I’m crap at applying eye makeup, even more when it comes to doing smokey eyes. To this day, I still don’t know how to do the gradient where it’s dark on the outer corners of the eyes and then blend in. I can’t get mine right. So I stick to the old-school way of doing it, which is dark on the upper lashline and blend upwards to a lighter shade.
This method of smokey eye is just that, but so much easier. It was something I discovered when I tried out the Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense eyeliner. It’s such a quick and easy way to simple smokey eyes. Completely idiot-proof too (hey, if I can do it, you can).
The method takes a grand total of 8 minutes for both eyes. Oh yeah, I timed myself.
All you need are three items. These are the eye makeup products I used.
Eyeliner: Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense
One eyeshadow as base: Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe
Black mascara: INNOXA Lash Define mascara
1. Prime your eyelids. You may not find this step necessary, but I do as I have very oily eyelids.
2. Apply your base eyeshadow. I like the Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow for this, which I pat on with my fingertip.
3. Line the upper lash line with your eyeliner. Don’t worry if the line is not perfect. In fact, the messier the better. I winged the outer corners of my eyes a little as well.
4. Use the smudging end of the eyeliner and smudge the daylights out of it. Be gentle when smudging though, as the eyelids have very delicate skin. If your eyeliner does not come with a smudging tip, I find that cheapie eyeshadow applicators work (fancy that! It’s useful after all). When the winged bits are smudged, it creates some definition to the eyes (remember to smudge it upwards and outwards).
5. Apply the blackest mascara you have, and you’re done!
How easy was that? Completely foolproof, I tell ya. I don’t have to worry about the messy application of the eyeliner at all. I found that the Clinique eyeliner worked very well with the Maybelline Colour Tattoo. No smudging and no creasing at all after hours of wear.
Any way to save some time without any difficulty? Hell yeah I’ll take it 🙂
So creber! I need to learn how to do eyeliner. 😀
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LeGeeque: This one is so easy. Even if it’s not this eyeliner, try the crayon ones and smudge. Easy peasy. Less than 10 minutes for both eyes makes me very happy 🙂
Cool..does the clinique quickliner is smudge-proof and oil-proof?? I have oily eyelids like yours. Very severe one. None of the pencil, marker and gel eyeliner are ‘friendly’with me. The only one that last is liquid..Even after applying eyeprimer..Then again, I may have used unsuitable primer..Thanks for sharing. I might give Clinique quickliner and your smokey eyes method a try.. Looks easy..I’m also very bad at blending shadows. 🙂
AnneJ: I tried this with a Kiko eyeshadow a friend sent me. Worked well. Tried this with the Maybelline Color Tattoo. Worked even better. I have very oily eyelids, and sometimes even with eye primer on, eye makeup tend to smudge after a number of hours. This one, not a single budge for either the Color Tattoo or the Clinique eyeliner. I was very impressed.
As for the smokey eye method, so so easy. You’ll probably get it done quicker than me 😛
me likey! 😀 time to start smudging 😛
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Beetrice: Be careful when smudging though. Very delicate eye area 😉
Great tips! Fool proof indeed 🙂 I usually do another swipe of eyeliner on my waterline before mascara. More drama and definition.
Lily recently posted..FOTD: Dramatic Smokey Eyes with Wispy Lashes
Lily: That’s a good tip too. I can’t do too much with my waterline though because the makeup removal process on the waterline hurts my eyes too much 🙁
Great job! I would do that too when I’m in a hurry!
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Too easy Nikki! 🙂
My lids are super oily, even with the Urban Decay liners, it can’t last me more than 6 hours. Have not tried all the raved primers though, only used whatever eye shadow base that I have in stash. Have not put on much makeup in the longest time, getting so lazy..
Eunice: How are you finding the Urban Decay liners? I saw them when I was back in Malaysia for a holiday but silly me ended up not buying any. Do they work with primed oily lids?
They are the ones which lasted longest on me, but still not long enough. maybe I need a better primer for my lids. What do you recommend? I like it that i can make a smoky eye by just using a brush to smudge the liner a bit.. the colours are nice, though I only have brown, black and purple. I have not tried many liners, so don’t know how it compared to the others.
Eunice: I use the usual popular ones: Urban Decay Primer Potion or Too Faced Shadow Insurance. These are the primers that work best on my oily eyelids. I’m definitely keen on trying the Urban Decay eyeliners. Have heard so much about them, plus they have some pretty good colours other than the usual black.
love this method!!! so easy!!! i can’t do smokey eye either without risking to look like a panda 🙁
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Xin: I’d avoid lining the lower lash line. That gives me the panda eyes and it’s not a good look 🙁
Beautiful! I hardly ever smudge out my liner so will be giving that a go for sure. I like the colour tattoo, is that the tough as taupe shade?
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Emma: Yep that’s the one. It’s a beautiful shade and I love the cream to matte texture. Go check it out! 🙂
Love it! 🙂 I use an angled brush to get the gradient on the outside but yep lots of smudging is key! I’d also like to know which Colour Tattoo shade you used! 🙂
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Oh duh sorry just looked at the 1st pic more closely & my Q is answered! *facepalms*
Sarah recently posted..Nail polish ahoy! Two new colours from Essence
Sarah: Haha yep, Tough as Taupe all right 😛 I’ve tried using an angled brush but I’ve never really mastered it well enough. And I call myself a beauty blogger because …..?? 😛
so simple & quick to do and so super effective. Love it.
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Mel: Anything quick and easy is A-okay in my books. Especially even more when it’s completely idiotproof 😀
nice! this looks easy… however, i wish you posted a photo of the overall look 🙂
Issa: Ahem, I had a big pimple on my face, hence you only saw the eyes 😛
Thank you for the lovely post! I’ve always wondered how to do smokey eyes or even put eyeshadow on my Asian eyes. It always seems like too much work because our eye area is just way smaller 🙂 but this post is very helpful. Maybe one day I can embrace wearing eyeshadow!
Ecobeaut: This style of smokey eye suits all kinds of eyes. For smaller ones, flick the out corners of the eyes upwards with the eyeliner to create the illusion of bigger eyes. Then smudge, smudge and smudge some more. You can’t go wrong with this method 🙂
I love it! It’s simple, easy and beautiful!
gio recently posted..QOTW: Is Concealer A Must?
Gio: Haha I know, right? Foolproof man! 😀
thanks for the tip! it looks really easy peasy and I will try it out! 😀
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Stacey: Go for it, Stacey, and let us know how you go! 🙂
This looks awesome, and fairly easy, hurray! I admit – I’m a complete newbie when it comes to eyeliner; my eyelids fold inwards, so it takes a huge stripe of eyeliner to get it to even appear when my eyes are open, urgh. Still, this looks like it’s worth a go. :p
Esther: Then you’ll love this method, because it really is very easy to do. Be careful not to overload with eyeliner though. I’ve noticed a lot of women who have small eyes literally drawn fat stripes of black eyeliner on their eyelids because they thought that their eyes were too small. It actually makes the makeup look too harsh on the eyes. Try smaller strips, wing the outer corners and see how that goes. Good luck! 🙂