Trend Alert: Plummy, Smoky Eyes

Smoky eyes are a huge trend, say the folks at Sephora. But rather than standard black, plums and purples soften the look. Anyone can wear these shades, using tones that suit their skin. For example, Guerlain’s #62 is a shimmery aubergine that works best on fair and olive skins, Amarcord is a burgundy wine cream from NARS that looks perfect as a base on skins with a yellowish tone, and Nars Cream Eye Shadow Swing is another cream that is a cool dark purple better suited for pink/blue skin tones. For expert guidance on achieving smoky eyes, I asked Mary Irwin, a Texas-based makeup artist. “Apply a shadow base or concealer all over your lids to prime them,” she says. “Next brush on a neutral color from lash line to brow bone. Sweep your plum color from the lash line up to your crease, concentrating the color on the lid and outer corner. Follow up with a darker “wash” of color in the outer corner. Try Laura Mercier Eye Colour Paris By Night or NARS’ Night Fever. Then curl your lashes and apply two or three coats of mascara. In general, warm tones tend to be more flattering on warm tone skins, and cool tones on cool skins. The easiest way to pick plums when you’re not feeling adventurous is to stick within your natural color family. But you can mix tones by using a cool color as your base and highlight colors, and using a warm shade as your contour, or vice versa. You get more depth to the eye when you combine,” Irwin advises. You can wear either a neutral or strong lip color but stick with neutral cheeks to avoid too severe a look. Find Mary Irwin at maryirwin.com.

Laura Mercier Eye Colour Paris By Night from Sephora.com