Prep: Do not apply foundation all over your face to begin with, just a little on eyes as there will always be overspill on your cheekbones that you will need to clean up at the end. Lightly dust the eyes with some powder and you’re ready to begin.

Black eye shadow too scary? Black can be very harsh on some people and make your eyes look small, instead try some beautiful greys for that luxurious smoky feel and remember that you don’t always have to use powder eyeshadows — cream shadows are much softer and easier to apply. Also, rich dark chocolate browns are a great alternative to black.

Walk the line: Line your eyes along the lash line both top and bottom, but unless you have really big eyes, lining the inside lid may make them look smaller. To open them up, try using white eyeliner on the inside lid instead.

Get in shape: There is no rule to where you should end the smudge, you can either go for a more rounded panda eye look, a cat-like feel with more pointy upturned corners or even a very 70s smoky eye keeping the shadow very close to the lashes.

Most common mistake: Most people try to slavishly copy what they see in a magazine or on the runways and in daylight this can be too much. It’s best to be a bit more conservative for everyday and dampen the look down a little.

Gone too far? If you think you have gone too far and want tone it down just wet a cotton bud and carefully remove some of the eyeshadow — it doesn’t matter if the eye doesn’t look perfect — that’s part of the look’s rock-chick appeal.

Smoky eye and bold lip, can you do both? You can wear a smoky eye with a dark red lip but maybe not during the day. Save it for a glamorous night out, it’s got a great 80s Helmut Newton feel to it. If you’re bold and want to make a statement go for it but my favourite is still a smoky eye with a flesh-tone lip — it’s classic and fresh.

Interview by Ana Almeida

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