Cool Teen Fashions

Purple smokey eye has been a major trend for two seasons already. This Autumn 2010 it is still hot. Mysterious. Stylish. Surprisingly wearable and flattering. Let’s give this look a try.

Start off by checking if you look good in purple. And remember that there is a plethora of shades: from intense purple to misty mauve and many more in between. To make sure that you make the most of your eye color read my detailed report on finding the perfect shade of smoky eyes

Once you decide this color is right for you, see how professionals use it. In short that means: looking at the work of artists who apply makeup on celebrities and who create new eyeshadow ranges for cosmetic companies. These lessons are very educational and I have put together a comprehensive overview just for you!

Let’s start with Kim Kardashian. The purple smokey eyes she wore a few weeks ago were a perfect look for autumn. The whole area around the eye socket was expertly sculpted with two shades: purple neutralized with a hefty dose of charcoal. As a result the color was quite subdued yet still packed a punch. It goes to show that this look does not have to scream with color.

A different take on purple was seen recently on Emmy Rossum. It was purple all over her upper lid “smoked out” with some black eye pencil. (Brown liner might work too for a softer look.) Delicate blush and warm nude mouth made sure the focus was on the eye. And there were coordinating clothes: a purple pattern on her dress connected with the purple smokey eye and created harmony.

Let’s stop for a second and think about “sculpting”. It’s an essential technique when doing color in smokey eyes. Otherwise you just end up with a colorful eye and nothing smokey about it! You need two or three shades to make it work. But what colors should they be?

To find fabulous color combination check out the best makeup palettes around. By seeing what the makeup houses offer for Autumn 2010 you can realize what the “hottest” color combination and smartest ways to wear purple are. Below we check out what Estee Lauder, Dior, Guerlain and Giorgio Armani makeup ranges do with purples. Even if you don’t plan to buy any of these you can learn lots from them, just by looking and reading.

Let’s start with a vibrant purple eye made with different shades of this color as suggested by Estee Lauder. Their “Surreal Violets” palette of five eye shadows gives you three purple hues from mauve, vibrant violet to deep aubergine. Plus a soft gray and shimmery vanilla for highlighting. This is a look that is intense on color and audacious. Apart form the great selection of colors there is also a very clever variety of finishes: aubergine and gray are matte which is perfect for sculpting and the pastels are shimmery to give lightness. It’s a beautiful and surprisingly wearable palette created by famous makeup artist Tom Pecheux.

If an all-over purple smokey eye is too radical for you, mix it with pink. Look for inspiration with the latest offering from Dior called “Pink Design”. This selection of five colors consists of two beautiful purples: matte black-tinged plum and shimmery vibrant purple as well as two pink shadows and a highlighter. Depending on your taste you can go quite purple here or soften the look with pink. The result would still be trendy but less extravagant.

You can also use purple selectively. Build the smokey eye with neutrals and spice it up with a strong purple. Take cue from Guerlain and their “Champs Elysee” palette for Fall 2010. The purple eye shadow is accompanied by five neutrals: black, grey and a selection of taupe- tinged browns. You create the bulk of your eye design with these and just add a splash of bright purple. This look can be quite controlled and completely wearable.

And last but not least: you can anchor your purple smokey eyes with black only. This approach is elegant, confident and crisp. And the Giorgio Armani palette “Twilight Hues” is a perfect example of how to do it. It has three pure colors: mauve, vibrant aubergine and black. Depending on the intensity of color you desire you can use more of either the dreamy mauve or lively aubergine. Sculpting can be done just with the two purples or with purple and black (used lightly).

And a note on the finishing touch: mascara. Black always works. But there has been a new trend: some reputable makeup artists have been championing purple mascara. It does finish off purple smokey eyes splendidly and it strengthens the purple effect.

I am sure that at least one of the above tips will help you achieve that mystic purple smokey eye you want. It is trendy. It is flattering. And, from my experience, men quite like it. So get your purple eyeshadows out and start practicing. Good luck!

For the perfect sultry eye get this ultimate free report about choosing the right color of smokey eyes . Get more of Ewa’s advice on looking amazing in smokey eye makeup .