FOTD: Super-Easy Color-Shifting "Smokey" Eye

 

 I apologize for the numerous derpy faces in these pictures (and the sometimes-awkward lighting--I yoinked my sister's point-and-shoot camera for these, and I am not at all accustomed to using it), but I really wanted to try and capture just how beautiful this eye color is. It's impossible, of course, because while you only need 2 products to do it, both are such complex, color-shifty colors that you really just need to see it in person to get the full effect. Both products are also beautiful on their own, but I always layer them because...well, because. This is my go-to smokey eye because it's fast, dummy-proof, and downright gorgeous.

These are the products you need to do it: Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadow in Skinny Jeans, the taupey-goldy-olivey eyeshadow shade from Wet n' Wild's Night Elf palette, and a highlight. That's it. Honestly, you could even just skip the highlight, but I prefer to add a bit of light under the arch of my brow with especially dark eye looks. Pictured here is MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl, but you could easily use the highlight included in the Night Elf palette. Unfortunately, Night Elf was limited edition. There's a moderately similar shade in the Comfort Zone 8-pan palette, but it lacks the gold tints and is far less complex. I've never used Rouge Bunny Rouge Abyssian Catbird, but it looks very similar. And I've also layered other golds and taupes on top of Skinny Jeans with great results.

If you have Night Elf, you can easily duplicate this eye look. I prime first with Too Faced Shadow Insurance because my lids are complete oil slicks, but if you don't need to do that, feel free to skip that step. Rub your finger in to the Skinny Jeans cream shadow and spread it across your lid and in to the crease. Then use a flat shadow brush and pat some of that middle left Night Elf shadow on top. If you like a highlight and winged liner, like I do, add those. DONE.

A complete list of the products I used:

BASE: MAC Studio Tech foundation in NW15, Clinique Airbrush concealer in 01 Fair, Skindinavia setting spray

EYES: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Skinny Jeans, Wet n' Wild Night Elf palette, MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl, Jordana Fabu-liner in Black, La Femme pencil in Taupe (used on brows and lower lashline), DiorShow Maximizer lash primer, Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara

CHEEKS: ELF baked blush in Peachy Cheeky

LIPS (slightly lighter/more milky than appears in pictures): Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Pink Please, Revlon ColorBurst lipgloss in Bellini

I've done this look in the past with a variety of minor tweeks; here's the same combination with some smudged Milani Liquif-eye pencil in Brown and what is most likely Wet n' Wild Brulee eyeshadow as a highlight.

And since I've already gotten some questions about my t-shirt (LOL), you can get it here at Threadless.