How to Do Black Eye Makeup

Co-authored by Katya Gudaeva

Last Updated: October 14, 2021 References

Black eye makeup is timeless, and can be used for nearly any style, from an everyday look to a deep smokey eye. Learn how to easily achieve some popular eye makeup looks, as well as how to create a fake bruised eye for stage makeup!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Achieving a Smoky Eye Look

1
Apply your darkest eyeshadow to the outside corner. Take the darkest color eyeshadow you want to use (black or dark gray) and swipe it on in an arch shape just above the crease of your eyelid, from the outside corner to the middle of the eyelid. Then apply it right along the lash line.
2
Put a lighter shade of eyeshadow in the middle of your eyelid. Apply a slightly lighter gray color to the middle of the eyelid, and blend it in with the darker color in the corner using a small soft brush.^{[1]
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3
Line your top and bottom lashes. Use a black eyeliner pencil to carefully line your top lashes, drawing from the inner corner to a point at the outer corner, staying as close to the lash line as possible. Then do the same to the bottom lash line and your waterline (the side of your bottom lashes closest to your eyeball) by pulling your undereye skin down slightly.^{[2]
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- Use a gel or liquid liner for your upper lash line if you like, but only use pencil on your waterline, because liquid liner will easily transfer to your eyeball from your waterline and irritate your eye.
4
Smudge the bottom liner. Use a smudge brush, q-tip, or your fingertip to gently smudge the liner on your bottom lashes, creating that signature hazy, smokey look. You can smudge the top liner too if you wish.
- If you want more color below your eye, you can also dab on a gray eyeshadow with a firm-bristled brush just below the liner.
5
Apply a light color to the inner corner. Use a light silver, cream, or shimmery white eyeshadow or a highlighter pencil in the inner corner of your eye. Blend if needed to create an even and gradual change from light to dark across your eyelids.^{[3]
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6
Brush on plenty of mascara. Get a black volumizing and lengthening mascara and apply it liberally to your top and bottom lashes, pulling the brush out from base to tip in a repeated motion.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Getting the Perfect Cat Eye

1
Choose a light or nude eyeshadow. Blend a light eyeshadow color across your eyelids to provide contrast for the cat eye. You can use a slightly darker shade to brush into the outside corner and crease if you wish.
2
Use a black eyeliner for your top lash line. Make small strokes of eyeliner across your top lash line until you have a straight, even line. Start at the inner corner or just outside it, and increase the thickness of the line as you draw further out toward the outside corner.^{[4]
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3
Achieve the signature wing tip. Draw a thin line of eyeliner from the outside of your bottom lash line into a fine point past your eyelid, up and out as far as you like in the direction of the end of your eyebrow. Then draw a line that smoothly connects the liner on your eyelid to this point, creating an unfilled triangle. Fill in this triangle with liner to finish.^{[5]
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- You can use a piece of clear tape or the curve of a spoon to help guide the shape of the wing.^{[6]
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- Liquid or gel eyeliner works best for creating a sharp, clean line, but you can use a pencil eyeliner if it has a sharp point.
4
Add mascara. Brush on several coats of a black lengthening mascara to complete the look.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Pairing Black with Other Colors

1
Use black eyeshadow in the outer corners. Apply black eyeshadow to the outer corner of your eye, sweeping it up in an arc just above the crease line and down across your lash line.
2
Add color to the eyelid. Add a vibrant color of shadow like purple or blue to the eyelid, with a darker shade closer to your black shadow and a lighter shade closer to the inside corner. Then blend the lighter shade, darker shade, and black together with a soft brush to create an even gradient just like a normal smokey eye.
3
Apply black eyeliner. Use a pencil, gel, or liquid black eyeliner to draw an even line across your top lash line, from inside corner to outside corner, staying as close to the lash line as possible. You can line the bottom lash line in the same way if you like.
4
Highlight the inside corner. Use a light or white eyeshadow or highlighter in the inner corner of your eyes to complete the gradient. You can also use the same or a lighter shade of the color you have on your inner lid for the corner.
5
Finish with black mascara. Apply mascara by sweeping the brush from roots to tip, repeating several times.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Creating a Black (Bruised) Eye

1
Line your eyes with black. Use an eyeliner pencil or black eyeshadow and a brush to create a thick line on the top and bottom of your eye. Smudge it with your finger, a smudge brush, or a q-tip.
- Don’t worry about lining your eyes carefully or smudging evenly. In this case, the messier it looks, the better!
2
Add black to your bottom socket, brow, and nose. Apply the same black eyeliner or eyeshadow from the inner corner of your eye down toward your cheek, following the curve of your eye socket. Smudge it, then use the extra on your finger, smudge brush, or q-tip to add a little smudge to the side of your nose and the outside of your eyebrow.^{[7]
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3
Add bruise colors. Use a dark burgundy eyeshadow in an arc just above the eyelid crease and extend it past the outside corner of your eye to your temple. Then use the same burgundy to go over the bottom socket curve that you lined with black before. Use a blood-red eyeshadow along your bottom lashes and blend it downward. Smudge all of the color together to make it look more natural. ^{[8]
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4
Finish with yellow. Add a light yellow eyeshadow wherever you want to create the appearance of swelling, for example: between your lower lash line and your lower socket makeup, above your eyebrow, or below the lower socket on your cheekbone.
5
Finished.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you do a smoky eyeliner for beginners?

Katya Gudaeva
Professional Makeup Artist
Katya Gudaeva is a Professional Makeup Artist and the Founder of Bridal Beauty Agency based in Seattle, Washington. She has worked in the beauty industry for over 10 years and worked with companies such as Patagonia, Tommy Bahama, and Barneys New York and with clients such as Amy Schumer, Macklemore, and Train.

Katya Gudaeva

Professional Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

If you're a beginner with eyeliner, start with an angled brush and eyeshadow. It gives you a little more wiggle room, so if you make a mistake it's easier to fix. You can just dip a cotton swab into micellar water then use it to clean up the line. Then, if you want, you can go over the eyeshadow with a liquid liner.
Question

How do you blend eye shadow?

Community Answer

Take a blending brush, then move the brush left to right or vice versa on the section of the eyes hadow you want to be blended.
Question

Which shades of blue eyeliner and shadows work best with brown eyes?

Cecilia Flores

Top Answerer

The beauty of having brown eyes is that any color works with them! It's basic color theory. If you mix blue, yellow, and red, you'll get brown, and all colors are composed of a mix of blue, yellow, and red, just in different amounts. So technically, any color works.