By Joanne Elliott
It is easier than you might think to create professional looking, ‘sex kitten’, smoky eyes like Keira Knightley. This vampy look can be as subtle or dramatic as you wish. The tips below will create a more powerful look in black, but to achieve a more understated look simply select light grey, burgundy or dark khakis instead.
Remember, a lot depends on your skin tone and hair color - see blonde to brunette, so why not try a few different tones to see which suits you best?
Ingredients for powerfully sexy eye makeup:
* Black eyeliner - pencil. Ensure that it is sharp.
* Black eyeliner - brush. The thinner the liquid eyeliner is the better.
* Eye shadow brush. Thin stumpy bristles are best to maintain control.
* Dark eye shadow. Irridescent rather than flat matt (too hard), or shiny (too messy).
* Highlight shimmer for under the eyebrow. Avoid garish looking ‘high glitter’.
* A good eyebrow pencil. Try to select the most natural shade for you as possible.
* Eyelash curlers - see Jessica Alba.
* Black mascara. Obviously choose a quality brand to avoid clumping and ‘spider eyes’.
Step-by-step instructions for smoky cat eyes like Keira Knightley:
*Apply your foundation, under eye concealer and powder.
Using your black eyeliner pencil, start from the front corner of your eyelid. Draw a soft smudge line to the end of your lash line.
*Use your eyeshadow brush to apply the dark eye shadow over the top of the smudged line for a soft smoky look. Ensure that the edges are neatly blended.
*Then take the brush eyeliner and apply as close to your lashes as you can on the top lid only. Make the line as thick and pronounced as you wish, but make sure that the line is thickest at the outer corner, and thinner as you go inward.
*Apply another smoky coat of eye shadow with the brush to blend the harsh edges. Subtly blend your darker eye shadow up from your lashes to your eye crease. Then apply a shimmery highlight in white or cream under the outside corner of your eyebrow.
*Use your eyebrow pencil to make your eyebrow curve more pronounced.
*Curl your eyelashes, then apply thin coats of mascara, building the layers up gradually to avoid clumping.
Joanne Elliott is an international freelance writer and illustrator involved in several different areas. Enquiries welcome: joelliott45@yahoo.co.uk