Hickorylicious the perfect smokey eye!

We live in the South and let's face it the higher the hair the closer to God and nice girls aren't "forward" as my grandmother would say. So how is a girl sexy? She beats those eyes until they beg for mercy!

Nothing says "I will have you eating out of the palm of my hand" quite like the perfect smokey eye. Women and 1 in ten men have all worn this look to feel sexy, smoldering, and even feral. So enjoy my version of the perfect smokey eye....Hickorylicious!

Disclaimer: Using my camera phone to photograph myself in these pictures WHILE holding up the brushes, in the appropriate positions, was incredibly entertaining for both Derek and my cats. However it did not make for the best quality photos. My hope is that you will excuse the graininess, the inconsistent lighting, and my wolf man eyebrows and walk away able to recreate this look....with better eyebrows :-)

Disclaimer part two: whenever doing a look that is this dark or dramatic always do your eyes before foundation and concealer to prevent shadow fallout and the raccoon/junkie look.



Using your finger apply a thin coat of your favorite shadow base. My choice is the MAC Paint Pot in Painterly. I like this one because it has no shimmer and it's a great skin tone shade as you can see. Apply the base from lash to brow as well as under the lower lash line all the way to the tear duct.



Using a rounded synthetic brush, this one came from a Lancome GWP, apply a grey cream shadow base in the crease as well us underneath the lower lash line to just below the iris when looking forward. This is a Prescriptives one called Smoking Gun. Since they have shuttered their doors I would recommend Dangerous Cuvee from the new MAC collection Champale.



Using a small natural fiber round brush (MAC 224) blend a black eyeshadow into the corner and about a 1/2 inch into the lower lashline. Here I am using MAC's Matte Black Pigment and a NARS brush, it does not have to be well blended at this point as you will see in the following steps.



Using a countour brush, the MAC 217 would be ideal, blend a shimmery grey brown into the crease as well as under the eye. This will blend out the black previously applied giving the coveted "airbrushed look." The color I used was Plum Smoke by Prescriptives but I would reccomend Satin Taupe by MAC.



Using a synthetic flat brush much like the MAC 242 blend a white cream base on the lid and tear duct area. I am using the MAC White Cream Base.



Using the same MAC 242 brush pack a luminous or frosty light shadow across the lid and tear duct. Here I used Vellum by MAC. It's a satin white with a violet duocrome...PRETTY!



Using a large shadow brush, (MAC 227), blend a vivid pink from the corner of the eye towards the center. I used the Presriptives soft shadow brush and Sugarpill's Dollipop. I also blended a tiny bit of the pink right under the iris when looking forward. As an aside if you have not discovered this brand run don't walk to www.sugarpill.net. Make sure to blend this vivid pink and the Vellum in the center.



Using a flat natural or synthetic brush (MAC 249) apply a matte white under the brow, I used Sugarpill's Tako. I also added a teeny bit of Vellum, the color on the lid, at the highest point of the arch.



Line in the lashline with your favorite black kohl liner, I used Jet by Prescriptives, then blend a black shadow into the liner with a pencil brush (MAC 219). I used MAC Black Tied shadow because it has a silver glitter in it and I thought it would be pretty but do what you feel!



Using a thin flat lining brush (MAC 212) and a black gel liner tight line your eyes. This is a technique that their are many tutorials for online whereby you line the waterline on the top and bottom of the eyes into the lashes. This achieves the "smolder" of the smokey eye. Several companies make lovely gel liners that are waterproof, MAC, Bobbie Brown, and Clinique to name a few.

Finish off your look with your favorite mascara (LANCOME) and fill in your brows however you like. I used a combination of pencil and powder here...and voila you are HICKORYLICIOUS!



Post in the comments tutorial ideas or themes you would like to see!