Smoky Eyeshadows for Brown Eyes

Celebrities and women all over the world are following the smoky eye effect. This effect is sophisticated enough for day or night wear, enhances eye color and adds interest to your eyes. Women with brown eyes enjoy the smoky eye effect by using black, gray and brown eye shadows. They are not limited to dark shades only, as blues and purples will create a smoky eye effect that enhances brown eyes. Do not be afraid to try new colors and shades. Playing with makeup is fun!

You will need a few cotton swabs and a primer brush. I use two eyeshadow brushes for the smoky eye effect, one for applying eyeshadow and one for smudging. Stila Smudge Pot Brush is good for smudging eyeshadow into eyeliner, while Clinique Eye Shadow Brush blends colors without smearing.

A smoky eye look requires an eyeshadow primer. A primer or base allows eyeshadow colors to pop and last longer. The layer of coverage prevents creasing and smearing of eye makeup. Use a primer or foundation brush to apply an eyeshadow primer to prevent oils from your fingers transferring to your face.

So first, apply your eyeshadow primer, such as Eyeshadow Primer Potion: Concealer/Shadow Base or Revlon Vital Radiance Smoothing Eye Primer, to your eyelids. Apply a small amount of primer to lower eyelids, right along your lower eyelash line, but only if you plan to smudge an eyeshadow color on the bottom eyelids.

Smoky Brown Eye Shadow for Brown Eyes
Pencil eyeliner is preferred when creating this effect. Pick brown eyeliner in the same or similar shade as your smoky or darker color of eyeshadow. Apply a thick line with pencil eyeliner by tracing the upper lash line.

Pick a nude color for the base eyeshadow such as Stila Eye Shadow Pan in Puppy. Apply a nude color shadow over the lids to your brow bone. Smudge or blend eyeliner into the nude eyeshadow with a cotton swab.

Pick a darker color brown and apply it with a small eyeshadow brush. Apply a thick line of the darker eyeshadow along your lash line, slightly above the eyeliner. A good choice for a darker color is Stila Eye Shadow Pan in Java.
Apply another layer of the darker color with an eyeshadow brush, blending upward. Blend the darker color into nude from lash to crease, but keep moving the brush upward. Stop blending the dark color at crease.

Touch up the color with a cotton swab gently, removing any excess eyeshadow and blending some more if necessary.

Apply two coats of mascara. Use black mascara if you want a darker smoky eye effect. Alternatively, compliment your brown eyes with Almay's Intense i-Color Mascara Brown Topaz for Brown Eyes.

Smoky Purple Eye Shadow for Brown Eyes
Brown eyes are not limited to black, gray or brown smoky eye shadows. In fact, purple eye shadows enhance brown eye color. Using purple shades to create a smoky eye effect adds drama. You can use a metallic or shimmering dark purple for the secondary color or keep it a matte finish.

Purple works well for either dark or olive skin tones. Use black mascara if creating a smoky eye effect with purple eye shadows.

Try Stila Eye Shadow Pan in Barefoot Contessa or Poisse as the light color. Try Stila Eye Shadow Pan in Pigalle as the darker color for this smoky eye idea.

Sources:

Personal experience with makeup

Eye Shadow for Brown Eyes

How To Create A Smoky Eye Effect - Video