Updated 9/14/22

There are a lot of myths around the “smokey eye” look. It stands out too much. It’s too dramatic. It’s too hard to achieve.

Often, my clients are intimidated by the idea of a smokey eye because they’re afraid of it looking too intense. Or they don’t think they can master the look themselves.

But you don’t have to be a makeup artist to nail a smokey eye effect. In fact, achieving this sultry look is easy and forgiving by following a few simple steps.

Using fabulous clean products, we’ve outlined a step-by-step smokey eye guide that anyone can wear!

Step One

Choose either a black or brown eyeliner (we love Alima Pure’s Natural Definition Eye Pencil) and draw an imperfect line across the lid as close to your lash line as possible. Rather than worry about precision, focus on getting a liberal amount of liner across the lid. Remember, this is a forgiving approach to a smokey eye look!

naked poppy smokey eye

Step Two

Using a small brush, smudge your imperfect line up and out towards the outer corner of your eye.

naked poppy eye makeup

Step Three

Select a deep-colored eye shadow, and use an eyeshadow brush to press the shadow over the smudged line. Then blend from the outer corner up into the crease of the eye. Add more shadow and continue to blend into the crease until the desired intensity is reached.

The “Instinct” and “Myth” eyeshadow shades from Alima Pure are great options. But we recommend you take the 3-minute NakedPoppy assessment to get matched with your optimal eyeshadow color — tailored to your skin tone, eye color, hair color, and more!

naked poppy eye shadow

Step Four

With another shadow brush like the Jenny Patinkin Luxury Vegan Eyeshadow Brush, blend a lighter shade from the crease up into the brow bone to blend any harsh lines.

naked poppy clean eye shadow naked poppy smokey eye

Step Five

Using the same liner you started with, fill in your lower lash line. Finish with your favorite mascara and violà — the perfect smokey eye.

Here’s the final look, including the eye liner in your lower water line:

naked poppy clean smokey eye

Practice this technique using your favorite clean eyeshadows and you’ll quickly become a smokey eye pro!

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