How to: Dark Eyes and Dark Lips

Equipment:

-Cream base

-Medium flat brush

-Blending brush

-Grey, black and light nude eyeshadows

-Small flat brush

-Mascara

-Disposable mascara wand

-Small angled brush

-Lip colour

Step by step:

Eyes

(Tip: Do both eyes at the same time, just incase you are caught short of time and the model needs to rush off.)

1. Apply a cream base with a flat brush all over the eyelids. 

2. Blend the edges of the cream base into the crease with a fluffy brush.

(Tip: Get the model to keep opening her eyes, as different looks work differently on different eye shapes.)

3. Apply a medium grey shade all over the eye lids, over the cream base.

4. Using a medium flat brush, add some medium matte grey into the crease and blend upwards.

5. Add some black eye shadow into the outer crease with a small flat brush and blend it out with a fluffy brush. 

6. Build up the black until you get the intensity you want. 

7. Take some black eye shadow and apply it along the lower lash line with a small flat brush.

8. Apply a highlight colour to the inner corner and brow bone to brighten those areas. 

(Optional)

9. Get some black eyeliner pencil on the back of your hand and use a small angled brush to apply it along the lash line and to a flick. 

10. Apply some gel eyeliner over the top of the black pencil with an eyeliner brush.

11. Smudge the eyeliner using a small flat brush.

12. Use some oil control lotion to remove any excess eyeshadow or eyeliner with a cotton bud. 

13. Using a small, stiff fan brush, apply some mascara to the eyelashes, making sure to get right down to the roots and curling if needed. 

Lips

14. Line the lips with a sharp lip pencil to get a defined, clean line. 

(Tip: Get the model to open her lips slightly and smile to get a smooth line on the bottom lip.)

15. Use a small lip brush or a small angled brush to apply the lipstick all over the lips.

16. Use some concealer on a small flat brush to clean up around the edges if necessary. 

I am happy with how the look came out. I am pleased with how blended the eyeshadow looks and how even both eyes look. However, looking at the images, I noticed that there was a patch on both eyelids where I didn't put very much product and therefore the skin is showing through. Next time, I will need to make sure I ask my model to close their eyes and double check for this. To make this look more dramatic, I would just have to bring the colours further out and blend as I go along. I really like how the eyelids are brighter and have shimmer because I think it really opens up the eyes and adds dimension. I struggled to get the lips to look exactly how I wanted as I found it difficult to get a very smooth and even line around them. I didn't line the lips with a pencil as I didn't have one on me, so I just used my small angled brush to line them and fill them in. I am happy with how smooth I got the line in the end, but I can obviously see it's not perfect. I will need to practise applying lip colour until I feel confident with the outcomes.