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How to do a smokey eye

By Lookslate · Updated

A smokey eye is an eyeshadow gradient that is darkest at the lash line and fades up into the crease, usually in charcoal, black or deep brown. Because the eyes carry the drama, the rest of the face stays quiet: a light touch of blush and a muted nude lip.

Best for
Nights out and parties · Date nights · Concerts and evening events · Photos where you want defined eyes
Skill level
Intermediate: you need patience with blending and fallout.
Try Smokey Eyes on your photo
BeforeSmokey Eyes preview on an AI-generated modelAfter
An AI-generated model with the Smokey Eyes look, made in advance by an AI image model from the same look instructions your photo gets. Your own preview comes from our image service and can look different.
  • Lid
  • Crease
  • Cheek
  • Lip

In the Lookslate preview

The Smokey Eyes preview applies a bold smoky eye: charcoal and dark brown eyeshadow blended from a dark upper lash line into the crease and smudged along the lower lash line, full black lashes, soft blush and nude lipstick. Your result includes this three-step guide:

  1. Prime the lids and blend a medium brown through the crease.
  2. Layer a deeper shade at the lash line and outer corner, softening every edge.
  3. Add mascara, a light touch of blush and a muted lip.

Choose the intensity of your smoke

The technique stays the same; only the colors change:

  • Charcoal or black: the classic, most dramatic version for evenings.
  • Deep brown: softer and more forgiving. Start here if you are new to smokey eyes or want a daytime version.
  • Plum, bronze or olive: color variations that can flatter specific eye colors. See our eye color guide.

The pencil-first method

If blending powder from scratch feels hard, start with a soft kohl or gel pencil. Scribble it along the upper lash line and the outer corner, smudge it upward with a small brush, then press a matching powder shadow on top. The pencil gives you a dark base in seconds and the powder sets it so it does not slide.

Hooded or deep-set eyes

Look straight into a mirror with your eyes open while you place the crease shade. Build the gradient slightly above your natural crease, so the smoke stays visible when your eyes are open instead of folding away. Keep the darkest color close to the lashes.

How to do Smokey Eyes makeup, step by step

  1. Do the eyes first. Dark shadow often falls onto the cheeks. Doing the eyes before foundation lets you wipe fallout away without ruining your base.
  2. Prime the lids. An eyeshadow primer or a thin layer of concealer, set with powder, gives the shadow something to grip and keeps it from creasing.
  3. Lay down a transition shade. Blend a medium brown through the crease with a fluffy brush. This shade bridges the dark lash line and your skin.
  4. Add the dark shade. Pat charcoal or deep brown onto the lid close to the lashes and into the outer corner. Use a pencil underneath if you want it darker.
  5. Blend the edges. With a clean brush, soften where the dark shade meets the transition shade. Every edge should look smoky, not striped.
  6. Smoke the lower lash line. Smudge a little of the dark shade under the outer half of the lower lashes and blend it out with the transition shade.
  7. Finish the eyes. Apply mascara generously to the top lashes and lightly to the bottom lashes.
  8. Complexion, cheeks and lips. Clean up fallout, apply your base, add a light touch of blush and finish with a muted nude lipstick.

Common mistakes

  • A hard edge between colors. Blend longer than feels necessary.
  • Heavy, dark shadow all the way around the lower lash line, which can make the eyes look smaller.
  • Applying foundation first and then fighting fallout on the cheeks.
  • Pairing the look with a strong lip and strong contour, so nothing stands out.

Frequently asked questions

Should I do my eyes or my face first for a smokey eye?

Eyes first. Dark eyeshadow tends to fall onto the cheeks, and it is easier to clean that up before foundation and concealer are on.

What products do I need for a smokey eye?

An eyeshadow primer (or concealer set with powder), a medium brown transition shade and a charcoal or deep brown shadow. A soft kohl or gel pencil makes the dark base easier. Add mascara, a fluffy brush and a small smudging brush, then your usual base, a light blush and a muted nude lipstick.

How do I make a smokey eye easier as a beginner?

Use the pencil-first method: smudge a soft kohl pencil along the lash line and outer corner, then set it with a matching powder shadow. Start with brown instead of black; it is more forgiving.

Can I wear a smokey eye during the day?

Yes. Swap charcoal for a medium or deep brown, keep the shadow closer to the lash line and blend it higher and softer. It reads as defined rather than dramatic.

Can I wear a smokey eye on mature lids?

Yes. Use matte shadows, which show less texture than shimmer, and build the darkest shade along the lash line and the outer corner rather than across the whole lid. Angle the outer corner up toward the end of the brow, not down, so the eye looks lifted. A soft brown or charcoal pencil smudged at the lashes gives depth without a hard line.

More looks

Evening Glam

Evening glam is a fuller, more defined look built for low, warm evening light and flash photography: shimmer-lit eyes with a deeper outer corner, liner and sculpted lashes, highlighted cheekbones and a rich rose lip.

How to do Evening Glam makeup

Soft Glam

Soft glam is a polished but gentle look: an even, luminous base, warm-brown and rose eyeshadow blended until no edge shows, fluttery lashes, diffused rosy blush and a satin pink-nude lip.

How to do Soft Glam makeup

All faces shown are AI-generated fictional models, not real people.

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