The smoky eye is one of those make-up techniques that every girl wants to nail, but so many are so scared to try. Especially if you’re an older women.
Truthfully, how many of you have looked at a celebrity rocking a smoky eye and thought: “Well, that’s nice and pretty, but only those young and hip girls who haven’t yet developed a wrinkle can actually make it work”?
It’s a common misconception that once you hit a certain age, a smoky eye falls in the no-go zone. And the truth is, you actually can sport one after 40 – and there’s no better way to prove it than with this picture of Revlon’s brand ambassador Halle Berry (who is currently 48) and her gorgeous Emmys make-up look:
To recreate Halle’s sultry bronzed eye look, Revlon recommends Revlon ColorStay 16H Eye Shadow Quad in Adventurous and PhotoReady Primer + Shadow in Metropolitan for your lids, Revlon Luxurious Color Eye Liner Pencil in Sueded Brown to line your eyes and Revlon GrowLuscious Mascara to finish of the look.
By using softer and warmer shades (as opposed to the greys and blacks that are usually utilised in smoky eye looks), you can enhance your eyes and give them some depth and colour without making them look older.
So if you think you’re ready to embrace the post-40 smoky eye, here are some other tricks you might like to have up your sleeve:
• Don’t take your eyeshadow all the way up to your brow bone, as this can make your eyes look smaller and tired. Instead, only take the shadow up to your crease line.
• Always use brown or charcoal liner as black can be a bit harsh on ageing eyes. It’s also best to avoid using too much liner on your bottom lash line as this can make your eyes look droopy.
• Avoid cream shadows as these can settle into the creases in your eyelids.
• Avoid eyeshadows that are particularly shimmery or glittery.
• Warm browns and burgundies with red undertones will work brilliantly on all skin tones.
• Keep your application light – your eye look doesn’t have to be super-pigmented. Simply use a darker hue on the outer corner and a lighter hue on the inner corner and you’ve got yourself an excellent smoky eye.
• Finish off your look with a neutral lip colour.
What do you think of Halle’s smoky eye? What are your tips for creating a flattering smoky eye?
