How-to: three ways with smoky eyes

Ladies, if your brother, boyfriend or partner are giving you a hard time for getting ready and putting on make-up, please don’t take it to heart. Secretly, they’re loving it.

Well, at least that’s what a new research conducted by a beauty retailer suggests.
In an online poll on Escentual.com, 73 per cent of men said they preferred women with make-up, while only six per cent said they liked the everyday natural look. Men also voted smoky eyes as the favourite beauty look because “it’s timeless and makes a lady look sexy and mysterious”.

Now, we know that you shouldn’t feel you have to wear make-up just to make your man happy (first and foremost it’s about making yourself feel good, right?). But if you do want to glam it up for a date, the good news is you can make smoky eyes work for almost any occasion. Below, we take a peek at three different ways to wear the look – be it in the park, out to dinner or in a nightclub.

Subtle smoky eyes for daytime
Celebrity inspiration: Freida Pinto

While most of you might prefer an au naturel look for the day, wearing a subtle colour on your top lids can add a bit of zing to your beauty look. You don’t have to go for a black eye shadow palette for this time of the day; pick nude shades or even blue or green palettes, but stay light and easy with its application. If you have a casual date during the day, this is soft enough to be your go-to look. Product pick: give CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Shadow in Vibrant Brown a try.Sexy smoky eyes for a dinner date
Celebrity inspiration: Eva Longoria

Being every celebrity’s red carpet favourite look, this smoky eye is a little more intense and a whole lot more sophisticated. Start by applying noir black eye shadow to the top lid, the darker you go the better it is. Then trace your lower lash line with black eyeliner and smear it using a smudging brush – try Bobbi Brown’s Eye Smudge Brush – to create a smoky effect.Intense smoky eyes for the nightclub
Celebrity inspiration: Gwen Stefani
If you’re feeling brave and courageous and you

have a big, extravagant night planned, then you have an opportunity to woo your date with your inexplicably intense eyes. It’s a look best worn after dark and with a bucketload of attitude.
To create it, take the eyeshadow all the way into the socket and pick a well-pigmented palette for this one. Try Max Factor Smoky Eye Effect Eyeshadow, as this product will do all the smudging and blending for you. Define your lower and top lashes from root to tip with lengthening mascara such as Lancome Definicils.
Fill in your brows, wear your killer stilettos and you’ll have a look that really makes an impact.