UD Naked Smoky Eye "Stroke of Gold at Midnight" Look

I've decided to do a mini series of eye looks with the *NEW* Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette ($54) while the new addition to the cult classic set is still "all the rage." 

Today, I went with what I am calling a "Stroke of Gold at Midnight" because I used a midnight purplish shade called "Smolder" along with the gold shade from the palette, "Dirtysweet." I wanted something obviously smoky-- hence the palette name, yet something that could be toned down with a more thorough blend, or made much more intense if desired. 

I chose not to wear any false lashes today. I'm not a huge fan of them. They do seem to take an eye look from "everyday" to "glam," but they aren't a must have for every makeup look. I don't think this eye look is any less beautiful without falsies.

Without further ado, let's get started. I'll be giving step-by-step instructions on exactly how I achieved this eye look. I hope you enjoy! And remember, feel free to make suggestions, ask questions, or let me know what you'd like to see next! 

1. First, I primed my eye with the MICA Beauty Cosmetics Eye Primer ($44.95), set everything with the matte white shadow "Thirteen" and then used my NYX Wonder Pencil in "Light" ($4.49) to define the brow area. 

I then took a flat, rounded packing brush to blend and soften the white under the brow bone from the pencil. 

• I should also say that I used a piece of clear tape along the outer edge of my lid to get a nice defined line for my makeup when it's finished. Make sure you first lightly stick it to your hand before applying to your eye area, as that will prevent the tape from removing your face makeup when you take it off at the end. 

2. Next, I used a fluffy Sigma blending brush to buff the matte, pinky flesh shade "Combust" onto the area above my lid to act as my transition. (I'm also not sure why my pupil looks extremely dilated in this photo, but no, I was not on drugs!) 

• This shade is a bit more cool-toned than my actual skin tone and is fair enough to blend seamlessly for transition purposes. 

3. I used another flat lid brush (as seen in the photo below) with some MAC Prep + Prime Fix + ($22) to pack the gold shade "Dirtysweet" onto the center third of my eye. 

• If it looks a bit messy, don't worry! We will be doing a heck of a lot of blending to get the shadows smoothed out how we want them! 

4. Next, I used the midnight purplish-black shade (or that's how I see it in the palette) "Smolder" and applied it to the inner and out parts of my lid on either side of where I applied the gold. 

• I packed on several coats of it to get it to the darkness/intensity that I was happy with. This part is totally up to you. You can choose how deep you want it. 
• If I lost any of the gold pigmentation, I used my finger to dip into the gold and pat it directly on top of the gold area to brighten it up. 

5. Then, I used the matte grey shadow "Password" with a MAC 217 brush to buff and blend out the shadows along the crease. 

• NOTE: It did take me several fresh dips into the password shade and excessive blending to get the shadows soft enough to look seamless and smooth. Do not be afraid to add more if you have to to get the shades blended out enough. The key to any successful eye look is to blend, blend, and blend some more! 

6. I then used my NYC Liquid Liner in "Pearlized Black" ($2.77) to line my upper lash line and wing out my liner. 

7. As I stated at the beginning of this post, I chose not to use falsies. But I did apply two coats of the Too Faced "Better Than Sex" Mascara ($23)to my lashes. 

I lined my bottom lash line with the gold shade "Dirtysweet." And I also used the Too Faced Perfect Eyes Water Proof Eyeliner in "Perfect Black" ($18) to line my water line and tight line. 

And there it is! My finished look in all of it's splendor. It's very versatile, will look good on any eye color/skin tone, and can be worn anytime, day or night!

xx