Nothing says sexy like a smoky eye. But let’s be honest, just like something else in the bedroom department, it can be hard for a girl to achieve. But when you have the right eyeshadow palette in hand, you’ll be able to get it perfectly every time (unless you’re too drunk or just not in the mood). Check out these Witty + Pretty AND Pretty In My Pocket picks for palettes (and say that ten times fast):
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1. The Balm Nude ‘Tude ($36): We’ll let the pros do the reviewin’ for this gem. Our resident Pretty In My Pocket (PRIMP) gal Hayden says, “This palette contains both light and dark, matte and shimmer shadows to provide an ideal spectrum of highly pigmented, natural hues to achieve either a subtle or strong smoky eye.” Makeup Maven Jane Candor of Life’s Entropy, says, “These have minimal fallout and even the mattes blend beautifully,” while Makeup Maven Kathryne of The Fabzilla gushes, “These eyeshadows are soft and buttery. Used with your trusted primer, these lasted for more than eight hours without creasing or smudging.” And we can all appreciate the sultry, suggestive packaging of the naked-under-their-makeup pinup gals.
2. Urban Decay Naked 2 ($50): The follow-up to the popular Naked Palette, this palette showcases a dozen different shades than the first bronze-based collection, including stunners from pale to deep, matte to sparkly. The shadows are quality and long-lasting and the brush does its job (but if you have a fancier one, you might want to use it). It has a 4.5 (out of 5) star rating on the PRIMP app, and most users love the “cool-toned” and “flattering” hues, but those who want a warmer look stay true to the original Naked.
3. Too Faced Naked Eye Soft & Sexy ($36): Y’all know I’m a Too Faced gal. (And not in the Mean Girls way.) I adore their palettes for the top-notch, long-wearing shadows, perfect color combos, AND handy cheat sheets that show you exactly how to create the eyes you want. The Naked collection is nine shades with the best names (In The Buff, Like A Virgin, Birthday Suit, Lap Dance, etc.) so you can achieve that natural, “Oh, I just woke up with these ‘come hither’ peepers” look that the lads love. I’m also a big fan of Too Faced’s Natural and Natural at Night eyeshadow collections. (All are available at Sephora.)
You can certainly smokify your eyes with just shadows, but eyeliner does play an important part if you want to be especially boudoir-esque. PRIMP offers these expert pretty tips: If you’re scared to use a liquid or gel eyeliner to line eyes and top off the look, take a liner brush with a flat, angled end and apply one of the darker shadow in short sweeping motions as close to the lash line as possible. This prevents your smoky eye from looking too harsh. Also: Slightly increase the shadow line width as you move away from the inside of your eye. This creates an eye-opening effect without the full-on drama of a cat eye.
And THAT is how you undress with your eyes.
LYLAS,
Ashley
*You can find reviews on all these products plus a gajillion more (AND perks and prizes!) on the PRIMP app. Check it out here, download it for FREE, and get to primping.