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A Beauty Editor's Go-To Eye Makeup Look You Can Do Right From Home

Alexandra Engler
Author:
October 05, 2024
Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
By Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior beauty and lifestyle director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
woman with smoky eye
Image by Liliya Rodnikova / stocksy / stocksy
October 05, 2024
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

Summary

Welcome to our Holiday Glam package, a three-part makeup series where we dissect the buzziest looks of the season and offer expert-backed, no-fuss tutorials—so you can turn heads at any soirée.

I can't help myself—I’ve started to feel all sorts of sparkly again. Lately, I’m all about bubbly moments, lots of laughs, and dressing to the nines (OK, maybe sevens or eights). To prove my point, I’ve been reaching for shimmery eye shadow more often, and it's quickly becoming a go-to for dinner outings.

The aesthetic isn’t flashy, though—it’s surprisingly understated. For me, the sparkle is about less megawatt and more candlelit—less dazzling, and more dashing.

I have a hunch that the revival of moody makeup (freshly dubbed "indie sleaze" by the TikTok crowd) has influenced me. As someone who spent her 20s in the era of full-faced YouTube tutorials and pristine, bright Instagram aesthetics, seeing makeup that feels undone is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

I was particularly inspired by makeup artist Donni Davy's advice in a story about makeup aesthetic: "In order to nail the look, it really shouldn't look like you put any real effort, which actually makes it pretty easy to achieve," Davy says.

And that’s exactly how I’m approaching my look these days: just eye-catching enough, actually effortless, and not too focused on making sure it’s perfect.

How to wear and apply a modern smoky eye

mbg beauty director Alexandra Engler showing off her holiday glam eyeshadow
Image by mbg Creative

I've found the easiest way to achieve it is to tight-line the eye area with a black pencil liner (I'm into this Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner in Black.) Celebrity makeup artist Jenny Patinkin once told me that you should get the liner as close to the waterline as possible—and that when you can hear the lashes ruffling as you etch on the liner, that's when you know you're in the right spot. The idea here is to create a base for the shadow to eventually blend with, creating that hazy effect.

From there, I go in with my shadow of choice: Gunmetal, a dark brassy metallic that brings just the right amount of edge. I've been drawn to options that have a warm taupe undertone because I think it works better with my complexion and eye coloring—but there are stunning shades that skew more silver, cool-toned, and mauve.

For the more creamy textured shadows, I use my fingers to apply. (My preferred method of application for most days.) I simply pick up a small amount of pigment with my ring finger, and smudge it into the lash line, blending out onto the lid. (Depending on the shadow of choice, you may need to work to blend it a bit more thoroughly—some creams are dense with pigment.) I repeat this process until I get the desired intensity, which is thick at the root, but then dissipates out as you work up the lid. I don't apply anything higher than my crease.

For powders, it's a similar situation, but instead of my fingers, I pick up a small shadow brush. But I always start at the lash line and blend out and up. It's sultry, appropriately messy, and takes all of a few seconds. This glam should be completed with a coat or two of mascara to really play up the drama.

And that's it! I promise you don't need to be a pro to get the hang of it. I'm quite rusty with my eye makeup application, and I find it oh-so-easy to pull off. It's quick, too, which means you can spend less time getting ready—and more time sparkling.

Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow in Smoke

$ 30
This taupey gray is made with pearl powder to create a high-impact sparkle—but rest assured you can sheer it out quite smoothly should you want something a bit more understated. The texture feels equal parts powder and cream (it’s very unique), and can be applied with either a shadow brush or your fingers.
Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow in Smoke

Roen Beauty 52 Eyeshadow Palette

$ 49
Who doesn’t love a shadow palette? These beauties from clean makeup brand Roen are a dream to wear—the powders feel soft and blend into the skin so effortlessly. The quad color combo here is ideal for a holiday glam moment: A bold gunmetal, taupe, rose, and plum.
Roen Beauty 52 Eyeshadow Palette

Victoria Beckham Beauty Lid Lustre In Mirror

$ 36
A dazzling collection of sparkly shadows that you’ll want to wear again and again. This new shade is a cool-toned and sleek chrome, which looks great on it’s own or blended with other shades if you want to bring in a bit of color.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Lid Lustre In Mirror

Jones Road Just A Sec

$ 26
For those who prefer a more subtle wash of color, this option’s for you. The cream-to-powder hybrid sheers out on the skin, so it’s more effervescent and bubbly. This shade is a perfect metallic gunmetal.
Jones Road Just A Sec

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