How to Get Fall’s Platinum Gray Smoky Eye

Photo: Robin Black

Bright gold, glossy silver, and deep bronze—from Donna Karan to Dior, metallic eyes ruled the fall 2014 runways. These shimmering, light catching shades flatter a wide range of skin tones and add a pop to fall’s subdued palette. One of my favorite metallic colors for eyes is deep platinum gray. It’s more elegant than pale silver and has enough depth to create a smoky eye. It’s also the most wearable, especially when paired with highlighted skin and a semi-matte nude lip. Here’s how to get the look.

Step 1

Start with a translucent eye primer to increase the wear time of your smoky eye. Tap it over your clean eyelid with a fingertip and let it sit for a minute before applying anything else.

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($25)

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Step 2
Sweep a pale silver shadow over your entire lid, blending to just past your crease. There should be a small amount of bare skin between your eyebrow and the top of your shadow.  Smudge the same silver under your eye, from the inner corner to the outer edge.

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Rock Chick ($52)

Step 3
Using a deep platinum gray eye shadow, start at the outer corner of your lid and blend toward the center. Stop short of the inner corner. Mimic that action under your eye so that the color fades in intensity from the outer corner to the inner corner. You can add an extra bit of the silver shadow to the inner corner for additional sparkle.

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Step 4
Create more definition by applying black gel or liquid liner in between the upper eyelashes. Then fill in the lower rim with a white pencil liner. These two quick tricks make eyes look more open.

NARS Eyeliner Pencil in Iceberg ($23)

Hourglass Calligraphy Liquid Eye Liner ($34)

Step 5
Finish with several coats of black mascara on the top and bottom lashes, and a nude lip.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara ($22)

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash ($21)

Lipstick Queen Sinner in Bare Nude ($22)

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* A note about freckles…

If you have a gorgeous freckly complexion like model Samantha Hoopes, you have three options when it comes to base.  One is to cover them completely using a heavy foundation (no!). Another is to use a sheer tinted moisturizer with a warm undertone (a cool tone will make freckles appear gray). This will tone down the freckles just a bit but still look very natural. The final—and my favorite—is to skip base products completely and just use a concealer over any red spots. For this look, I used a small pointed brush and dotted the concealer under the eyes, around the edges of the nose and over any red areas. I then used my finger to gently tap the concealer into the skin. (And I used Chantecaille Liquid Lumiere in Luster on the cheeks.) If your skin is dry, try mixing the concealer with a bit of moisturizing cream or applying it directly after cream. The result is flawless, natural looking skin that shows off your freckles!

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