How to Do Black Smokey Eyes

Co-authored by Katya Gudaeva and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: February 21, 2023 References

Smokey eyes are an easy way to add a fun, sultry look into your makeup routine. While you can add a smokey effect to your eyes with a variety of colors, black is a classic shade that goes with almost any outfit. Begin by priming your eye area with a few products like concealer and setting powder. Next, pack on a neutral and a black shadow to fully blend both products out. Finally, add another layer of style to your makeup by applying some additional eyeliner, blush, mascara, or highlighter! Read on for a step-by-step, beginner-friendly tutorial on getting classic and easy black smokey eyes.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Priming the Eye Area

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Pat on a layer of eyelid primer to make your look last longer.^{[1]
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Katya Gudaeva
Professional Makeup Artist
Expert Interview. 11 April 2019.} Use a small brush or application wand to coat your eyelids with product. Focus on covering the areas where you plan on packing on the eyeshadow product, like the base of the lid.^{[2]
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- If you don’t have any eyelid primer on hand, try using some skin-toned concealer instead.
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Apply cream concealer to your under eye area with your finger. Prepare the lower half of your eye by rubbing a creamy concealer that matches your skin tone beneath your lower lids. Focus on covering the bags beneath your eyes, since you don’t want them to be visible in your finished smokey eye look.^{[3]
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Katya Gudaeva
Professional Makeup Artist
Expert Interview. 11 April 2019.} Avoid using a liquid concealer, as this won’t provide as much even coverage to your bags.^{[4]
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- When applying makeup by hand, use your ring finger. It’s the best for applying makeup around the thin, delicate areas around your eyes.
- For a brightening effect, you can use concealer that's 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone.
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Dab setting powder under your eyes with a fluffy brush. Save time by patting a thick layer of translucent setting powder over the concealer. This sets the concealer in place and catches any eyeshadow fallout that lands there during application, making it easy to flick away once you're done.^{[5]
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- If you don't have translucent powder on hand, use a powder that closely matches your skin tone.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Applying Black Eyeshadow

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Pack a mid-tone eyeshadow onto your eyelids as a base layer. Take a small eyeshadow brush and add an initial coat of eyeshadow to your eyelids. Use short, compact motions when applying the makeup to create a shadow that looks deep and consistent throughout. Be sure to stop at the crease when applying this base color.^{[6]
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- To keep your look monochromatic, choose a transition shade like grey or charcoal.
- If you want your smokey eye to be extremely dark, opt for a black eyeshadow as your base instead.
2
Define the curve of your upper lash line with black eyeliner. Draw a line of black eyeliner along the lash line of your upper lid. Don’t worry about extending the product into a cat-eye look—instead, focus on applying the eyeliner as close to your upper lashes as possible. As you apply the product, make sure that the liner also goes in between each lash to make your lash line stand out more.^{[7]
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- This works best with a liquid or gel liner.
3
Brush a layer of black eyeshadow on your eyelids with a small brush. Take a small, rounded makeup brush to pack color near the eyeliner and about halfway up the lid. Use a slightly larger and fluffier blending brush to blend the 2 layers of eyeshadow together. Tap the brush gently along the mid-to-upper lid area to finish blending.^{[8]
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- Have a makeup wipe or tissue on hand in case any eyeshadow spreads into the wrong area.
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Use an angled brush to add black eyeshadow to your lower lash line. Dust a small amount of black eyeshadow onto an angled brush and gently dab it into your lower lash. Unlike the upper lash, you don’t want to pack the product in, as this can overdo the smokey look.^{[9]
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- Don’t put too much product on your lower lash line. When too much eyeshadow is used while applying a smokey eye, the final result can imitate a “raccoon-eye” look.^{[10]
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5
Smudge and blend the eyeshadow around the crease and edges of your eye.^{[11]
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Katya Gudaeva
Professional Makeup Artist
Expert Interview. 11 April 2019.} Take a fluffier blending brush and blend out the dark eyeshadow around your upper and lower eyelids, as well as your crease. Use short patting motions to blend out the product effectively. Continue doing this until the edges of your eye resemble smoke.^{[12]
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- If you don’t want to use a brush, feel free to use your finger as a blending tool instead.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Enhancing the Look

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Trace your lower waterline with black eyeliner pencil to complete the look. Take a creamy eye pencil and sketch along your lower lash line. Continue applying the product with smooth, confident strokes until the waterline is shaded. Avoid using gel or liquid products for this part, as they’re only meant for your upper lid.^{[13]
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2
Apply white eyeliner pencil on your lower lash line to define your eyes. Black eyeliner in the bottom waterline is pretty standard, but it can make eyes look smaller. If you want to make your eyes appear larger and more defined, use a white eyeliner pencil to draw along the waterline of your lower lash. Keep the pencil as steady as possible—unlike the rest of the look, you don’t want your pencil to appear smudged or blended.^{[14]
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- White eye pencil is especially noticeable on smokey eyes that have been done entirely with black eyeshadow and liner.
3
Brush light eyeshadow into the inner corners of your eye. Use a small, fine-tipped brush to apply a light-colored matte or shimmer eyeshadow product into the inner corners of your eyes. While you want the smokey look to remain the central focus, a tiny bit of highlighter can help make your eyes look larger. When applying the highlighter, use thin, specific strokes that follow the line of your inner eye.^{[15]
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- Try to use a neutral highlighter tone, like white.
4
Highlight your brow bone with the same light shade of eyeshadow. Add more definition to your eyebrows by tracing your brow bone with a thin brush. After sketching the line, blend out the product with a brush that’s you’ve sprayed with water.^{[16]
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- You can also use a nude eye pencil for this.
5
Dab a glittery silver eyeshadow overtop to add a little glam to the look. Use the tip of your pointer finger to press some shiny eyeshadow onto your smokey eye. Do this very delicately; even if your makeup has set you don’t want to risk smudging any of the powder involved in the smokey eye. Use slow, gentle motions to ensure that you’re getting even coverage with your finger.^{[17]
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- Consider using the glitter shadow less like a color and more like a top coat.
6
Swipe black mascara onto your lashes to give them volume. Use the mascara product of your choice and apply it to the edges of your upper and lower lashes. If you want your eyes to look especially defined, invest in a volumizing mascara that dramatically increases the size of your eyelashes. Depending on the look you’re going for, apply some product to your lower lashes as well.^{[18]
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- For a full and dramatic smokey eye look, try applying 3-4 coats of mascara.
7
Add a set of fake lashes to make your look extra dramatic. Determine the shape of your eye before you purchase a set—if your eyes are deep-set, downturned, hooded, or prominent, then you might want to consider placing the lashes on different parts of your eyes. Apply a thin line of glue along the edge of the false lashes, and stick them along the base of your natural lash.^{[19]
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- For instance, if you have downturned lashes, try a shorter set of false lashes to pull up the corners of your eyes.
- Prominent eyelashes look most balanced with strips of false lashes applied to the top and bottom lash lines.
- Naturally hooded lashes look best with shorter sets of false lashes.
- Deep-set eyes are best emphasized with false lashes that are longest in the middle of the eye.
8
Complement your dark eye makeup with rosy blush. Look into a mirror and smile to reveal the apples, or focal points, of your cheeks. While you don’t want to over apply your blush, a light, rosy layer goes well with the sharp, dark tones of the smokey eye. Apply a light coat of blush product with a wide, fluffy brush to ensure an even application.^{[20]
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- Don’t choose a shade of blush that’s too bright—if your cheeks are too rouged, then they might distract away from your smokey eyes.

Expert Q&A
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Question

Do I need to blend when applying a smokey eye?

Katya Gudaeva
Professional Makeup Artist
Katya Gudaeva is a Professional Makeup Artist and the Founder of Bridal Beauty Agency based in Seattle, Washington. She has worked in the beauty industry for over 10 years and worked with companies such as Patagonia, Tommy Bahama, and Barneys New York and with clients such as Amy Schumer, Macklemore, and Train.

Katya Gudaeva

Professional Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Think of blending eyeshadow like transitioning colors in a painting. It's important to blend the eyeshadow so that you can't see where the eyeshadow starts and ends. It serves the purpose of creating a beautiful look without people noticing that it's makeup.