Oh, the mystery and power of a dark shadow! Although dark shadows are closer to frightening than mysterious when applied badly or with an inferior product, the smoky eye is actually one of the easiest looks to replicate in your own bathroom.

Product Necessary for Smoky Eyes

The first step, as always, is having a quality product. When it comes to pigment, go out of your way to purchase a higher end product. Generally, the less expensive lines don't contain the pigment, nor are they finely milled and pressed. If eye shadow is not finely milled, you will usually find "fall-out" all over your cheek. Pencil liner and mascara are also essentials for getting perfectly smoky eyes.

The smoky eye is a great technique to catch the eye of all those around. They'll all be asking: "Who's that girl?"

Tools Necessary for Smoky Eyes

Make sure that you have all of the necessary tools for your task: one brush for applying color and another for blending. Your best bet is to apply the color with a flat, sable brush and blend it with a soft, squirrel or pony brush. However, you can also do this effect with the sponge tip applicators that sometimes come with your product. Remember this rule: the smaller the eye, the smaller the brush; conversely, the larger the eye, the larger the brush.

Classic Smoky Eye Application is Just One of Many Types of Smoky Eye Looks

These steps outline instructions for the classic smoky eye look, although it is just one of many. Every makeup artist has their version of smoky, and none are wrong. Your deep shadow can even include blue, purple, green or whatever you want – it's really about individual preference.

Step 1: Apply & Smudge Eye Liner

With tools in hand and shadow before you, apply the liner to the base of the lash, smudging it in. Don't worry about making a perfect line.

Do the same to the bottom lash line and smudge; obviously keeping it closer to the base of the lash… not so much half way down the bottom lid, unless, of course, you want to be Gothic Betty. It's a look.

Step 2: Apply Eye Shadow

Apply your deepest shade, in this case black, right on top of the liner you just put on with your sable brush. Again, you are working up and in, concentrating at the lash line and applying the shadow about half way up the lid.

Blend, Blend, Blend!

As with any makeup application, it's in your best interest to blend as you go. Accordingly, take your soft pony or squirrel crease brush and softly blend the edge of where you ended the shadow application.

Blend it back and forth over the lid as though it were a windshield wiper.  If you're craving deep shadow, you may wish to apply a second layer and repeat.

Apply a little of the shadow to either a sponge tip applicator or - if you are Suzie Expert - a smaller chisel brush and softly blend it in. At this point, your labors will have produced a classic smoky eye, reminiscent of the 1920s. You may stop here. However, for the brave at heart, more can be done.

Advanced Step: Extend Shadow for More Dramatic Look

To modernize it a tad, add either the same shade or a medium tone along the crease and blend it up on to the brow bone from the outside working in, using your windshield wiper technique and using your soft crease brush. It makes it a little larger and a lot more dramatic.

Super Advanced Steps: Highlight Brow Bone or Add Highlight Over Iris

Other added modernizations you can add include a soft highlight to the brow bone applied with your blending brush or pop a highlight with your sable applicator brush on the lid, right over the iris of the eye to give dimension.
All in all, the smoky eye is a great technique to catch the eye of all those around. They'll all be asking: "Who's that girl?"