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This summer Kyle and I have been really focused on fitting in date nights and time together after the work day is over! I love kicking my makeup up a notch for a fun, sexy vibe after dark. It totally gets me in the mood to let loose and make a night out of it! And anyway, it’s just fun to switch up your makeup at the end of a long day. Live a little! Lol. When I take my makeup from day to night, I either add a ton of highlighter and a bright red lip– OR I create a smokey, dynamic eye with glowing skin. Today I thought I would share how I create my favorite smokey eye look. When I pump up my makeup for evening, I’m normally already wearing either my every day makeup look or my photo shoot makeup look. Both are very glowy and pretty but can be easily updated to a smoky look! I’ve linked all the products in a carousel at the bottom of the post so you can see them in one place.

1. Perfect Your Skin

I start by touching up my concealer or foundation so that any redness is toned down. Usually I make sure that the redness around my nose is covered and any dark circles under my eyes. I blend it in with a beauty blender.

2. Apply Blush

My cheek color is one of the first things that fades on my face during a long day. I like to make sure that color is reapplied, and I go for a nice, matte rosy toned blush. I normally use Armani Beauty Cheek Fabric because I love their sheer tones! I start on the apple of my cheek and sweep up toward my temples.

3. Paint Your Lids

Next, I take a gunmetal, or dark silver tone and brush it all over my eyelid, blending in to the crease. I’m loving the new Urban Decay “Born To Run” palette this summer. The color I put on my eyelids is “drift”.

4. Accent The Crease

To add some dimension, next I add some dimension to my eye makeup wit a fun color in the crease. I chose a peacock tone called “Wanderlust”. I take a smaller brush and apply from the outer corner of my crease and blend it across the whole crease, stopping before the inner corners. Then I take a fluffy brush and blend the color very well in to the crease so that there aren’t any harsh edges.

5. Add Some Drama

To make the smokey eye extra dramatic, I add some darkness! I take a black or close to black color– in this palette it’s “Jet”, and I take the same small brush to add some darkness to the outermost corner and crease of my eye. Then I take an eyeliner brush and line my top lid with the dark color. Then blend the crease of your eyelids again very well again with the fluffy brush.

6. Line Lower Lids

I take that same gunmetal color and line my lower lids with a very precise eyeliner brush.

7. Get Your Glow

Next, I set my makeup with a glow, shimmering fusion powder. I love the Armani Beauty Neo Nude Fusion Powder! I just brush it all over my face with a big fluffy brush to get my skin glowing.

8. Add Mascara

For my normal daytime makeup look I don’t put mascara on my lower lashes. But when I transition my makeup to night time I definitely add it! I love Benefit Roller Lash mascara.

9. Get Out The Falsies

I just loooove false lashes. I truly believe that they make everyone look like a million bucks. Some people are intimidated by them– but don’t be! It takes a few times to feel comfortable putting them on, and once you get the hang of it, an easy set of false lashes can really take your makeup look in to glam territory. I start by applying a thin stripe of lash glue on the false lash. I blow on the glue for 30ish seconds to make the glue a bit tacky. Then I use a set of tweezers to place the strip right against my lash line. Allow the glue to fully dry before you do anything else to your eye makeup!

10. Put Your Lips On

With such a bold eye makeup look, I go with a more muted, nude lip. I like to apply a lip liner, and then top it with a creamy lipstick. This is Kylie Cosmetics lipliner in Dolce K and then Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Penelope Pink.

11. Perfect The Lash Strips

Finish your lashes by taking a liquid eyeliner and lining the inner top corners of your eyelids with black so that the strip blends in better to your lash line.

12. Highlight

The last step is highlighter! I put it on the highest part of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, on the tip of my nose, and in the cupids bow of my lips.

Once your makeup is finished, make sure to take your outfit up a notch as well! There’s nothing wrong with showing off your best assets and having fun– Feeling great will make you have the best night ever.

Do you like wearing a more dramatic makeup look for evenings out? Let me know in the comments below!