Rocking the smudged eye

As a cheerleader for eco-beauty, people often expect that I prefer an earthy, soft, and subtle make-up palette, which can be quite nice sometimes, but in truth I like my make-up a little bit rock and roll. And please, nature isn’t all flowers and moonbeams, it is also volcanoes, earthquakes, scorpions, thunder and lightning – all very rock and roll! And what’s more rock n’ roll then a smudged eye?

The secret, as Kate Moss will tell you, is that your smoky eye NEEDS to be imperfect to really rock. Smudged. A little messy. Like it’s been slept in. That’s the look we’re going for, which is marvelous because I am a lazy make-up artist.

So here we go.

Prime: You don’t have to, but adding a swipe of foundation helps even out your skin surface, which helps your makeup pop, and also gives it a little more lasting power. I usually swipe on some Musqskin Creme Mineral Foundation.

Line: Using an angled eyeliner brush (Ecotools has a great one), use a liquid gel liner (I love 100% Pure in Black Tea) or if you prefer a liquid eyeliner you can use Elysambre's cute one. Close your eye, then stretch the outer corner of your eye out. Carefully draw a line out from the inner to just past the outer corner. I find if you do it reasonably fast you end up with a steadier line. Do draw it out a little way past, as this just adds a hint of shape to your eye, so it looks a little more angled and less “I’ve got a black eye”.

Pencil: Line the inside of your eyelids, both top and bottom. Then (this is the magic part) close your eye and scribble along your closed lash-line, so you kind of fill out the spaces between your lashes, and get a little pencil along the bottom lash-line as well. When you open your eyes you should have a messy thick line of black all around your eyes. Inika does a great liner.

Smudge: For that convincing “slept in” look, use your finger and blend to soften the hard lines. Run a clean finger under your eyes to tidy up and define the line a little, you want rock n’roll, not raccoon. Basically you want a slightly cleaner line along your lower lid.

Mascara: This is a MUST as mascara freshens up your eyes, makes them pop, and doesn’t make you look like you’ve been sleeping in the gutter. It adds that extra bit of effort, so it looks cool, not cracked. I like Suvana BioLash in Cleopatra.

There you go. Don’t go for perfection, it will just look contrived. Pair this with a nude lip and a bit of bronzer so you look fresh, healthy and sexy!