Creating a vegan smokey eye is a perfect blend of ethical beauty and timeless glamour. This guide will walk you through a step-by-step process to achieve this iconic look using only cruelty-free and plant-based products. We’ll focus on technique, product selection, and practical tips to ensure your smokey eye is not just stunning, but also long-lasting and flawless.
The Vegan Smokey Eye: A Primer on Ethical Glamour
The smokey eye is a staple in every makeup lover’s repertoire. It’s versatile, dramatic, and effortlessly chic. However, achieving this look with vegan products requires a specific approach. Many traditional eyeshadows use ingredients like carmine (a red pigment derived from crushed insects) and guanine (made from fish scales), which are off-limits for a vegan lifestyle. Fortunately, the beauty industry has responded with an incredible range of high-performance, plant-based alternatives. This guide will help you navigate these options and master the art of the vegan smokey eye.
Our focus is on creating a gradual, diffused wash of color that transitions seamlessly from dark to light. We’ll start with the base, build up the intensity, and finish with details that make the look truly pop. The key to a successful smokey eye is blending, and we will emphasize this throughout the tutorial.
Prepping the Canvas: The Foundation for a Flawless Finish
A great smokey eye begins with a properly prepped eyelid. This is not a step to skip. Prepping ensures your eyeshadows go on smoothly, blend effortlessly, and stay vibrant all day without creasing.
Step 1: Cleanse and Moisturize
Start with a clean, dry canvas. Wash your face with a gentle, vegan cleanser. Follow up with a light, oil-free moisturizer, making sure to avoid the immediate eye area to prevent a greasy base.
Step 2: The Eyelid Primer
A vegan eyeshadow primer is non-negotiable. It creates a smooth, even surface for your shadows, intensifies their pigment, and acts as a barrier to prevent creasing.
Actionable Tip: Squeeze a pea-sized amount of a vegan eyelid primer onto the back of your hand. Using your ring finger or a flat synthetic brush, gently pat a thin, even layer across your entire eyelid, from the lash line up to the brow bone. Allow it to set for about 60 seconds. A great primer will feel slightly tacky, which helps the eyeshadow grip.
Example Product Type: Look for primers specifically labeled as “vegan” and “cruelty-free.” Ingredients to avoid include beeswax. Instead, look for plant-based waxes and butters.
Building the Base: The Transition and Mid-tone Shades
This is where the magic begins. We’ll start with a neutral transition shade to define the crease and a slightly deeper mid-tone color to create the initial gradient.
Step 3: The Transition Shade
The transition shade is the bridge between your darkest shadow and your brow bone. It’s typically a matte, neutral color that’s a few shades darker than your skin tone. It should be applied to the crease to create dimension and make blending easier later on.
Actionable Tip: Use a fluffy, dome-shaped blending brush. Dip the brush into a matte, light-to-medium brown or taupe eyeshadow. Tap off the excess. Starting at the outer corner of your eye, place the brush in the crease and use windshield-wiper motions to apply the color. Move the brush back and forth, blending the color inward and slightly upward, diffusing the edges. The goal is a soft, undefined wash of color.
Example: If you have fair skin, a light tan or camel shade works well. For medium skin, a soft caramel or light brown is ideal. For deeper skin tones, a warm terracotta or rich brown will provide the necessary definition.
Step 4: The Mid-tone Shade
The mid-tone shade adds the next layer of depth. It’s a darker color, often a medium brown or grey, applied directly below the transition shade.
Actionable Tip: Using a slightly smaller blending brush, pick up a matte mid-tone eyeshadow. Place this color in the outer third of your crease, concentrating the pigment there. Using small, circular motions, blend it inward, staying below the transition shade. This creates a soft gradient and adds more intensity. Don’t worry about perfect lines; the key here is building up color gradually.
Intensifying the Drama: The Darkest Shades
This is the core of the smokey eye. The darkest color will be concentrated on the lash line and outer corner, creating the classic smoky effect.
Step 5: The Darkest Shade on the Lash Line
The darkest shade—usually a matte black or deep charcoal—is applied closest to the lash line. This anchors the look and provides the deepest intensity.
Actionable Tip: Use a flat, dense shader brush. Dip the brush into a matte black or very deep brown eyeshadow. Pat the color directly along your upper lash line, from the inner to the outer corner. Press the color on rather than sweeping it. The goal is a concentrated line of pigment.
Step 6: Blending the Darkest Shade into the Outer Corner
This step extends the darkest color from the lash line up into the outer corner, forming the signature smokey “V” shape.
Actionable Tip: Using a small, firm blending brush (like a pencil brush), take a small amount of the darkest shade. Starting at the outer corner, lightly blend the color from the lash line upward and inward into the crease, creating a soft “V” shape. Blend gently, ensuring there are no harsh lines where the darkest shade meets the mid-tone. The key is to blend the edges, not the entire color away.
The Eyelid and Inner Corner: Adding Dimension and Brightness
With the base and intensity established, we can now focus on the rest of the lid and adding a touch of light.
Step 7: The Eyelid Shade
The eyelid shade is a crucial component, adding another layer of dimension. This can be a satin, shimmer, or even a different matte shade.
Actionable Tip: Using your finger or a flat shader brush, pat a complimentary eyeshadow onto the center of your eyelid. This can be a lighter version of your mid-tone color, a metallic bronze, or a subtle shimmer. Applying with your finger often provides the most intense pigment. Pat the color on, starting from the center and blending it inward and outward, stopping before you hit the outer “V” shape.
Example: For a classic smokey eye, a metallic charcoal or a gunmetal shimmer is a great choice. For a warmer, modern look, a bronze or a deep gold works beautifully.
Step 8: Highlighting the Inner Corner
A touch of light in the inner corner of the eye makes the eyes look brighter and more awake, providing a stunning contrast to the dark smokiness.
Actionable Tip: Use a small pencil brush or a clean fingertip to apply a light, shimmery, or matte eyeshadow to the innermost corner of your eye. A champagne, a pearly white, or a light gold highlighter works perfectly. Blend it slightly onto the lower lash line as well.
The Lower Lash Line: Balancing the Look
A smokey eye isn’t complete without mirroring the effect on the lower lash line. This balances the top and bottom of the eye.
Step 9: Smudging the Lower Lash Line
We’ll use the same colors from the top lid to create a cohesive, balanced look.
Actionable Tip: Take a small pencil brush. Dip it into the darkest eyeshadow (black or deep brown) and tap off the excess. Gently press and smudge the color along your lower lash line, starting from the outer corner and stopping about two-thirds of the way in. Use soft, back-and-forth motions to create a smoky effect.
Step 10: Blending the Lower Lash Line
To prevent a harsh line, we need to blend the dark color with the mid-tone and transition shades.
Actionable Tip: Take a clean, small blending brush and pick up the mid-tone eyeshadow. Blend this color over the darkest color on the lower lash line, softening the edges. Finally, use the transition shade to lightly blend the mid-tone color further downward, diffusing the pigment and creating a seamless transition.
The Finishing Touches: Eyeliner and Lashes
These final steps pull the entire look together, adding definition and drama.
Step 11: Eyeliner
Eyeliner is essential for defining the lash line and making the lashes appear fuller.
Actionable Tip: Use a vegan black kohl or gel eyeliner. Apply the liner directly to your upper waterline (tightlining) and a thin line along your upper lash line. This fills in any gaps and adds intensity. You can also apply a small amount to the outer half of your lower waterline for extra drama.
Step 12: Mascara and Falsies
No smokey eye is complete without dramatic lashes. Choose a high-quality vegan mascara and consider adding false lashes for maximum impact.
Actionable Tip: Curl your lashes with a clean lash curler. Apply two to three coats of a volumizing, lengthening vegan mascara to both your top and bottom lashes. For a truly glamorous look, apply a pair of vegan false lashes. Ensure the lash glue you use is also vegan and cruelty-free.
Troubleshooting and Pro Tips
Mastering the smokey eye takes practice. Here are some common challenges and how to overcome them.
Challenge: Fallout
Dark eyeshadows can create a lot of fallout, which leaves smudges under the eyes.
Solution: Always do your eye makeup before your face makeup (foundation, concealer, etc.). This way, you can easily clean up any fallout with a makeup wipe and a fresh application of moisturizer. Alternatively, you can use the “baking” method by applying a thick layer of loose setting powder under your eyes before you start. Once you’re done with the eye makeup, you can simply brush the powder and the fallout away.
Challenge: Blending Issues
The colors look muddy or have harsh lines.
Solution: Use the right brushes. A fluffy blending brush for the crease, a smaller, denser one for the outer corner, and a pencil brush for the lower lash line are essential. Always start with a small amount of product and build up the intensity gradually. Use a clean blending brush to soften the edges of each color as you go.
Challenge: Not Dark Enough
The look lacks the dramatic intensity you want.
Solution: Layering is key. After applying the initial darkest shade, go back and press another layer on top with a dense, flat brush. The goal is to build pigment, not just sweep it around. Using a black cream base or a black eyeliner pencil as a base on the eyelid can also significantly intensify the color.
Challenge: Smudging and Creasing
The look disappears or creases after a few hours.
Solution: The eyelid primer is your best friend. A good primer will lock everything in place. Also, be sure your eyelid is completely dry before you begin. For long-lasting results, consider setting your finished eye look with a vegan setting spray.
Conclusion: The Art of the Vegan Smokey Eye
Creating a stunning vegan smokey eye is a journey of technique, patience, and ethical product selection. By focusing on a properly prepped base, a gradual build-up of color, and meticulous blending, you can achieve a professional-quality, long-lasting look that is both glamorous and guilt-free. The beauty of this technique lies in its versatility; you can adapt it with different colors and finishes to suit any occasion, from a subtle daytime smokey eye to a dramatic evening statement. With these steps, you now have the tools to create a flawless, impactful vegan smokey eye that will turn heads and make you feel incredible.