Fun activity

Although traditionally only blacks and browns were used, newer trends call for light shades like mauve, peach or silver for the more subdued and versatile 'smokey eyes'.

Smokey eyes can give you smothering, high-end looks suitable for just about any special occasion. Although being big attention grabbers, they do need to be paired up with an equally dazzling outfit. Light and airy sundresses or skirts, just don't work well with this look. Go for this makeup when you want to glam up in an evening or cocktail dress .

The best thing about smokey eyes is that they are suitable for any eye shape - be it mono-lid, droopy, deep set, wide set or close set. The heavy liner and eye shadows can be used to give any shape you desire to your eyes, correcting the little imperfections as you go and make them look chic, sexy and sophisticated.

Follow this simple six-step guide to get smokey eyes in under ten minutes and jazz up your face.
Dab on a concealer or foundation, do make sure the area under your eyes gets special attention, as any bit of dark circle will make you look as if you have a black-eye. A primer for eye makeup works best, but if you don't have one, just use a foundation or concealer that is one shade lighter than your skin tone. Follow with a compact to absorb any excess oil.

Line the eyes using a soft eye pencil of black or very dark color. Start with a thin line from the inner corner (near the nose) and flare out to get it thicker as you go outwards. For the lower lids, keep the line as close as possible to the lash and keep it thin. You can also use a contrasting or lighter color for the lower lids. You may use a gel liner, but a pencil liner is easier to control and use.

Apply a base color with an eye shadow brush up to your brow bone - lightly press your eyelids to know its exact location. Stick to the shape of your eyes i.e. wider at the center and thinner around the edges. Light, neutral colors like peach, silver or golden brown work best for the base.

Using a bright color (can be any shade, just a bit darker than your skin tone) color the region over your eyeballs up to the crease. For ease of understanding, I am calling this one the main color. Do not go over the crease and be super cautious near the inner eyelid - any smudging here will make it look all messy. Blend it well with the eyeliner and give a thin line under the eyes too, but stick close and keep it very thin. If you are a beginner, stick to forgiving neutrals like browns or corals, but, if you are confident enough, go wild with a turquoise, green or purple.

Using a thin eyeshadow brush, apply a darker shade in your crease. Keep it light and thin on the inside, while increasing the thickness and intensity as you progress towards the outer edges of your eyes. The darker color should cover the region from crease to lash, on the outer corner. Apply the shadow under your lower eye lashes as well. You should end up with a horizontal V-shape. Blend the colors well, so that you get a gradual, smooth change of color rather than a line of darker and lighter color. Contouring needs a deeper/darker shade of the main color, but can also be achieved by using more of the main color.