The smokey eye trend will never die, but I’m amazed how many women still don’t feel confident trying it for a night out. With the right technique, you can pull off this look beautifully in just 5 steps.

You’ll Need:

An eyeshadow primer (I like Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer)

Eyeliner (find one with a smudge stick on the end, or have a separate smudging tool available)

2 eyeshadow shades (one dark, one light – in complementary tones) CoverGirl Smoky Shadow Blast Shadow Stick in Onyx Smoke (pictured) offers the easiest way to rock the smokey eye look!

Mascara

Directions:

Step 1: Prep your lids with the shadow primer; this allows for eyeshadow to glide on smoothly and have a base to adhere to so it won’t crease or fade throughout the day. If you don’t have shadow primer, you can use a dab of your regular concealer in a pinch!

Step 2: Once primer has dried, use your eyeliner to line above the upper lash line. Make sure to follow your lashes as closely as possible, but make the line a bit thicker in the middle. For the bottom lash line, draw a thin line and smudge, smudge, smudge!

Step 3: Now comes the eyeshadow. Using the lighter color as your base, sweep the shade over your lids and up to the browbone. I love the CoverGirl product mentioned above; any of the shades you choose are perfect for creating a unique smokey eye.

Step 4: For the darker shade, apply color starting at your lash line and blending upwards – don’t put dark color above the crease, though! The trick here is to blend, blend and blend again to get the desired smokey eye affect without looking like you have two black eyes. As you’re blending, make sure you’re blending deep into the lash line so the eyeliner you applied earlier all but disappears.

Step 5: Finish with two coats of mascara (curl your lashes first, if desired) and voila! The perfect 5 step smokey eyes are yours! Use a Q-tip to clean up any spots or blend any excess product.

While the smokey eye look can be intimidating, as long as you blend (and blend well!) you can pull off this look with ease. Additionally, keep the rest of your makeup neutral to avoid competing with your strong eyes. Remember, practice makes perfect – so keep trying if you don’t nail it the first time.

If you try these tips, let me know how it works for you! Also, feel free to leave your tips for the perfect smokey eye in the comments below.