighter to my inner corners and brow bone. For this I used the lightest shade S4 from my Smashbox palette. I chose to use a shimmer highlighter, however you could also use a matte nude for a slightly more subtle look. I also applied mascara to my upper and lower lashes, for this I used my Benefit They're Real! as I wanted to create big, bold lashes to finish the look. I therefore also chose to add three of the Ardell Individual Lashes in medium to the outer corners of my upper lash line to add volume and open up my eyes.

I finished the look by using by Bourjois Paris BB Bronzing Cream 8-in-1 around the perimeter of my face to add a bronzed glow to my skin. I have previously written an entire post on this including a tutorial on how I use it, which you can find here. I then used the medium shade from my Tropic Bronze Sculpting Palette on an angled contour brush to define the hollows of my cheeks, temples and the sides of my nose. I also took the highlighting shade from the same palette and dusted this lightly over the tops of my cheekbones, bridge of my nose and cupids bow.

(Tropic Bronze Sculpting Palette)

Finally I paired this look with my favourite nude lipstick; the Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish in the shade 003. This is a gorgeous balance between a pink and brown toned nude with a creamy finish.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and it provided you with inspiration for the next time you are doing your makeup. I would love to hear what you think in the comments bellow. I look forward to hearing from you!

Devon

xoxo

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Tutorial : Liquid Liner for Hooded Eyes

Without a doubt, applying eye makeup feels a hundred times more difficult when you have hooded eyes. As I have gotten older I have learnt to love my eyes and realise that I simply need to learn the techniques to suit my eye shape.

I think liquid eyeliner is a constant battle for any makeup lover to master and is even more difficult for those of us with hooded lids. I therefore would love to share the tips and tricks that I have learnt to help you with that dreaded feline flick.

I start with a nude matte shadow across my lid and run a subtle darker matte brown through my crease. In this look I used two colours from the Smashbox Full Exposure Palette. The lighter shade M4 is across my lid and the darker shade M5 is through my crease.

I then start with my eyeliner and apply a very thin line as close to my lash line as possible. Starting from the centre I draw a line down to my outer corner and then from the centre down to my inner corner. I start from the centre each time so that I never have the bulk of my product in the corners of my eyes, this helps to stop the liner smudging and allows you to apply it in the corners with greater precision. I then, with my eye open, draw a short line that follows on from where my outer lower lash line ends and up as far as I want the wing to go.

Once I have this basic line I then begin to build up the liner to create a bolder look. I only ever make the liner thicker on the outer half or even outer third of my eye. This is the most important aspect of applying liner to a hooded lid. I find that keeping the inner and middle portion of the line thin allows the lid space to still to be seen. The thicker outer line and wing then creates a bold look and helps to elongate the eye.

I continue to build up the line and wing until I am happy with the thickness and then apply mascara to finish the look. I personally prefer to only wear liner on my upper lid as I have small eyes and find that top heavy eye looks open up my eyes better. However if you wanted to you could carry the liner on to the lower lash line as well. Again, keep the line as thin as possible on the inner and middle section and build it up on the outer section up towards the wing.

When I am wearing a bold liner I love to pair this with a deep red lipstick. The one I am wearing here is the Maybelline Color Sensational in the shade 547, a gorgeous classic red. The two liners I used in this look are the L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Black Lacquer, to draw the initial thin line, and the L'Oreal Paris Super Liner So Couture Pen to build up the thickness and perfect the wing.

I hope this helps those of you trying to master liquid liner and will provide you with some inspiration whether you have hooded eyes or not.

Devon

xoxo

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