Makeover: The Softer Side Of Smoky

With big, beautiful blue eyes and long lashes, my cousin Danielle has a tendency to be heavy-handed with the eye makeup when getting ready to go out. To prove to sweet Danielle that she can play up her peeper's features while playing down the makeup, I enlisted the help of Sephora makeup artist Angel Keith.

Angel started with Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion, then used Anastasia Go Brow highlighter below the lash line. Next, using the Sephora Brand Crease Brush, she blended Stila Chinois Eyeshadow in to the upper crease and pulled it to the outer corner of the eye in a "v" shape.

Then, she layered Stila Eden Eyeshadow in the crease. Angel chose this color since it's a shade darker than Danielle's skintone and has a rose undertone. Using the Sephora Brand All Over Eye Shadow brush, Angel patted TheBalm Luscious Lani Eyeshadow all over the lid, starting from the lash line and working up to the crease. (The patting motion keeps the shadow fallout to a minimum.)

Using the Sephora Brand Angled Eyeliner Brush, she loosely defined the outside edges of Danielle's eye with TheBalm Caught in the Act Courtney Eyeshadow. By using a rich brown with a gold sparkle, instead of black, she softened the look. (Oh, and don't worry about straight lines—the smudgier the better.)

She then added a flash of Smashbox Photo-Op Under Eye Brightener on the inside corner of eye in a crescent moon shape. This delivers a light-reflective glow to the eyes and makes them appear sultry, not tired.

On the lashes, she used Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point Mascara. Lastly, Angel filled in Danielle's brows with the other side of Anastasia's Go Brow. Her trick for brow length: Place the pencil at a diagonal angle on the edge of your nose and mark where it lands on your eyebrow.

The result: a sepia-toned smoky eye that smoldered, not smothered.