The perfect bridal smokey eye for blue eyes.

Brides are definitely wearing more makeup currently than in previous years, this doesn’t mean that make up is looking heavier but looking more polished and flawless. Formulas and textures are becoming more advanced and beneficial for the skin. Brides are also more aware of make up and make up trends and not afraid to try new looks for their big day.

 I will be taking you through my tips and tricks for what I would class as a subtle Smokey eye look, perfect for those of you with blue eyes. I do tailor each look to the individual bride depending on eye shape, skin tone and hair colour, theme or inspiration of the wedding itself and of course the personality of you the bride!

I tend to do eye make-up first just in case you get any fallout from the shadow it can easily be wiped away, I like to do most of the eye, then do the skin then come back to the eye if I need to add any more product. I build up colour gradually rather than put loads of product on and then have to blend it away. This gives a more blended look for the eye. For Blue eyes go for anything with a warm undertone. Think peaches and golds, bronzes and oranges, warm browns and chocolates look amazing and enhance blue eyes

Below is a step by step instruction on how to create a smokey eye like the one I created in this image for Elinor

Step 1.

For Elinor I used Mac Painterly Paint Pot as a base it is a good colour for anyone with a fair to medium skin tone, it holds on shadows for 24 hours and so perfect for the wedding day and night. It also stops any shadows creasing. I l use a MAC 217 brush which is a soft fluffy synthetic brush, only puts a small amount of product on which is all you need. I apply this over the whole eye even up to the brow bone.

Step 2.

I apply MAC Gleam eye shadow which is a light peachy gold all over the mobile lid. I use a firm flat brush like MAC #239 to pack the colour on.

Step 3.

Then I add a warm mid tone brown onto the outer corner. And blend. I like MAC soft Brown.

Step 4.

You can leave it at this or if you want to smoke it up you can add a darker matt dark warm brown like MAC Embark. Add onto the outer corner and in the socket line. And blend, with a soft tapered blending brush like MAC #224 brush.

Step 5.

You can add drama and depth to the eye by adding a kohl pencil till the water line. I use Embark eye shadow on the bottom lash line and smudge through with the MAC 239 brush.

Bridal Smokey Eye for Brown Eyes.

Brides who want to wear a Smokey eye and they have Brown eyes are lucky as you can basically wear any colour on your eyes. It does depend on the tone of your brown eyes, that can help to determine the colours you choose to enhance your eyes. Plums and burgundy’s look amazing as well as silver golds and greys. I am going to go through a step by step routine for taupe Smokey bridal eye make up.

Veronica has dark brown eyes and olive skin tone, although this look will work well on any bride with brown eyes.

Make Up By Verity on Veronica

Step 1.

I always use a base for the eye to increase longevity for eye shadows, a good quality base will stop shadows creasing and moving throughout the day. I love the MAC paintpots, on Veronica I used Groundwork which is a great earthy brown. I used a MAC 217 brush to gently blend over the whole eyelid, I tend to stop just above the socket line.

Step 2.

I used a MAC 239 brush which is a firm flat brush to pack on colour over the eye up to the socket line. I used MAC satin taupe all over the eye. As the name suggests this is a gorgeous taupe colour with a slight shimmer and I have been using n brides for years. The colour suits many skin tones and enhances hazel and brown eyes.

Step 3.

I want to smoke up the eye, I like to use a darker more of a matte tone to increase intensity on the eye. How much you add depends on how dark and Smokey you want to look. I used MAC eye shadow in concrete which is matte and as the name suggests a dark grey brown. Depending on the brides eye shape I apply this again with a 239 brush on the outer corner of the eye. Then blending inwards backwards and forwards I use the MAC 224 blending brush. This brush is my favourite blending brush I have about five in my bridal brush kit.

Step 4.

I wanted to just warm up the look slightly as I have used cooler colours tones. So just into the socket line or slightly above depending on your eye shape I added MAC Swiss Chocolate eye shadow, if you are a bride with slightly fairer skin than Veronica I would use something like Bamboo from MAC. I used the MAC 224 brush to apply and blend in the transition colour. 

Step 5.

I added smoulder eye kohl to the water line top and bottom to add more definition and drama to the eye which brown eyes can take. I then used the MAC 266 brush to define under the eye and used concrete again, then softly blended with the MAC 239 brush.

Step 6.

Mascara just finishes off the look, I love the MAC extended play mascara the brush just separates the lash and defines them without looking heavy.

Bridal Smokey eye for Green eyes.

Think anything with a red undertone, these are the colours that accentuate green eyes. A Bride does not necessarily want to wear a red-eye, in fact, red eye shadow is quite unusual and can be quite hard to wear. So think Burgundy plums even purples, again anything with a warm undertone will enhance green eyes. It does have a lot to do with application and you want your Bridal makeup to look flawless but also timeless.

Plum smokey on Kirsty make up by Verity.

Step 1.

A base to hold on the shadow is important for bridal makeup, for green eyes I tend to use MAC Laying Low Paint Pot, it has a peachy undertone and will hold on the shadow for the whole day. Especially good if your eye shadow tends to crease. I used the MAC 217 brush to blend over the whole eyelid stopping just below the brow bone.

Step 2.

After you have applied the base now its time to build up the eye shadow. Quarry MAC eye shadow is a great base and has a purple hue to it without being too purple. I use my favourite MAC 239 brush which is firm and flat to press the shadow into the lid up to the crease.

Step 3

I use the same 239 brush but just the other side of the brush to apply MAC Sketch eye shadow which is a burgundy matte shadow. I apply this just on the outer corner of the eye and then blend with my 224 brush to get a soft blown out look.

Step 4.

Again use the Sketch eye shadow but this time with the MAC 266 brush to draw a line under the eye. Then blend with finger or a clean 239 brush. this gives quite a smokey look and I like to draw all the way to the inner corner of the eye for a more defined look.

Step 5

I like to add a pencil liner on the water line again for more drama, I love MAC Teddy pencil which is a warm brown or Feline if you want to go for a darker black.

These looks are just some of the smokey eye looks I have created for brides, choosing the right colour for your wedding day eye make up is essential to creating the best look for you and accentuating your eye colour and making the best of your features.