For wedding makeup, the Smokey effect is a dramatic eye makeup that involves the blending of a lighter base eye shadow with a darker eye shadow. A Smokey eye can be achieved using a range of colours such as your traditional dark grey/black, silver, gold, or using browns, plums, and even navy.

Tools you will need: eye primer, loose powder, one base eye shadow, one dark eye shadow, eye shadow brush, angled eye shadow brush, blending brush, eye liner of your choice, eye pencil, cotton tip, eye lash curler, mascara and optional false eye lashes.

Here are Cathy’s top tips:

Tip 1 My top advice for the perfect Smokey Eye is blending! Make sure the colours are well blended and that you have paired a light base colour with a rich dark colour.

Tip 2 Groom your eyebrows! Hold your makeup brush from the corner of your nose to the outer corner of your eye - it should meet at the end of your eye brow. If not then extend your eye brow with a pencil. This is also a helpful guide for eye shadow placement. Do not take your eye shadow beyond this area.

Tip 3 Invest in some makeup brushes.

1

Apply eye primer over your whole eye lid, leave to dry (Photograph 1)

2

With a clean brush, dip into your pot of loose powder and dab this powder under your eye area. This will look a little funny but the loose powder will catch any eye shadow colour that may fall whilst you are working and you will not damage your foundation.

3

Using your eye shadow brush, apply your lighter base colour over your eye lid (the movable area) from the inner corner to the outer corner and into the crease/eye socket (Photograph 2)

4

Using an angled eye shadow brush apply your darkest eye shadow colour from the outer corner of the eye in a V shape. Run a little along the top of your eye lashes and take the colour up into the crease/socket of your eye directly under your brow bone

5

Using a blending brush sweep over your crease/socket area back and forth a few times, and along your lash line, this will soften and help to blend the darker shade with the lighter one. Make sure they blend perfectly. You shouldn’t be able to see any visible lines between the two colours

6

Apply your eye liner as close to your lash line as possible. Make the line a little thicker in the outer corner. Also apply your eye liner along the lower lashes using a pencil, either half way along or all the way to the inner corner - whichever is your preference (Photograph 3)

7

Use a cotton tip or smudger, smudge over your eye liner especially along the lower lash line as this will soften yet help give the Smokey look

8

You can also apply a little of your darker eye shadow using a small eye shadow brush or even your cotton tip dipped into your eye shadow. Sweep from the outer corner of your eye along your lower eye liner fading it out as it reaches your inner corner (Photograph 4)

9

You can also apply a little of your darker eye shadow using a small eye shadow brush or even your cotton tip dipped into your eye shadow. Sweep from the outer corner of your eye along your lower eye liner fading it out as it reaches your inner corner (Photograph 4)

10

Groom your eye brows and draw/pencil in sparse patches

11

Using a clean eye shadow brush or a fan shaped brush dust the loose powder away (Photograph 6)

12

Apply false lashes if desired

13

Enjoy your Sexy Smokey Eyes!