If you haven’t already noticed from the mile-long lines in the package center, and the decorations covering every inch of St. Charles, it’s Halloween season. While I’m sure by now everyone has their costumes perfectly planned, most people are probably still prowling through Pinterest for “cool Halloween makeup.” After spending hours of my time watching Youtube videos, scrolling through #HalloweenMakeup on Instagram, and of course, adding 100 photos to my Pinterest board, I’ve come up with the easiest and most versatile looks for this Halloween.
Whether you’re flipping through the pages of Vogue, keeping up with Paris Fashion Week, or even walking around downtown, smokey eyes are everywhere. Although the classic smokey eye is made up of neutral colors, the world of high fashion has revolutionized this classic makeup look into something bold, unique, and of course, beautiful. This will be a perfect makeup look for whatever your costume may be!
Before you begin, keep in mind that smokey eyes can involve quite a bit of fallout due to highly pigmented shades. I would recommend applying the eyeshadow to your upper lid prior to beginning your face makeup, so that any extra shadow that falls on your face is easy to wipe away.
Step 1: Choose a neutral shade slightly lighter than your skin tone and apply it from your brow bone all the way down to your lid. This will help the rest of your shadows blend seamlessly.
Step 2: Choose a shadow similar to your skin tone and use windshield wiper motions to blend the shadow into your crease. Blending is super important for a smokey look, so take your time!
Step 3: Think of what color you want your eyeshadow look to be. For the sake of this article, I’m going to use red, but feel free to use any color you think would look best with your costume! Remember that when applying darker shadows that you can always add more, but it’s hard to blend in too much. Choose two shades of your colored shadow you selected. I’m going to use a lighter cranberry shade and a darker maroon shade of red. Going in with the lighter shade, tap off any excess pigment and use the same windshield wiper motions as step two to blend this shade evenly across your crease. Using any excess shadow on your brush, blend up for a smokey effect and stop a few centimeters before your brow bone. Continue this step until you are happy with the color payoff.
Step 4: Going in with your darker shade, tap off any excess pigment and blend directly into your crease. Do not blend this shadow up towards your brow bone. This will help create the illusion of a deeper crease. When using darker colors in this step, it’s especially important to blend for a seamless look!
Step 5: This step is going to require the darkest color. For a traditional smokey eye, go with black, but if you think black might be too dark for you, then try a dark brown or deeper shade of the original color you chose. With a small brush, pick up a tiny amount of shadow. Remember: darker shades are harder to blend and you can always add more, so start light. Apply this shadow on the outer corner of your eye, typically referred to as the “outer V.” Essentially, the dark shadow should be on the corner of your upper lash line, the outer part of your crease and meet in the corner to create this shape: <. Remember to blend this shadow really well to create a smokey and gradient effect.
Step 6: Choose any metallic or shimmer shadow and apply it all over your lid, while still being careful not to go above the crease. Tip: For more intense metallic shades try wetting your brush before applying it!
Step 7:Pick your favorite highlighter and pop it right under your brow bone.
Step 8: If you did your eyeshadow before your face makeup, now would be the time to go ahead and wipe away any excess shadow that may have fallen on your face, and start the rest of your makeup. Once you finish your face makeup, take the second darkest color you used in your crease and blend it into your lower lashline.
Step 9: Use the same highlighter you used under your brow bone and add it to the inner corner of your eye.
Step 10: Go ahead and add some eyeliner, mascara, or lashes and you’re good to go!
You can obtain the perfect smokey eye for any costume this Halloween in these 10 easy steps!
COVER PHOTO: Reader’s Digest
