A Simple Guide To A Natural Smokey Eye Makeup Look: Step 1-4

Contrary to popular belief, a natural smokey eye makeup look is not all dark eyeshadow and heavy black eyeliner. The smokey eye is actually the technique itself and relies on creating a ‘smudged’ gradient effect that blends shades together for a thoroughly sultry look.

So yes, you can certainly create a natural smokey eye with neutral, bright or lighter colours, and you can certainly keep it simple.

In fact, more and more celebrities, influencers and makeup artists are loving natural smokey eye looks.

After all, they can be worn for more occasions- from day to night- and can look just as sexy, if not more so, than heavy black and brown shades.

This is nothing new either, the natural smokey eye has been around for years, it’s just that now, many more people are adopting styles of makeup looks that can be worn at the office or on a night out.

If you are already a smokey eye fanatic or even a complete newbie, then look at our guide to getting the perfect natural smokey eye makeup look in just a few easy steps. We guarantee you’ll fall in love with this trend just as much as we did when we first saw it.

How To Do A Natural Smokey Eye Makeup Look?

A subtle or natural smokey eye makeup look is not confined to dark shades and tones. For this look, you can experiment with neutral shades, metallic/shimmers, light tones and just about any colour.

The main goal with a subtle smokey eye is to create that softened vibe that infuses glamour into your makeup, whether you’re going to a wedding or just because it’s a Tuesday.

The look only takes a few minutes and requires just a couple of applicator tools. Once you’ve got the technique down, you’ll be good to go.

Step 1- Apply Your Base Shade:

After prepping your eye with a primer or eyeshadow base, apply a light neutral shade (e.g. beige, cream, light brown etc) to your entire lid with your eyeshadow brush.

This will lay down your foundation base to build up the rest of your smokey eye.

Step 2- Apply Shadow To Your Crease:

Taking your next shade, apply it to your eyelid crease and the outer portion of the eye. Make sure to buff it in well to avoid any harshness within the shadow.

Your goal is to keep things soft here, so blend until you get that feathery look.

Step 3- Add a darker shadow:

Now is the time to go in and start smoking out your eye. To do this take the next (slightly deeper) shade from your chosen colour palette and apply a dab of shadow on your brush to the outer corner of your eye and your eyelid crease.

Then, with your blending brush, buff the darker shade in to avoid any harsh lines, feathering it outwards, as well as slightly upwards. Blend it gently with the other colour on your lid for a graduated effect.

Step 4- Intensify the colour:

Now, your smokey eye should really be taking shape, so to step it up a notch go in and add some intensity. Take your darkest shade yet (remember this does not need to be dark as in black or brown- just darker compared to the other shades used in this look) and pop it on top of the area you just blended out.

Choose lighter colours, or even a shimmer to the middle and inner corner of the eye and then fuse all of these shades together with your brush. Think intense, but soft for a natural smokey eye makeup look.

You can then also connect your upper eyelid with your under eyes by applying the same darker shades with your brush. Keep this close to the lash line and always blend it in well.

A good tip is to keep it as uniform as possible and avoid pulling the eyeshadow downwards, as you will likely end up with a racoon eye.

The natural smokey eye makeup look really is that simple. Within just a few quick and easy steps, you can elevate your smokey eye game for good and have a look to hand for every occasion.

Experimenting with colour, tones and shades is also a great advantage of this look, so don’t be afraid to take a step away from dark browns and blacks, to try something new.

The main goal with a natural smokey eye is just to keep everything soft and blended.

We love a natural smokey eye makeup look and think you’ll love it too. But don’t just take our word for it. Try it out for yourself and pass it on to your friends, when they undoubtedly ask about it.