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Are your ready for smoky eyes?

Looking glamorous is well within reach for all of us. Learn some glamorous makeup techniques to play up your eyes, cheeks and lips for a truly unforgettable face.

What does glamour mean to you? More importantly, how do you make yourself look and feel glamorous? Whether it’s with a stunning outfit, a bit of glamorous makeup or a combination of both, the way you look on the outside reflects the confidence you’ll feel from looking extra special.

I was fascinated to find out that the word “glamour” is 18th century Scottish in origin and refers to magic spells. Someone would “cast the glamour” on someone else. There’s still a lot of magic left in the word glamour, especially when it comes to making your face look beautiful.

Glamorous makeup is centered on a bit of extra drama—a vivid palette and perhaps a bit of the unexpected. Don’t confuse glamour with garish, though. You want people’s eyes to light up as they say “Wow, you look fabulous!” and not have them wonder if you applied your makeup with a spatula.

Like everything else beautiful, glamorous makeup begins with a good base. Make sure hair is clean by washing it the day before. The extra day makes it easier to style than freshly washed hair. Prepare your skin by making sure it’s clean, exfoliated, moisturized and protected. Apply your concealer and foundation of choice before focusing on playing up facial features. Lastly, don’t forget your nails. Make sure your fingernails and toenails are filed and trimmed.

My glam makeup tips focus on the eyes, since the eyes have expression and the greatest capacity for drawing attention.

Play Up Your Eyes

There are many different ways to glamorize your eyes. Here are a few of my favorite makeup tricks for parties, weddings or a special date night.

Smoky Eye

The smoky eye is my go-to eye makeup look when I want to look and feel glamorous. The traditional smoky eye uses a palette of gray eyeshadows on eyelids, but you can recreate a smoky eye with almost any other color palette. Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of pink and purple smoky eye looks for summer.

Follow these steps to achieve this eyeshadow look. You’ll need a light color for highlighting, a medium base color and a dark color to add that extra bit of drama. For example, you can create a traditional smoky eye with a silver highlight color, a medium charcoal gray color and a dark, almost black color.

• First things first: apply a primer to your eyelids so that your eyeshadow stays in place and doesn’t crease.
• Next apply the highlight shade onto the inner corners of eyelids and directly under eyebrows.
• Take your medium eyeshadow shade and sweep it across your entire eyelid.
• Now you’re ready to apply the darkest shade. Gently apply the darkest eyeshadow shade to the crease of your eyelid. When I do this makeup technique, I tend to dab the eyeshadow gently along my eyelid crease, making a subtle ‘C’ shape.
• The final step is to blend. Take your favorite (clean) eyeshadow blending brush and go over your eyelids, blending colors. This step is crucial, because a smoky eye shouldn’t have any harsh lines.

This is just one way to achieve a smoky eye look. There are differing opinions in the beauty industry on how to do a smoky eye. Some makeup artists will tell you to only use a very dark and very light color and skip the medium base color. Others will tell you that more than three colors are required. This look is about what works for you, so don’t be afraid to experiment and personalize your look.

Shimmery Eyes

Another way to make your eyes stand out is to add some shimmer. You can do this by looking for cosmetics that include a little bit of sparkle. You can create a shimmery smoky eye by using eyeshadows that contain glitter or light reflecting pigments. One of my favorite eye makeup looks is a shimmery gold on the lids, accompanied by a sweep of violet or indigo on the crease. If you’re ready to experiment, try adding some glitter to your look. Glitter eyeliners and subtle hints of glitter eyeshadow are very on-trend these days.

False Eyelashes

To add to your glam factor, you also might want to try false eyelashes. Today’s false lashes have come a long way—they look very realistic and are comfortable to wear. Some things to consider when using false lashes in your glamorous makeup look:

• You have the choice of applying a strip of false lashes or individual false lashes. Individual lashes will give you more of a natural look, but require extra time to apply. When looking for a strip of false lashes, choose lashes that are just a little longer and thicker than your natural eyelashes.
• When using a strip of false lashes, measure the lashes and cut off any additional length so that it fits your eye shape before applying.
• After you are done applying your false lashes, add a coat of mascara so the false lashes and your real lashes look blended.
• If your false lash strip is not perfectly aligned with your lash line, fill in any gaps with eyeliner or a dark eyeshadow.
• Lastly, don’t get discouraged with false lashes if they are not applied perfectly; it takes some practice.

Incredible Eyebrows

The finishing touch on glamorous eyes involves your eyebrows. Impeccably groomed and well-defined eyebrows make a dramatic impact and are well worth the effort. You can follow my tips for getting great eyebrows or splurge on a professional eyebrow makeover to get you on the right track. Use a combination of brow powder and pencil to finish your dramatic makeup look.

Glamorous Makeup for Other Facial Features

Finish off your glam makeup look with lip color and blush. For your lips, think back to the golden age of Hollywood. Try enhancing your cupid’s bow—the small “V” at the center of your top lip. Use a lip pencil to draw in a more pronounced angular bow if you don’t already have one. Then continue lining your lips and filling them in with your favorite lip color.

Nothing says glamour like defined cheekbones. Refer to my favorite blush, highlighting and contouring tricks to play up what you have! My four steps to great cheekbones post shows how to add contours to your face with just a few simple tools.

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Looking and feeling glamorous isn’t about a specific formula that works for all. It’s about having fun with your look and experimenting with your individual style to bring out your inner confidence. I’ve just shared some techniques that help me feel my best before heading out for a special occasion. I hope my glamorous makeup tips help you prepare for your next special occasion.