simple Smokey eye tutorial with serina

Hi everybody! Serina here, today I'm going to give you a detailed description of my favorite eyeshadow brushes and how to use them. Each brush has a specific job for your desired look and I wanted to explain how I use them to apply a "simple" smokey eye. The two brands I have featured on the blog are Morphe and IT cosmetics. The reason I love Morphe brushes is because they are amazing quality and super affordable, perfect for any budget. Morphe actually started out as an eyeshadow and makeup line. Their brand gradually expanded and went from selling just online into department stores. As a certified "Beauty Junkie" I can honestly say Morphe is one of my favorite brands.

IT Cosmetics is my go-to higher end, more luxurious brush brand. They also have great travel sets and cases, which I love. I've used this brand for years and they are such great quality, I highly suggest this brand. You can find these brushes online at Ulta and Sephora.

Starting at the top, the first brush is an angled eyebrow brush that contains a spoolie at the end to tame unruly hairs. This brush works best with brow pomade or brow powder. The second brush down is a fluffy shadow brush that would be best for buffing in a neutral color onto the lid. Third down is similar, but slightly bigger. Next one down we have a tiny fluffy brush that is perfect for a smokey eye. It gets into the outer corners to blend the darker shades in. Next is a flat liner brush which is great for getting color super close to the lash line and is nice because it's easy to get that straight line. Below this we have our classic crease brush. This is another great tool for smokey eyes beacuse it blends the neutral tone with the darker tone toward the bottom and outer-corner. The last two brushes are larger fluffy brushes. Those can be used all over the lid and even to place a strategically placed highlight on the cheekbone.

Here we have Kirby with what I call a "simple" smokey eye. First and foremost I applied an eyeshadow primer. I always use a primer because it helps the shadow stay on all day and helps the pigment show it's true intensity. I started off using a light shadow under the brow bone for definition. Next, I used an all over color for an even background. I usually choose something close to a "bone" color or lean towards something with a bit more tone depending on the color scheme. Next, to define the crease I used a warm medium brown. I used the classic crease brush for this step. This is a universal brush for all eye shapes and makes blending easy. For the next step, I applied a bright gold color near the inner eye. This opens the eye and adds a pop of color and dimension. To finish the shadow process, I used a very dark brown (you could use black depending on your preference and skin tone) on the outer corner of the eye staying close to the lash line. For this you could use your flat liner brush and then soften and blend it using a small fluffy brush. If you really wanted to step up the drama you could add some liquid liner on top or just keep the look as is and add some mascara.

I hope you found this blog useful! I love all things makeup so if you ever have any questions or want a makeup lesson, come on in! We also offer makeup application services for special events. Thanks everyone and see you at your next appointment!