Smokey Peacock Formal: A Makeup Tutorial

I began this look as another Plenilune look, but basically it turned into something I'll just label the Smokey Peacock Formal and leave you free to apply it however you choose. It would be a lovely look for some sort of gala event, while it is still simple enough to wear for a work day if you were going to switch from one to the other without time to change makeup.

//The Eyes//

I began by dabbing a little concealer under my eyelids and swiping primer on the top of the lids. I'm not fancy with my primer: it came in an NYC makeup set and is sitting there right beside the shadows and a little pan of highlighter. Primer is, however, really helpful for "setting" a look, especially when it is smokey and might sort of peter out halfway through the evening without a little help. For this look, I started in the inner corners of the eyes with silver, then worked my way across the lid in lilac, dark grey, and cranberry, finishing the deepest part of the creases with a dark purplish brown. (All of these colors came from an all-purpose smokey-eye palette, plus a Smokey For Green Eyes palette from NYC) I lined my eyes all the way around with black (including the very inner corners), and underlined the bottom lid with silver to brighten the look. I filled in my brows a little with some brown eye-shadow too. You can't see terribly well in these photos, but at the far corners of the eyes, I brushed some peacock blue to shock some light back into the dark. Just a little, just enough to make it a playful rather than high-drama look.

I have never tried an entirely black smokey eye because I have heard that such a thing makes green eyed women look washed out. I'm not certain this is true, but then again, I've never been a major fan of the Abigail Chase Meets Raccoon look. I'm quite content with a reddish or purple palette. Works for me. :)

//The Face & Lips//

A quick puff of Mama's blush along my cheek-bones and the face was done. God has blessed me with a generally pretty clear complexion so I don't worry too much about doing anything with powders and foundations and things. For my lips, I used Laqa & Company Lip Lube in Purple. I either needed to go nude with the lip color, or something Not Pink. Purple? Perfect.

//The Hair//

For a bit of drama, I finger-combed my hair to the opposite side of where I usually have it, and pinned it into a haphazard coil into which I stabbed a gold dogwood flower. 

And there you have it! An interesting, beautiful look for your daytime-to-evening wear. Tra!