We love bold brights and sparkly shimmers, but for those who want a lid look far more dramatic in its nuances? Welcome back to the '90s smoky eye, because sultry shadow is having a revival. Spotted up and down the red carpet, take your cue from Simone Ashley, Lily James and Kendall Jenner who have all stepped over to the dark side with heavy kohl, loaded lashes and blown-out, moody eyeshadow.
“The rise of the ‘90s smoke contrasts with the over-embellished, elaborate eye make-up of today,” says Dominic Skinner, renowned make-up artist and ambassador for MAC cosmetics. “There’s a chicness to the simplicity of a dark eyelid and a transition shade through the socket – it's classic so will always work,” he continues.
Beyond the red carpets, dark eyelids dominated on the autumn/winter 2022 catwalks, too. At Michael Kors, Bella Hadid and co sported a smudged, lived-in liner, while at Armani, a smoky cut crease stole the show. Elsewhere, at Versace, all eyes were on the sooty smoked-out shadow that stood out against the models’ bleached brows. The trend will continue into next year, too, given that the likes of Moschino, Bally and Tom Ford (runway masters of the smoky eye) showcased the look at their spring/summer 2023 shows.
Keen to revisit this ‘90s trend? Skinner shares his top tips and tricks on how to nail the perfect smoky eye today.
How to do a ‘90s-inspired smoky eye
“A smoky eye is sexy and alluring,” says Skinner. “It gives you an empowerment, a hidden strength, that can help you feel your absolute best.” Tempted to try? Start by sourcing three shades of eye product. “Something dark, something medium and something either lighter or the same colour as your skin tone,” says Skinner, who adds that the latter could be as simple as your face powder.
You’re going to apply the dark shade first – Skinner recommends an eye pencil for this. “Apply it along the lash line and work it up towards the crease,” he advises, “before gently blending out the edges and running the pencil in the waterline.” Next, take the medium shade (something like MAC’s Uninterrupted Eyeshadow), and “apply it to the smudged-out part of the darker shade, taking it into crease and fading it out with a fluffy brush.” At this point, Skinner says you want to use a smaller brush to sweep that same medium shade under your eyes, along the lash line.
“Finally, take your lighter shade and blend this in from the socket to the brow bone,” adds Skinner. The trick to perfecting this look? “Finesse the edges by using your face powder on a fluffy brush and sweeping it around the smoky eye – this will give you a smooth, airbrushed ‘90s look that’s ready for any red carpet.”
How to make the ‘90s smoky eye feel modern
“A fun way to update and modernise a ‘90s supermodel smoky eye is to add a dash of frost – which is the eyeshadow texture of the year,” says Skinner. “Once you’ve applied your smoky eye, grab an iridescent sparkly shadow like MAC’s Dazzleshadow, and tap it onto the very centre of your eyelid using fingertips.” Skinner confirms this technique will work wonders on all eye shapes, even hooded, as it will make your eyes appear bigger.
Victoria Beckham, long known for her signature smokey eye, tells Bazaar she also likes to update hers with a flash of shimmer this season. "For my everyday eye, I use my Smoky Eye Brick in Signature and dust the lightest shade all over my lid and up to my brow bone. This acts as my base for the other colours I layer on. I then apply the pale pink shade in the centre of my lid to brighten my eyes before using the mid-tone brown just above the contour of my eye to lift my look. I’ll blend any extra product along my lash line to amp up the smokiness for added dimension." Then, come evening, "I’ll use the Satin Kajal Jewel Liner in Nightflash to add more dimension to my lash line – as always, smoking it out is encouraged!"
How to wear the rest of your make-up
“If I’m doing a smoky eye on a client, then I’ll always opts for a clean everything else,” says Skinner. By this, he means, “a natural contour and highlight, groomed brows that are slightly filled in, and a nude lip that’s glossy if the eyeshadow is matte.” Feeling brave? “If you really want to make a statement with your look, add a bold lip for full on Big Diva Energy.”
'90s smoky eye essentials
Victoria Beckham Beauty
Lid Lustre in Mirror
Charlotte Tilbury
Rock 'n' Kohl pencil in Bedroom Black
Throwback eye shadow in Uninterrupted
Gucci
Poudre De Beauté matte compact powder
