How to create smoky eyes

**Step 1.

**Line your lids using a well-sharpened eye pencil in a soft black or dark charcoal colour. Start with your pencil at the inner corners of the upper lashes and draw short, diagonal, downward strokes. Follow up with a cotton bud, carefully smudging and blending the line upwards over the eyelids. For the lower lashes, draw liner just at the outer edges, again using short strokes, then soften or smudge slightly with a cotton bud.

**Step 2.

**Before you apply your eye shadow, make sure your lids have a base of foundation: it gives the shadow something to hold on to. Using your ring finger, apply a cream shadow in either a pale silver or soft metallic grey over the entire lid area and up to the brow bone. Blend well and smudge slightly towards the temple. Choose a darker grey or silver shadow (powder or cream) and apply it over your base, blending upwards from the lash line so that it fades out just above the crease of the lid.

Step 3. Curl your lashes and coat them with lashings of black mascara. Tip: Remember to make sure the rest of your face is properly made up, with lips and cheeks defined but natural-looking. Berry or nude-toned lipsticks work well and a subtle pink or rose-coloured blush will complement your sexy, smoky eyes.