Real Life: Blue Smokey Eye

So you might remember a few posts ago I wrote about my love for a blue smokey eye and I think the general consensus was that people do hesitate when it comes to picking blues or navy on the eye.

Well this weekend I was able to do a dramatic dark blue smokey eye for a delightful young lady - Jen.  The evening was a glam night out with the girls and Jen was going for a laid back but slightly rock chick look with her outfit and hair.

Jen isn't used to wearing heavy eye make up and majority of the time wears very little make up and mostly neutral tones when she does.  However, she threw caution to the wind with this dramatic smokey eye.

I think the smile on Jen's face can guarantee that she liked the finished look :)

Here is what I used:
BASE: 
Laura Mercier Primer
MAC Face & Body C3
MAC Select Cover Up NC23

EYES:
Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia Palette using the neutral taupe and darkest blue shade (Limited Edition)
MAC Deep Truth
Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadow in Midnight Star Metallic
MAC Blacktrack Liner smudged with MAC Carbon shadow
Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara

CHEEKS:
Bourjois Bronzer
MAC Pinch o' Peach blush
Nars Copacabana highlighter

LIPS:
MAC Angel mixed with Rimmel Foxy

I would love to know what you all think!

BLUE SMOKEY EYE

So many people I know fear blue eyeshadow.  Memories of awful make-up from the 1980's haunt them and they convince themselves that it will never again dust their lids.

I personally love blue eyeshadow, in particular the darker of the shade, the teals, navy and midnight blues.  Whenever I create a smokey eye, I first of all think of using deep blues.  It's maybe something to do with navy being a favourite colour of mine, it's just so classic and yes, neutral!

Try introducing blue, maybe on the waterline or a well blended shadow on the lower lashline.  Maybe then it won't seem so scary.

Here is my favourite pic of blue smokey eyes ...

Eve looks wonderful with a blue smokey eye, it complements her gorgeous skin tone and worn with a peachy blush that helps warm the cheeks.  She makes sure her lashes are full and dark for extra emphasis and definition.

This is the imagery from Estee Lauder's Blue Dahlia collection.  This is one of my favourite palettes for creating a smokey blue eye as it is so versatile and can create a much more subtle look if required.  I created a look with these colours a while ago which you can see here.

This shimmery blue eye looks like it has a multi-tonal effect.  A look like this can be created using just one colour for a simple, smoked out look that is easy to do yourself.

This is just gorgeous, sightly more shades and products used by the looks of it but the colours are divine. You will notice that all these looks carry a nude lip to ensure all attention is on the eyes!

My favourite products for creating a blue smokey eye:

Nars China Blue
MAC Deep Truth
Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia Collection
Shu Uemura Midnight Blue painting gel eyeliner
Make Up Forever Aqua liner in Iridescent Navy

I hope these images have helped you see another side to blue eyeshadow.  It's not that scary is it?