Regardless of its nighttime or seasonal connotations, the smokey eye is just as wearable in the spring as it is throughout the winter, and while you may want to venture from the black or charcoal shadow tones, you can still create a dramatic look that goes hand in hand with florals, neons and any other trend defining the current 2011 landscape. Here’s how to get a smokey eye in spring.
Tone
We’ve come to see the smokey eye as a testimony to the power of dark eye shadows, but what defines a smokey eye is not so much the colours you use, but the way you use them. By using a darker shade at the crease and underneath the lash line, you can play with purples, blues and browns and still successfully boast a dramatic aesthetic, while a navy or emerald green will make eyes pop, but not limit you to looking overly formal. And thanks to the popularity of white and denim this, you can experiment with colour and let your outfit anchor your look.
Balance
What sets a winter smokey eye away from its springtime counterpart is the combination of pale skin, dark eyes and dramatic lips. And while this season calls for an air of distinction, with the increase of sun and the brightness of colour palettes, spring is a little less vampiric and a little softer. Thus, if you’re basing your makeup around a neutrally based eye (ex. dark brown shadow mixed with pink or beige), don’t be afraid to use blush and a light pink gloss to keep your face seasonally appropriate. And while nighttime calls for a few more liberties, remember that spring calls for freshness and warmth.
Liner
Believe it or not, despite the difference between seasons, there’s always a place for black eyeliner, and if you’re hoping to adapt a smokey eye to suit your springtime aesthetic, you need not necessarily pitch your favourite brand. As long as your eyes aren’t mimicking those of Amy Winehouse or Taylor Momsen, you can easily utilize black eyeliner, provided you keep it relatively light and don’t overload the lash line. After all, if you’re basing a smokey eye around lighter tones, you don’t want to cancel out colour thanks to smudges or streaks.
Appropriateness
True, one of the greatest attributes of spring 2011 is its lack of commitment to a certain look or style trend, but while everything from the 1970s to pajama wear are dictating fashion norms, there’s still a level of appropriateness required in terms of makeup. Unfortunately, just because you’re using different colours to create a smokey eye doesn’t mean it’s necessarily office or baby shower appropriate, so remember that while a dramatic look can positively turn heads, it can draw negative attention if you’re channeling vamp at your niece’s birthday.
