Smokey Gunmetal Grey Makeup Tutorial

As the weather grows colder and the days get shorter, my looks go from bright and vivid to dark and neutral. I am in love with greys and taupes right now. They are hands-down my go-to shades during the fall and winter. This smokey gunmetal grey makeup look is edgy, complete with a nude lip and spiky false lashes (because who can't use a pair of spiky lashes in their life?).

Next month, in anticipation of the holiday season, I plan on featuring more warm-tone makeup looks. Oranges, cranberries, and light browns have been calling my name! I am ready for some red lips and sparkling eyelids, so prepare yourselves.

In other exciting news: this was the very LAST makeup tutorial I photographed with my iPhone 6. My amazing Uncle and Godfather was inspired to invest in my blog and business and sent me a Canon Rebel T5, complete with every accessory I could ever ask for. I'm so excited to take my blog to the next level in terms of photography and appearance. It was truly an exciting blessing.

The Face

Starting with the basics: I moisturize my face with Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion and my under eye area with ELF Eye Illuminating Cream. I prime my skin with Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance and prime my under eye area with ELF Hydrating Under Eye Primer. Using a Beauty Blender, I apply Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in Light 29 to my entire face. To highlight and conceal I use NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla in a V-shape beneath my eyes, in the middle of my forehead, down the bridge of my nose, on my chin, and on my eye lids.

To set everything I take the Real Techniques Setting Brush and place a mixture of the highlight shades Lucid and Lyric from the Kat Von D Shade and Light Contour Palette and place a generous amount over the areas that I highlighted with concealer. I also add a generous amount to my jaw directly below my contour line. I allow the extra powder to sit on my skin for a few minutes to "bake" before brushing off with a Morphe Brushes G23 Soft Fan Brush.

With the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush I take the contour shade Sombre from the Kat Von D palette and contour beneath my cheekbones, underneath my jaw bone, along the hairline on my forehead, down my temples, and alone the parallel sides of the bridge of my nose. After blending I apply Urban Decay Afterglow Powder Blush in Score using the blush brush from the BH Cosmetics Party Girl Brush Set.

Using the same fan brush as earlier, I then apply the first shade of pale white highlighter from the Carli Bybel by BH Cosmetics Palette to the tops of my cheekbones, my forehead just above my brows, and the bridge of my nose.

I shape my brows with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Ebony, fill it in with the ABH Brow Powder in Medium Brown, and set it into place with the ABH Clear Brow Gel.

The Eyes

I take the color ES13 (Deep Skin) by Morphe Brushes, a soft gold peach, with a fluffy blending brush into the crease of my eye and start blending upward. This is going to be our transition shade.

Using the Lorac Pro palette I then apply Taupe directly into my crease with a small tapered blending brush using windshield wiper motions. I reapply this color a couple times to build the color, making sure it blends into my transition shade but stays directly within the crease.

Using a flat shadow brush I take the color Slate from the Lorac Pro palette, a deep shimmer grey, and press it onto the center of my eye lid. Once the color is as vibrant as I want it to be, I then go back in with a blending brush and just make sure the crease and the outer V are evenly blended into the grey and there are no harsh lines. I then go back in to the copper and add just a touch more color to the center of my lid.

I use the color Sable, a dark red-brown, from the Lorac Pro palette to define my outer corner. I apply this directly to the outer third of my eye lid in the shape of a sideways "V" to smoke out the look. While I make sure to concentrate the color only to this area, I take it up into my crease and down into my lower lash line ever so slightly so as to enhance the smokey effect.

I take a small angled brush to draw on my eye liner using the NYX Gel Liner in Jet Black. I get as close to the lash line as possible and press down on the lid to create a black line. I wing this out when I reach the outer corner of my eye.

I then use the color Champagne, a frosted nude, from the Lorac Pro palette to highlight the inner tear duct with a fluffy blending brush, and a small flat shadow brush to highlight my brow bone just below my eyebrow.

Finally, I take the color Taupe again and glide it below my bottom lash line using a small eye defining brush, making sure to blend into the outer corner of my eye to give the entire look a rounded out smokey eye. To add some dimension and soften any harshness I go over the bottom of this color with our original transition color.

I apply Benefit Roller Lash mascara to my lashes. For my falsies I choose Eylure London Definition Lashes No. 126 and apply them using the Vegas Nay by Eylure Lash Glue.

The Lips

I wanted to keep the lips simple, nude and glossy for this heavy eye look. I used Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer in Nude Eclipse to both line and fill in my lips.

Let Me Know!

Are you into the "smokey" makeup looks for fall right now? What are your favorite colors to use when creating a smokey eye look?