How-to tips: Guerlain's international makeup artist Jose Louis was in Singapore last month and showed us how to create a smoky eye in five minutes
Like red lipstick, a smoky eye will never go out of style. It’s been our go-to makeup look for ages now, and never ceases to bring out our glam side on nights out. But let’s be honest, the look requires a certain degree of blending skills, and can even prove tricky for the most seasoned of beauty pros. Luckily for us, we had makeup guru, Jose Louis, Guerlain’s international makeup artist in Singapore last month to show us the ropes.
Here to launch the La Petite Robe Noir collection (designed for the new generation of younger, makeup savvy women), French makeup artist Jose Louis is a wealth of classic beauty tips, thanks to decades of adorning the faces of women from all over the world, including supermodels like Natalia Vodianovia.
When we met, Jose was studying a photo of me and colouring in a portrait to plan my glam makeover. It’s this flair for the arts that led him to be a makeup artist; as a child, Jose dreamt of being sculptor but was later convinced into becoming a makeup artist. These days, Jose still sees himself as a sculptor, but with makeup – “it’s a way to express different emotions and moods,” he says with a big grin.
When we discussed common makeup concerns, the smoky eye was an inevitable topic. I wanted to know how to create one with little fuss, and in as little time as possible. “Not a problem,” he said. And so we began. Keep reading for his tips on how to create an effortless five minute smoky eye.
After prepping my skin with the Guerlain Lingerie De Peau Natural Perfection Skin foundation and Precious Light Illuminator and Concealer, Jose used a tiny eyeliner brush and black eyeshadow from the Palette 5 Couleurs (in Rose Barbare) to create a smudgy cat eye on my outer lash lines.
Next came the deep purple eyeshadow, buffed delicately upwards from my outer lash line to my crease to add definition.
To open up my eyes, he added a lighter beige shade to the rest of my lids, softly blending it into the dark purple of the outer V of my eyes, for a seamless transition.
To add brightness, a shimmery highlighter was added to the inner corners of my eyes and on my lower lash line. Lashings of the Guerlain Clis d’enfer maxi lash mascara were then added to my lashes to make my eyes really pop. At this stage, don’t forget to clean up under your eyes with a cotton bud, and sweep concealer and powder under your eyes again to retouch.
The final steps? Jose brushed the iconic Guerlain Meteorites Powder Pearls highlighter on my cheeks and brow bones to highlight my features, and handed me the sweet Pearly Pink lippie from the Kiss Kiss collection to juxtapose my dark eye makeup. In the words of Jose: “Now, you are ready to seduce.”
The La Petite Robe Noire collection is now available at all Guerlain counters.
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