Let’s talk about eyeshadow techniques. But more specifically, let’s talk about two common techniques that get mixed up more often than you think. When you think of a smokey eye, what do you think of?? To one person it is one thing but to another, it means the complete opposite. Well I am here to clear the air and to let you know what the difference is so when you say smokey eye, you know exactly what you are talking about!! I’m also going to provide pictures to help give you a visual of what I’m explaining to help out all my visual peeps!! If you haven’t already, go check out my Pinterest where I put up daily hair and makeup inspo and tips and tricks. 

What is a smokey eye?

A smokey eye is where there is one color of eyeshadow on the lid and it is blended up in a gradient effect. Most often it is associated with black, but it really can be any color! What creates the ‘smokey’ look is the shadow under the eye. Usually the water line is filled with eyeliner all the way across the whole eye and then the under eye is blended out as well. Here is a picture of a classic brown smokey eye.

What is a light to dark eye?

This is usually what people think of when they say they want a smokey eye. I mean when you type into Pinterest ‘smokey eye’, you get a lot of these eye looks. This is the more common eyeshadow look that everyone loves. Your lid is a lighter color, could be a gold or a pink or silver, really any color you want!! Then it fades to darker colors towards the ends of your eyes to create that light to dark look. This makes the eye bigger and have more dimension for someone who does not have a defined crease. The darker colors can be black or it can just be a brown for a more natural look if you don’t want to go too dramatic. Here is a picture of a classic light to dark gold look that I do very often on my brides!

Summary

Knowing the difference between a smokey eye and a light to dark eye is very important when telling your makeup artist what you are looking for. I would also suggest coming in with a few makeup pictures just in case you cannot explain the look you want clearly just so there is no confusion! 

xoxo,
Katlyn